We knew we wanted to homeschool our kids before our eldest daughter turned 2 but it hasn't always been an easy decision. And it's not always an easy decision to continue each year. Life happens, emotions run high, days are long and many other issues arise that make me question our decision. But for us we decided to begin homeschooling and just see how it goes each year. And if it truly is no longer working we will regroup and make another decision that best suits our family. But I truly LOVE homeschooling our kids. It has been such a blessing to us in our often crazy lifestyle to have consistency and stability that homeschooling provides our family.
But if you're at all on the fence and wondering if you should homeschool, I've got a treat for you today! I'm going to lay out some points you might want to take into consideration when making that HUGE decision of whether to homeschool or not.
*Do you have access to a local homeschool co-op that can help you get started and give you that much needed encouragement along the way?
*Are you "done" with your current school situation and you just know you can do it better?
*Do you wish you had more time to spend with your kids?
*Do you wish you had a more flexible schedule to do the things that really interest your family?
*Do you wish you could foster a more close-knit feel in your family's atmosphere and grow closer together?
If you're thinking about any of these things then I would recommend you lay out a vision for your family and for homeschool. That vision can include anything from "spend more time outside" to "encourage active, engaged learning." A visual inspiration board to keep you going and keep you motivated can be an aesthetically pleasing and easy thing to turn your eyes to when you feel overwhelmed. If you want to dig deeper in this area, check out this blog post from Rock Your Homeschool. At the beginning of each new school year I like to update this to keep it fresh.
Try not to get bogged down with details in the beginning. You don't have to have a school room set up. (We use the kitchen table!) You don't have to have all the books ordered and curriculum picked. (Sometimes we switch it up half way through the year!) You don't have to know how to teach all the subjects. (I'm rubbish at higher level math!) And you don't have to have lessons planned out for every day, week and month. (This won't allow for sporadic, fun days and will stress you out!)
If you're worried about multiple learning styles check out this blog post to help you understand your kids and yourself and how you are wired to learn. It's been a great resource to help me get started and has also helped friends make that decision to dive into homeschool. The Homeschool On blog is just chock full of information from a mom that was homeschooled herself.
I hope this has encouraged you to at least consider what homeschool might look like for your family if it's something you've been considering. And if you're currently homeschooling I hope it has encouraged you to keep at the hard work everyday! Don't worry about homeschooling being a good fit for your family. Remember you can always change whatever isn't working for you. And send me any questions you have so I can help you on your journey!
