E.13 Thrown into Homeschool

This special episode is for those who are not typically homeschoolers and are doing it out of necessity. I touch on key habits that will make the transition go smoothly for you and some of the lovely little perks us full-time homeschoolers enjoy that you can tap into as you dive in out of necessity. If you are a usual listener share this with friends who may be sticking their toe into homeschooling as a way to welcome them into our community and help inspire confidence in their journey!

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Transcript

Episode 13 Thrown into Homeschool

I’m coming at this episode from a different angle this week. I have had so many ideas on topics lately its been hard to narrow it down but after reading a compassionate post from a friend on Facebook this week I was inspired to create this special episode for those who are new to homeschooling as a resource for my usual listeners to share with friends who may be recently thrust into this somewhat more introverted lifestyle. In her post, she encouraged other homeschooling friends to share resources for quick access homeschooling curriculum that her non-homeschooling friends could use as they were quarantined due to Covid-19. The post was flooded with resources and words of encouragement that are so characteristic of the many homeschooling communities I am a part of that I was inspired to share some of the “soft skills” of homeschooling here today.

First off there are lots of reasons people start homeschooling. Some, like me, plan on it from the early years, others decide to start homeschooling for health, safety, lifestyle, or educational reasons. Others still find themselves in situations where there is no other option! No matter when the idea crosses your mind it can be totally overwhelming and somewhat of a culture shock.

Today I’m going to share a couple of lifestyle and rhythm hacks to help you adjust to this new way of living and share a little insight on what draws people into home education.

There are two broad types of homeschoolers. Those who do it intentionally and those who do it out of necessity. Those who do it intentionally have read all the books, looked at the philosophies, shopped the curriculum and feel convicted about their choice. There are several different homeschooling cultures that stem out from this camp. Those who do it out of necessity would prefer a more traditional education method but want to make the homeschool experience seamless so their kids can integrate back into the traditional system easily and not get overwhelmed with the homeschool culture and philosophy. My general audience is the intentional homeschooler but today with many people finding themselves doing school online from home I thought I’d speak to the homeschooling out of necessity crowd with a couple of helpful ideas from those who LOVE what they do and also to give a little perspective on why this lifestyle works so well for us.

When my sister in law first told me she was going to homeschool her kids I thought she was crazy! The only thing I had known about homeschool was that homeschoolers were weird. How would they get socialized? Are you qualified to teach? Where do you find a high-quality curriculum? What about those rites of passage school experiences they would miss out on? I asked her all the questions. My brother in law overheard me on the phone with her and thought I was berating her. When really, I was just trying to process what she was thinking and understand why she would want to do this. By the end of our conversation, I was convinced but that is a story for another day. My point today is that home education was a big shift from anything I had thought previously, and I wasn’t sure I could do it, even after I wanted to. At this point, my oldest was a baby so I had years to learn and prepare but I empathize with those who find themselves thrown into it!

There are many all in one curriculum and online schools available which is where most homeschoolers who rapidly switch over start with. You may still be enrolled in your public school and simply doing classes online for a short time, in which case your curriculum is taken care of. This podcast isn’t going to go into the curriculum options available because those are endless but if you don’t already have the “What” you are going to teach figured out I would recommend finding a local homeschool group on Facebook and asking for recommendations. The homeschooling communities are super friendly and welcoming to new homeschoolers and a fountain of knowledge. You can find everything from rigorous private school level curriculums to fast, cheap, and easy to get the job done and they can help guide you into finding what meets your needs.

Today I am instead going to talk about ways to make this transition easier on your family and how to enjoy some of the perks of the lifestyle.

The first key to homeschooling is having a rhythm to your day. The BEST secret tool in the arsenal of homeschooling mamas is waking up before the kids. Now hear me out, it does take sacrifice, but it will change the ENTIRE dynamic of your day. If you are going to be home with them all day it is so important that you get some time to yourself before you are in “go” mode with the kids. What that looks like is different for different moms. Sometimes its exercise, or coffee and a good book, journaling, or writing out your plan for the day. Personally- I wake up, do yoga, start a load of laundry, make my bed, get myself ready for the day, pray, and do dishes. I like the feeling of having a jump start on the day’s chores and being ready to greet the kids after an hour of quiet.

After you do your morning routines with the kids and are ready to start schoolwork, I recommend starting with something you love. Pick a great read aloud and cuddle up on the couch, watch funny science YouTube videos, go on a morning walk, or play classical music while you draw. Whatever your family does that helps you feel connected through learning. This calm and connection will help set the tone for learning in your home.

At this point I let my oldest do some of his self-directed work and start with my youngest and work my way up. The youngest will need the most help and attention with their schoolwork. It is pretty hands-on when you are teaching them to read and do early math. This can also be some of the most fun lessons as well though. Remember that these little ones have short attention spans to limit lesson times to 5-15 minutes and have breaks between subjects. Do not release them to go play until they are done though, or you will not get them back without a fight! By break I mean let them get up to go to the bathroom, get a snack, talk with you, or run around the house 3 times and come back while you time them. The break needs to be directed and short.

After I finish with my youngest, I check in on my oldest and see where he is at. Does he need help with his math? What has he done for reading? I ask him to tell me about his book and help him with subjects that are not as self-directed.

Setting up a rhythm for what happens next in your day and sticking to the routine will help the days go smoother because the kids will know what to expect.

When do you want to do lunch, chores, free time? Do you want to do some fun subjects together like geography, science, history, or maybe even play games together? Games are a great way to practice skills like reasoning, spatial awareness, math, and just plain have fun together. If your family isn’t big on games have them pick up a handicraft like drawing, crocheting, origami or things like that so that they fill some of their free time with productive projects they can get lost in.

Field trips, park outings, the library, sports, and other outdoor or social activities go a long way in keeping kids happy, healthy and balanced. If you find yourself in a situation where these things are not an option to get creative in how they make connections. Can they skype with friends, connect with a pen pal, learn how to do Pilates for fitness? Absolutely let them go play but too much free time without direction, especially for kids who are not used to self-directing for long periods of time, can make kids idle (like the end of summer break when they drive you crazy!)

There are two things that I’ve noticed that makes a big difference in behavior and how the kids get along with each other and with me. I almost don’t dare say the first one because it is such a lifeline sometimes when I need some peace and quiet, but consuming too much media like phones, TV, video games and the like can really affect kids’ behavior. I don’t know the science behind it but my kids (and MANY of my friends can attest to this with their kids) get bored so much easier when they get too much screen time. They get used to being entertained and forget how to entertain themselves. They get lethargic, somewhat addicted, and angry when the screens get turned off. They don’t treat each other as kindly and are not as creative or engaged in ANYTHING they do- including schoolwork. When you are at home all day, everything you can do to help encourage a healthy home culture will make a world of difference in your experience with homeschooling your kids so I’d recommend limiting the time your kids spend in front of screens and encouraging them to interact and get physically creative in their free time. Also, watch their diet. Get plenty of veggies, water and not too much sugar. Sugar can have a similar effect to the TV with lethargy, short tempers, addictive behavior, and then just the highs and lows of their blood sugar can totally affect their behavior throughout the day. If they feel better, they will act better.

The next key to homeschooling is your attitude. Kids will pick up on everything! Invite them into your calm. If you don’t have calm, then take a break from school for a minute and find it. Do some soul searching, praying, journaling, meditating, whatever you need to do to feel peaceful. If you are excited to learn they will be too, if school is a part of your day that you just flow into, often they will flow with you. This will make or break you I promise! So be calm and happy about the schoolwork if you want your kids to be calm and happy too.

Lastly, enjoy some of the perks of this lifestyle. Most homeschoolers who do this long term take on a different perspective with the work. They move away from online classes and rigid curriculums and towards creating their own plans for what works for their family. I’ve seen many homeschooling families who get overwhelmed with online school but LOVE their 2nd year when they choose a more eclectic curriculum that suits their family and schedule. If after a week or two of homeschooling, you are still totally overwhelmed and don’t get the appeal at all keep in mind that homeschooling families often have time to take a break from school and transition into a new lifestyle. A rapid change in habit is hard on anyone, including our little kiddos who are used to going to school, seeing their friends, and having the structure of a classroom. It may take time for the kids to get used to the new rhythm and routine, to the new family dynamics, and the new lesson structure.

Once they are used to the changes though you may find you enjoy some of the perks that homeschoolers love. Such as shared experiences that create stronger family bonds. Field trips, science experiments that fail gloriously, figuring out that impossible vocabulary word or history mystery together, helping them have those initial “ah-ha!” moments create beautiful memories (and sometimes inside jokes) together. The siblings will also get along better as they develop friendships and look out for each other. Sometimes when I need to focus on my kindergartner on reading, I’ll send my 3rd grader to read to my preschooler. Other times it doesn’t surprise me when my preschooler will bring a book to him and they’ll climb in a chair together. That sweet habit was created as a way to let me focus on my kindergartner but grew into a shared love of reading they have together. Honestly, family relationships are one of my absolute favorite perks of homeschooling.

Another favorite perk is being able to do things on our timeline. If we want to go play at the park when the other kids are in school or check out a museum for the day, we can do it! If we all sleep in after a night of stargazing, we can do school in the afternoons. If we have a big gardening project when the tomatoes are ripe, we can work on that together, then do our assignments on Saturday. Our education is not confined to school hours. (Or school methods but that is an entire other topic!) Some online schools work better than others for this perk but at least you can eat snacks and sit where you want right? Play with the flexibility and find joy in your day.

Honestly, I can go on and on about the perks of homeschooling but the last one I’ll mention today is doing passion projects. What do they WANT to learn about? A dinosaur obsessed kid? And little engineer? A budding artist? Lean into their passions and let them have time to explore and develop their knowledge and skills in those areas. Don’t be afraid to get your hands a little messy to let things take a little more time than you had planned. The beauty of homeschool is that you don’t need to walk away from something they love to get to the next subject stay as long as they are focused on it before moving on to the next thing and help them foster a love of learning.

You are fully equipped to teach your child. You have the love and patience (even though you probably don’t think you do). You are resourceful and there are SO MANY amazing resources out there to help you get the tools you need to succeed. There is also an entire tribe of other women doing exactly this who can help you through the hard times and give suggestions on troubleshooting problems as they come up. Whether you send your kid to school or home school them you are responsible for their education. No matter how you dice it, raising intelligent compassionate kids is hard but you’ve got them this far and you’ll get them there. I know this because you are listening to this podcast which shows me that you care about their education. Any parent invested in their child will raise adults that feel that love, support, and confidence. A parent invested in their child will not allow them to slip through the cracks and will get them what they need at home or at school. I really believe you can get an excellent education just about anywhere a parent cares about education.

So if you have been thrown into homeschool and do not even know where to start, or completely lack confidence in your ability to do this; know that there have been many that have walked this path before you who raised happy, healthy, successful and even non-weird adults. Take a minute to breathe, get your footing under you and move forward with confidence. Enjoy the perks this new lifestyle brings and reach out to those who homeschool for more support and ideas. We are in this together.

If you’d like to hear more feel free to check out other episodes or follow me on Instagram @hatchingcuriosity and as always stay curious!