I wish homeschooling came with a step by step manual. Yes of course there are curriculums that tell you what to say to your child but I wish there was a manual that would tell you what to do if something didn’t work out or what could go wrong. My gosh my first year of homeschooling was rough! I was so hard on myself and my kids were so young. I was doing so much because I didn’t want my children to “fall behind”. I was just copying everything that traditional schools do and that was the opposite of my reason for homeschooling. So I’m going to share 5 things I wish I knew before homeschooling.
You Don’t Need To Follow a Public School Schedule
Especially if your child is younger than 6 years old. Most of their learning is through play. During this stage they are still learning how to use their motor skills. Learning through play is the best way for littles to learn. Sitting your child down for 8 hours doing book work to feel like they learned something that day. Adjust your schedule to your family’s natural rhythm. Some days might start late and end early and thats perfectly fine! Consistency matters more than sticking to rigid hours.
Everyday isn’t going to be perfect.
Even traditional schools have bad days. Littles are throwing tantrums, bored or tired. In my first year of homeschooling my preschooler, I would stress out whenever we couldn’t finish a lesson. I didn’t want to skip a day because I wanted to follow the curriculum step by step everyday. If you can’t get through that one hard lesson its totally okay! Taking breaks and coming back to it either later or tomorrow is the best way to keep going. Sometimes resetting is needed like shaking your child’s wiggles out with a dance party, going for a walk or even going to the park for a few minutes. Your child will not fall behind if you guys miss a day, trust me.
Be Organized
Trust me having everything organized will make your life 10x easier. Even if its a little corner, making sure everything has a “home” will help you and your child. We got all of our little caddies and bins from Dollar Tree so my daughter had easy access to crayons and worksheets. I also love having a large file to keep our finished workbooks or curriculums. My children love crafts so having bins and caddies is so much better than keeping paint and supplies in their original box. Another way of being organized is planning a lesson or unit study ahead of time. I usually plan on Sundays and print out or get any supplies I might need for that lesson.
Socialization Happens Naturally
Many people worry that homeschool kids won’t socialize- but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Kids can make friends through co-ops, library events, sports and even neighborhood playdates. My daughter is in ballet, tapdance, and tennis. We also join the library for homeschool events and she absolutely loves it. Focus on quality interactions not quantity. Homeschool gives you the chance to teach your children healthy boundaries and confidence in smaller social settings.
Start Simple
When I first started homeachooling I thought I needed at least a thousand dollars to begin homeschooling. I thought I needed every curriculum recommended, my own room turned into a classroom and every school supply I could think of. The truth is your child doesn’t need a traditional classroom set up to learn. Start with the basics and then explore their interests. Learning happens everywhere. Sometimes we take school to our backyard, library, on picnics and even field trips. And thats the beauty about homeschooling, you can have a change of scenery everyday. This has also helped us with burnout and my child loves exploring too.
If you’re just beginning your homeschool journey, know that it’s okay to figure things out as you go. My first year I was all over the place. The first week is always super chaotic because everything is new and their little brains are learning new things. Take it one step at a time and remember that learning together is what makes homeschool beautiful. Overall these few tips have helped us thrive homeschooling. You got this mama!