From School Days to Homeschool Ways

You made an important decision to homeschool your children, and with it comes a lot of changes. Walking away from the rhythm and structure of the school day might leave you a little overwhelmed. But take heart, even though there are big changes, the blessings will be plentiful! Many years ago, my husband and I decided to homeschool just a few days before the new school year started. Although my children were only in early elementary school, it was still frightening stepping into an unfamiliar new chapter. Yet a part of me felt confident and at peace, knowing we were following through on our convictions and embarking on an exciting journey with our children. Here are a few tips that helped us acclimate that first year and made the transition a little smoother.

Start off with a few core subjects, then gradually add more as you get more comfortable. This is a change for every family member and it can take time to let go of the routines of your previous school experience. Give your family space to breathe, reconnect, and settle into this new season before filling your days with stacks of books and a full academic schedule. We started out by doing essential schoolwork, and then went on nature walks, played outdoors while the weather was nice, read good books, played games, and just enjoyed time together.

If you’ve already made the decision to homeschool, you most likely have already researched this information (but it is still good to brush up on!). If you haven’t, getting familiar with your state’s homeschool requirements helps you feel less overwhelmed and puts your mind at ease. Many times you can find a state’s homeschool organization on the internet and find a lot of pertinent information about your specific requirements. The nonprofit organization Home School Legal Defense Association is also a wonderful resource. For a fee, you can become a member, get legal support, and find out everything you need to know about the legal requirements in your state.

This is the one of the biggest mistakes families make when they begin homeschooling. I thought I had to “do school” as many hours as my kids were at their former public school. And I also thought homeschooling meant my kids had to sit at a desk in a designated area of the house to do their work. While some homeschoolers choose to have a “school area,” I quickly found out it was easier for my kids to work at the kitchen table, in the family room, or another comfortable area of the house. A twenty-minute math lesson may be all it takes for your child to grasp a concept, but they might need a little more help with a grammar or writing lesson. The beauty of this is that you have the freedom to spend more or less time on specific subjects, depending on what your child needs. You may only need 3-4 hours a day to finish school, or it may take longer. You have the flexibility to decide based on your unique family!

When you are a few weeks in, you will have a general idea of what time is best to start, how long your realistic daily workload will take, how many breaks to fit in, how you want to incorporate chores, and how much one-on-one time you need to spend with each child. Now you can start a more consistent routine and establish a sustainable schedule that works for your family.

If you have multiple children, combine subjects like Bible, history, and science if ages allow. It saves time and is so much more interesting when you can read about these subjects and do fun projects, activities, or even Scripture memorization together. You can also schedule field trips based on what you are learning, such as visiting an aquarium, a zoo, or perhaps a museum or historical site.

Creating lifelong learners is not so much focused on covering all the material as much as it is in helping your child be curious, know how to learn, and feel confident in figuring things out. You don’t have to be an expert in everything either. You have the freedom to say, “I don’t know, let’s find out together.” Have plenty of books on the shelf; discuss interesting subjects at dinner; cook, garden, repair, read, and experiment together. Remember, kids learn so much in real life experiences along with formal lessons.

Most of all, enjoy the journey. You don’t have to have everything figured out before you begin. Time goes so fast and you won’t ever regret spending it with your children. Some days might be academically rigorous and other days might be messy and feel unproductive. That’s okay. Your children are learning and growing in more ways than you realize, and every day you’re helping nurture a lifelong love of learning.