I know I’ve said it many times before, but it bears repeating. Homeschooling is hard. From time-to-time, all homeschool moms need a reminder. Even the moms that have been homeschooling for years. We all need some homeschool tips now and again.
After we’ve been homeschooling for a while, we seem to think we should have our act together by now. The truth is we all struggle whether we’re new to homeschooling or a veteran homeschool mom.
I’ve had some years that I felt we’ve had a good year. Other years, like last school year, I’ve felt like a failure.
I needed to look at WHY I felt the year was a disaster (which it wasn’t). When I did, I found some common factors. These are things that totally zap the happiness out of homeschooling. They are the things that I think we’ve all done, at some time, that made homeschooling harder on ourselves.
Yes, I think we. do. it. to. ourselves.
Well, at least, to some extent.
So what can we do to make sure we have a successful homeschooling experience?
Let’s take a look at some important homeschool tips.
Tips for a Successful Homeschool
Homeschool Tip #1: Get Organized
I know some of you probably let out a big groan. I get it. Being organized is a tough one for a lot of people. I can be disorganized, at times. You wouldn’t want to see my closet.
But…
Picture this scenario. Everyone is ready to start school. You sit down to homeschool and realize you don’t have the materials for the science lesson, supplies for that art project you were going to start, or you didn’t photocopy the work.
Ugh. Have you been there?
Or how about the year has been going along and you haven’t been recording field trips, all the resources used, or the kids reading. Now it’s time to build the portfolio and document your year.
Uh-oh!
An organized homeschool, to some degree, is important to a successful year. When you are running around collecting materials for the day, putting things off until you can GET the materials, or haven’t recorded the important information about your homeschool, believe me, it can make a very unhappy homeschool mom. Don’t even get me started on not being able to find what you need.
Disorganization can suck the fun out of homeschooling.
To get organized you’ll want to: plan out your year, set up a routine or schedule, and get things ready each week. You will also want to create folders or a binder to keep your homeschool records in. Don’t forget to keep them up-to-date!
A successful homeschool has some organization.
Homeschool Tip #2: Set Realistic Expectations
Setting realistic expectations is key to a happy homeschool. This includes realistic expectations for yourself and your kids. How can you be happy if you feel like nothing is going as planned?
We want to meet all our goals by the end of the school year, have fun homeschooling, and we want our kids to be perfect little angels that work and never complain. Ha, ha, ha!
We need to realize life happens. Our schedules get derailed, people get sick, and opportunities come up we don’t want to let pass. All these factors can cause a lot of stress if your expectations are not realistic.
Last year, my kids and I had a fun time homeschooling. We got out and experienced learning in the real world, lightened our schedule and set aside our curriculum for fun holiday learning, and chased rabbit trails on topics that interested them.
How did I feel at the end of the year?
I felt like a failure! We had months of the year’s curriculum unfinished. It should all be finished on time, right? AND do all the things mentioned above?
Was it realistic for me to expect we’d finish everything in June? Heck no!
It took me all summer to realize the kids learned a lot, we had fun, and all was not lost. It was my unrealistic expectations that had me feeling like a failure. The year wasn’t.
Unrealistic Expectations of Our Kids
Sometimes we have unrealistic expectations of our kids, too. We need to stop and think if our expectations are valid. Every child learns at a different pace, in a different way. We need to be very careful we don’t let our assumptions of where they should be or how they should be learning get in the way.
My son struggles with writing. I should say he struggles with the mechanics of writing. He doesn’t pay attention to punctuation. His stories are filled with run-ons. Paragraphs? Forget about it. By some people’s standards, he is probably behind.
I don’t let it get to me. He will get their in his own time. Now if I let myself compare his writing to another peer, I would drive me and him crazy. I would feel like a failure. Homeschooling wouldn’t be so fun.
So if you are feeling like things aren’t going as they should, stop and see if it really is true or is it your expectations that are clouding your judgment.
Realistic expectations are important for a happy homeschool.
Homeschool Tip #3: Do What’s Right For Your Family
Keep your blinders on and do what YOU feel is right for your family. This advice goes for parenting, in general.
It is easy to find you have stepped into the comparison trap. You get are hanging around other moms, or scrolling through social media and BAM! It often looks like someone else might have a better homeschool than you.
Once you start comparing your homeschool to someone else’s, you lose your joy in homeschooling. You start questioning yourself and may start trying to adjust your homeschool to what someone else is doing. Now you are unhappy, and I bet your kids are, too.
When this happens, stop yourself. Ask yourself, “Before talking with Sally did I think things were fine in my homeschool?”
Is the answer YES?
If so, stop yourself. It is great to get ideas from others. Don’t let them make you second guess what you are doing, though.
I believe each homeschool should have a mission statement. You can read more about it HERE. A mission statement will help you keep the blinders on and focus on your family’s goals.
You must stay focused on what is right for your family to have a successful homeschool.
Homeschool Tip #4: Have Fun
Most of all, it is important to have fun. Teach your kids the joys of learning. Show them all the learning opportunities around them. Let them see the importance of spending time together. Read together, cook together, build lego cars. Learn together as a family. Make homeschooling a natural part of your life.
If you stop having fun, look at why, and make some changes. I have a post on adding fun to your homeschool. You can read it HERE. Put the joy back in your homeschool.
If you aren’t having fun it could be because you aren’t organized, have unrealistic expectations, or are letting other people influence your homeschooling.
Using the Homeschool Tips in Your Life
As homeschooling moms, we have a lot on our plate. Homeschooling is a wonderful thing we offer to our kids and family. For you to have a successful homeschool and feel like a better homeschool mom, use these tips to help you in your homeschool journey.
When things aren’t running smoothly, take a look at the tips above. As you start a new homeschooling year, review the advice you found here. It will help keep your homeschool year on track, so you can have a successful homeschool year after year.
