As a homeschooling family, we are able to be with our kids, create a schedule that works for our family, and teach our kids the way we think is best. It is great. However, some things I thought would be GREAT about homeschooling ended up being some homeschool challenges I didn’t expect.
I have learned it is okay to admit homeschooling isn’t all smiles and well-behaved kids. It isn’t. Anyone who is a parent knows things aren’t perfect when raising kids. Parenting is hard! Add in teaching your own child, and you have a new set of challenges.
Homeschool Challenges #1
My kids are with me EVERY DAY!
I know, I know, we homeschool so we can be together as a family. Now I’m saying it is a challenge to be with them every day. The reality is it is hard to be with someone ALL.THE.TIME. Personalities are going to clash, and people are going to get sick of being with each other all day, every day.
We all have different personalities. The differences can be a problem, at times. Sometimes we are too much alike, and that is a problem, too. In our family, my daughter and I are content being alone. My son is NOT. He loves to be with someone all the time. Then there is the fact my son and I don’t mind noise while we work. My daughter needs a quiet environment. Some days it is hard to work together.
Boy, it is also hard to be with someone all the time and not get annoyed with their little quirks. You know the one who constantly taps, hums, or makes ANY noise while they are concentrating on their work. Or the one child that has to correct the other one’s grammar when they speak. You get the idea.
I should have been prepared for this. After all, I had been a stay-at-home mom. I knew how hard it was. Yet, I somehow thought it would be different. They were older so it would be easier. Ha, ha, ha!
It is hard. It is important to recognize when people need a break AND take it.
Homeschool Challenges #2
Some days my kids do not look at me as their teacher.
Around the age of nine, both my kids decided they were smarter than me. They didn’t need my help. I couldn’t tell them anything without a battle. My kids would say, “I KNOW how to do this.” Or I would get complete meltdowns because I must be implying they aren’t smart enough to do it.
I know some of this behavior is their way of showing independence. They want me to recognize they don’t need mommy’s help as much. It is one of those things that can push my buttons, though. I know they wouldn’t pull this with the teachers at school. Why are they doing this to me? Well, I am their mom. They want to show ME they are getting bigger and can do things for themselves.
My son is currently nine. Thankfully, his sister is passed this right now. I just need to take a deep breath and ride this one out, too.
Homeschool Challenges #3
I am responsible for their education.
It is what I wanted. So what’s the problem? It is the enormity of the situation. I am fully responsible to make sure they receive the education they need to be successful, competent human beings in this world. That is a lot of responsibility. I think I am making the best choices for them. What if I’m not? That little recording can play on a constant loop in my head sometimes.
When I’m not letting my perfectionist side rear its ugly head, I know that my kids will be fine. I am teaching them how to learn, to love learning, and giving them a knowledge base to work from. As a teacher and parent, that is about all I can do for them. So I take a deep breath and relax until the next time.
Homeschool Challenges #4
I will be able to … since I am home all day.
You can fill in the blank. I will be able to keep the house spotless, exercise every day, finish knitting that blanket, meal plan for the month, whatever since I am home all day. I haven’t mastered this yet. Some days we can finish our work by lunch. It seems those days we tend to have afternoon activities to go to. Other days we don’t finish until mid-afternoon.
There are many reasons I don’t seem to get a lot of extra things accomplished. Some days my son is so unfocused or fighting me that our day drags on FOREVER. Sometimes both kids require more direct instruction in their lessons. My daughter is able to do more independently, but much of my son’s work requires more involvement from me.
After the kids are done with their work, I am also busy planning den meetings for Cub Scouts. Plus I have commitments as a 4-H leader, too. As you all understand, life gets busy. Getting it all done wasn’t one thing I considered, though, would be one of the challenges of homeschooling.
Now, I have read many articles on simplifying your homeschool. I just watched a webinar on how to homeschool in 1 hour a day. For my family, and the goals for my kids, that doesn’t work for us. As the kids get older, I find more time in the day I didn’t have before. I take that time and remind myself that, sadly, the time with them is going to go by too quickly.
Homeschool Challenges #5
It is okay I don’t homeschool the same way as other families.
My husband and I place a lot of value on education. I was the kid that liked going to school to learn. I became a teacher. My husband and I went on to college, unlike other family members. We are always reading and learning new things. We have worked hard to instill the importance of a good education in our kids. So my approach to homeschooling is often different than some of my fellow homeschool moms.
I see families that have a more simple homeschool day or don’t do many outside activities because they want to keep the home in homeschool. Others are very involved in outside activities and are always on the go.
Naturally, I start second guessing myself. We all do it from time to time. Am I pushing the kids too hard? Should we stay home more? Is so-and-so’s curriculum choice better? When I get like this, I remind myself every family has their own goals for their kids. Their curriculum choices aren’t any better than mine because we have different kids.
I think I have come to a point in homeschooling where I don’t do the comparison game with the curriculum. I feel pretty confident I am making the right choice for my kids. If it isn’t, I give something else a try.
How we homeschool works for us. The kids are happy and enjoying school. When they aren’t, then I need to take a look at things.
Final Thoughts
Educating our kids is a challenge. Nothing in life worth doing is easy, though. We do it because we all want the very best for our kids. All of us want to educate our kids because we know them best and have the most invested in these little guys. We DON’T do it because it is easy.
Even with all the homeschool challenges, I wouldn’t give it up for the world. I love being there to watch my children grow and learn every day. I love that I am the one making those tough decisions on what my children need.
What homeschool challenges do you face in homeschooling? Have they changed over the years? Share your thoughts.
If you need more help with homeschooling, you may like the following:
- Getting Started in Homeschooling: The Best Tips You Need Now
- Best Tips for Homeschool Success Year After Year
- How To Start Your Homeschool Year Off Right
Happy Homeschooling!
