Hello everyone! Today’s blog is about all things homeschooling.
Huge Disclaimer Here: I am just a mother who loves and adores her children and is eager to teach and learn with them. I am not an expert in homeschooling. I’m about to end my second year and enter my third year of homeschooling, so in no way am I an expert in this. I am not saying that I have children who are now in college and that I had a great success story with homeschooling. I’m just a mother figuring it out as I go, so I am just humbly sharing what has worked for our family and am here to give ideas to other mamas.
I think one of the biggest challenges with homeschooling is just getting started. Many of the moms that I talk to who are interested in homeschooling have so many questions and feel so underqualified. Honestly, the list can go on and on. All I can say with certainty for every mom is that no one loves your child more than you. If you, as their mom, love your child the most out of anyone else on this planet, you will do anything possible to help them further their education. If you’re choosing the homeschool route, I pray that this blog encourages and blesses you.
Beginning the Homeschooling Journey
For beginners, I would say that learning starts all the way in the womb – from hearing noises and your voice. Once they’re out of the womb, they start learning eye contact and so many more things. Learning is something that is forever happening in a child’s life. Don’t pressure yourself with saying that one exact moment (such as “we’re beginning in September”) is when the clock starts or ends. Saying that is a little silly because your child has been learning every moment prior to that and will be learning even past the “school year.”
The structured learning clock began for us around two years old. It was very basic things to begin. We started learning to hold a pencil and had a concentration in fine motor skills, painting, ABCs, and beginning phonics. It wasn’t necessarily bookwork! All of this was still very much through play, which I would say 100% of kids do all day and don’t even realize it.
That first year (again, around the age of 2) is such a crucial way for you to show them how to interact with you in a structured learning setting and how you interact with them, making it fun every moment of the way. I started calling it homeschool at that age and I have videos of my oldest saying how much she loved homeschool and how fun it was. Those really early years are so crucial in making it enjoyable for both you and your child. No stress! If it doesn’t happen that day, it’s fine. If it only happens for five minutes, that’s fine. It should not extend more than 15 minutes a day. Have fun with the things that you’re doing with your child.
How We Start Bookwork
Our family starts bookwork around the age of three. We use The Good and The Beautiful curriculum. It is the only curriculum that we have used, so I’m not able to speak about anything else. I know there are so many different, wonderful resources out there that are very easy to follow.
It requires very actually minimal prep work and it’s very instructional to the parent. I love that you don’t have to spend an hour prepping the day before. What you actually need to say is told right before and right as you’re reading the curriculum to your child. As I mentioned, we start this around the age of three. I want to reiterate, encourage yourself to be creative with each child. One of my children can sit and do literally three weeks worth of work in an hour. Then, I have another child who likes to take their time and we have to go outside and we jump up and down while we do it.
It’s about what works best for your child – some kids need more interactive and engaging learning time. You know your child best. If something is not working or not clicking for your child, it’s okay to adapt and change. It’s okay to figure out the way that works best for them. There are so many different learning styles.
Since having our fourth baby, I’ve noticed there’s been certain things that work really well for my kids for homeschooling that never really worked before. Likewise, things that worked really well before don’t. Flexibility will be your absolute best friend.
Other Homeschooling Resources
Now, in adition to using the Good and the Beautiful, we use a lot of different things that we use to supplement. We use KiwiCo boxes for each kid, in addition to Learning with Miss Kelsey boxes (which I used freshly postpartum!). I also go on Etsy frequently and find really cute things for ABCs, Writing, Phonics, Writing, and Science. This gets the kids writing more frequently. We use our app, Bible Stories for Kids, for Bible learning in our teaching everyday. There are so many resources right at our fingertips and I don’t think homeschooling has ever been as easy or amnageable as it is in this day in age. There are constantly resources popping up left and right – so many that I cannot even keep up with them!
Some of my Amazon favorites are all here – I update as I go with things we find and love! Remember, get creative. Each child sees the world differently, so if there is something your child loves, lean into it! For example, if your little ones loves animals, incorporate them in learning to count!
For the age that my kids are at, I’m very content. I know that once they get a little bit older, I would love to help outsource math or science. The list goes on and on! I highly encourage you to seek out other women in your community that are a few steps ahead of you. I know a few moms have been homeschooling for 10 years (and some that have just started with older kids), and I’m constantly asking them for wisdom. Truly, I love to pick their brains on what’s worked for them. One thing that they’ve taught me is as my kids get older, don’t be afraid to use different curriculums for different subjects. I know some moms who use up to 4 different curriculums for 4 different subjects.
Don’t forget with littles, playing is the BEST way they learn. Go outside!! We do have a designated homeschool space – which one of my kids loves the classroom structure. Then another one of my children love to keep things fresh and have spontaneity, so outside is their best friend for learning! We’re constantly catering to each of their individual needs.
Lastly! Make sure that YOU are enjoying this as well as your children! Use this as an opportunity to grow in intimacy with your children, grow in love with your children, and fall in love with teaching WITH your children. If you see this as you and your child holding hands down this journey of learning, it is going to be so much more fun than if you pivot yourself against them. You’re not against each other – you’re in this together!
Rely on the Holy Spirit and God’s Word EVERY SINGLE DAY to help you be slow in your speech, quick to listen, slow to anger. Use ALL of His Word to guide you in patience, wisdom, and to help guide you and give you discernment in teaching your child. I cannot wait to see and hear what my children say about homeschooling 20 years from now! What really stuck out to them, what they loved, what they wished we would’ve done differently – I can’t wait to see how impacts the rest of their lives!
I pray that this blesses you!
