With the start of the New Year comes a new chapter in your homeschooling journey! It's a time where many parents stop to think about what their children have accomplished so far and plan for what's ahead. It's also a time where you might wonder if you're doing “enough” in your homeschool. For me, it was the type of question that would pop into my head in the middle of the night, even after a full day of learning and activities. As I tossed and turned in bed I would lie awake and ask myself: “Am I doing enough?”
Defining enough is such a subjective question! The materials and options for homeschooling are endless, and every day there’s a new product or program that promises to deliver it all. The culture around us says we always need to be doing “more” and doing “better.” It’s even more tempting to ask the enough question when we catch ourselves comparing. We measure our children against the kids in public school, private school, and of course the other homeschoolers we know. Their five-year-old is reading novels? Their kids are already taking college classes?? I must not be doing enough! Panic mode activated.
On one hand, it is possible to not do enough. As homeschoolers who are responsible for our kids’ education, we do need to take that responsibility seriously. It’s not fair to our kids if we ignore their academic needs. But it’s better when we’re motivated by what’s best for our kids rather than panic mode brought on by external pressure. Finding that elusive “enough” is learning to set the bar at the height that is right for our children. And that starts with asking better questions!
Better Questions to Ask Instead of “Am I Doing Enough?”
Are they growing? Are they making progress in their skills? All kids learn at a different pace, so it’s less about an exact timetable and more about following their own curve. Sometimes we want them to learn a new skill every day as neatly laid out in a workbook, but in real life it’s not always that cut and dry! Watch for growth! Are they able to do things they couldn’t do before? Are certain types of questions becoming easier? Do you see a lightbulb going on?
Are they being challenged enough? Many times our students can lose motivation if there’s not enough challenging work. It’s often not about the quantity of work, but the quality of content and ideas. Challenging them also involves giving them tasks that require harder thinking and doing new things they haven’t tried before! Easy can mean boring which can lead to not enough.
Are they being read to enough? Being read to daily is like that daily multivitamin—it reinforces so many skills at once! Reading aloud from a variety of genres is especially important in the early years, but it’s also beneficial to older students as well! Adding more read-alouds and independent reading will ensure your child is getting enough exposure to good language, ideas, and cultural context.
Do they have enough down time? Sometimes finding that enough is not about doing more but doing less. Give them enough screen-free down time to say, “I’m bored!” Out of that boredom plus free time is where their best ideas will be born! Every child needs enough time to exercise their creativity and imagination!
Are they still curious? Are they asking you a ton of questions about the world? Childhood is all about wonder, so don’t let them lose that too soon! One goal of homeschooling is not just raising kids who can learn, but who want to learn. Feed their curiosity!
Are they developing an interest or skill that they want to go deeper with? Let them pursue their passions to the extent that your family’s schedule and finances can handle. So much learning happens as a child delves deeply into a topic, and that ability to think deeply makes them stronger learners overall. Give them the time and resources to get better at what they’re good at!
Are they getting enough quality time with me and the primary adults in their lives? Have I patiently sat by their side as they worked through a problem? Have I looked into their eyes and listened to all the interesting things they have to say? Don’t underestimate the value of your children spending time with you and other healthy adults in their lives. Kids need to watch and learn the world of adults to become adults!
Answering YES to those questions means you’re doing enough! “Enough” to me is when our kids experience the satisfaction of a new skill learned and a job well done. When they want to show you what they have done or learned! They’ve started to take ownership of their own education. Instead of looking at Mom and saying, “What should I do next?” they begin to ask, “Can I try this?” “What if I made a….” “One more chapter!” or even better, “Can we do this again tomorrow?”
And if some of your answers to the above questions were “no….not really” then it’s time to reach out for help and maybe re-think your schedule, curriculum, or approach. Give us a call and let’s talk through finding some solutions for your homeschool so that everyone thrives and gets “enough”!
You can call our consultants at 888-841-3456 or jump on a LiveChat anytime from 8:30-5 pm Monday-Friday, CST. We are also available via email at consultants@rainbowresource.com.
