What Advice Do You Wish Someone Would Have Given To You Your First Year?
When I first started homeschooling I felt a bit overwhelmed like I had to accomplish a certain amount everyday in order to keep up with the imaginary Joneses. Now I realize that part of the joy of homeschooling is the spontaneity. Field trips, educational videos it is all learning.
Just wondering, what advice do you wish someone would have given to you your first year that would have made homeschooling more enjoyable and less stressful?
That it would take a while to realize what kind of homeschoolers we are. When we first started the only thing we knew was textbooks and workbooks. I had never enjoyed them and the children were bored but what else was there? We progressed and have gone from one extreme to the other- workbooks and schedules to unschooling.
They could have told me that no two families will homeschool in the same way, even if they do the same things. With my homeschooling friends there are times that I have to remind myself, or them, that our homeschools are ours. No one elses.
They could have told me that even if I make a mistake it won't permanently damage my children, and they will learn anyway. Try what you want and go on!
If there was one other thing I wish I had known about at the beginning it would be AmblesideOnline.org . Finding that site has changed everything we do. Now we are very free with our schooling and the girls are more motivated to learn. I leave much of what they do to them, but they know my expectations.
Oh, and don't buy so much. You won't use it all.
Cara
I wish someone told me that homeschooling is about "learning styles" and encouraging children to find their best methods of learning and nurturing their own individual learning methods.
That, and that just because they are siblings (I have 8 children) doesn't mean they will all sit together at the table and learn the same way. Homeschooling needs to meet every child's individual needs, even in a home with many children, it still must be tailor made for each child- something that is nearly impossible in other school type environments.
You won't fall behind by taking a year or even more off.
You can accomplish what the schools do (or more) in only an hour or two a day.
You don't have to follow a curriculum to get a good education.
If you are stressed out or your kids are stressed out, you are doing it wrong - take a break, reassess and start over.
It takes awhile to deschool
Don't expect "school at home" to work for a child who didn't do well doing school at school!
What Advice Do You Wish Someone Would Have Given To You Your First Year?
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