I was recently asked by a mom how I did it when all five of my boys were home. How did I teach all of them at their different levels? All the different subjects? And then grade everything too? I’ve had other parents ask how I do it all now, working full time and homeschooling only one kid.
I didn’t, and I don’t.
We all want to be a superhero to our kids. We are the cook, taxi driver, event coordinator, education facilitator, and chief bather and bottle washer, among many other things. And just like in the comic books and movies, sometimes the superhero fails. Sometimes they need help.
As a homeschooler, I’m always so excited to get started at the beginning of the year. We have all the materials, and I’ve taken the time to plan and organize. We begin losing momentum a little after Thanksgiving, but I change things up for the holidays, and we make it through. I re-evaluate at the first of the year and then get going again, but it hits me big time after a couple of months. Burn Out.
After almost 20 years of homeschooling, I can see the cycles. Each year in February or March, I feel it again. If I’m going to think about giving up, this is when it happens. I start questioning why I am doing what I’m doing. I’ve talked to other veteran homeschoolers, and I’m not the only one.
So, how do I keep on going?
I didn’t usually do school in the month of December. At least that is what my boys thought! We did fun things like study about how other countries celebrate the holidays, bake cookies for friends and family, and read Christmas books. Sounds fun right? It was a great way to make special memories and break up the school year without stopping the learning. Here are 5 fun and educational activities you can do with your kids:
Give them the structure and example to help them grow.
My husband loves to garden but he doesn’t like to use stakes or trim the plants. Every year we have tomato plants take over our yard. The fruit is really hard to find and there probably isn’t as much of it. He feels it is more natural to not fuss over it constantly and likes to just let it grow.
Our kids need a little bit more.
As kids grow older they change and parents need to change too. So many of us are homeschooling our older students today, whether you are doing school at home or a more traditional homeschool. As homeschool parents of older students, our roles are different than if our kids were in elementary school. Understanding this makes it easier for everyone involved.
In this case, I’m not talking about gym class.
Flexibility has a lot to do with the growth mindset that I’ve talked about earlier. We need to see ourselves and others as able to change and grow. Our teens are in the middle of going through so many changes in their lives that helping them learn and internalize this is critical. Being flexible also has a lot to do with being imaginative, creative, and innovative.
When family or friends come to me with a challenge, I usually send them away with a list of books. It has gotten so bad that my boys will laugh, and before I even get the words out, say, “Let me guess. You have a book that I should read?” I’ve been asked several times recently about which books would help teach personal finance. I’ve taught classes and given workshops on this topic many times and have several favorites! Enjoy!
Homeschooling is amazing! I love it! I couldn’t have done it for almost 20 years if I didn’t. But I didn’t do it all by myself.
When I first started, it was just my four boys and me. We were having fun, but it grew increasingly stressful. I started questioning myself and needed others to talk to others. I needed a community.
As a new homeschooling parent, it is really easy to get overwhelmed by all the information available. There are so many different types of curriculum and opportunities for you and your kids. How do you choose?
It would help if you answered a few questions: