Five Things You Should Know Before Homeschooling.

If you’re a new homeschooling mom (or even just thinking about it), I’d like to give you some encouragement.

I’ve been there. I’ve questioned if I was doing enough, if I was cut out for this, and if my children would have a good education.

Homeschooling was something I always wanted to do and when my youngest was set to go to second grade and my oldest was set to enter the sixth grade my husband was finally on board with me removing them from traditional public schools and schooling them from home.

Some moms are scared to take the plunge because they fear that they are unqualified.

You don’t need the credentials of a traditional teacher to educated your child.

I have a high school diploma and am not formally educated as a teacher.

Keep in mind that you are their mom, their biggest advocate, and you know them better than anyone else.

You don’t need a teaching degree. You need a willing heart, the ability to be teachable because you’ll learn things along the way, flexibility, and lots and lots of patience. Now double that patience … hahaha.

I can laugh now at the few times I felt ready to flip my lid. There were times and felt like crying wondering if I’d mad the right decision.

Children can certainly take you there. But know this … I have no regrets.

I look back fondly on our homeschooling journey. My children now adults appreciate it too.

You don’t have to know everything. That’s what curriculums and other resources are for. You’ll learn right alongside your children.

There are multiple routes you can take with homeschooling.

You can create your own curriculum, purchase a curriculum program, or (as I chose) enroll your children into an online charter school that is part of the public schools and system.

I chose the online charter school route because the school offered the flexibility I wanted and allowed my children to receive a diploma for their hard work instead of a GED.

Choose the homeschooling path that is best for your family.

Prayerfully go to God for advice on which route to take and for resources. He’ll never steer you wrong.

Homeschooling gave me the gift of discovering how each of my daughters learned best.

Some children favor math while others favor reading, or even history.

As you homeschool your children you’ll learn which ones are self starter’s and which ones need more direction and other nuances.

Allow your children the freedom to learn in different ways. They were created that way. You can help them according to their learning style.

You can teach them to lean into their strengths while working on their weaknesses.

The beauty of homeschooling is the the freedom to explore.

It’s easy to stress about keeping up with everything like homeschooling lesson plans, housework, family outings, date night, and worship time.

There may be people who disagree with your families choice to homeschool.

Other people’s opinions are not the be all or or end all of your life. You can’t please everyone. Homeschooling is a personal decision.

You might think that if you aren’t doing everything perfectly it won’t turn out right.

That isn’t true. Your homeschooling journey will not be perfect and that’s okay.

In the beginning after the reality of homeschooling set in and the shiny newness wore off my children, especially the youngest two, treated homeschooling time as if it were just an option.

It took a period of adjustment. I named that part of lives “Homeschool is no school.”

It was annoying and at times I felt my patience growing thin but eventually with persistence and perseverance my children understood that even though we had a relaxed environment compared to the traditional schooling environment they once knew that there had to be designated time for learning.

Make time to relax. One of my outlets was reading and listening to audiobooks.

Don’t feel pressured to replicate a public school schedule. Instead, build a life of learning and love, your way.

For some this may be starting at seven am sharp and for others ten am may be the sweet spot.

For some learning may be mainly laptop or iPad based and for others it may be books, pencils, pens, and paper.

Throughout our homeschooling we’ve tried different schedules.

As my children grew older it became more relaxed as they were more independent.

I didn’t always get it right. There were late lesson, last minute planning, curriculum regrets, and doubts.

But there was also laughter, fun, breakthrough moments, and a closeness that I’ll treasure forever. Homeschooling my children is one of the best decisions I ever made.

If you’re in the thick of it right now, take a deep breath. You’ll be okay. God will equip you, strengthen you, and help you as you homeschool your children.