The 6 Secrets to Loving Your Homeschool
WITHOUT Spending tons of $$$$ or yelling
You CAN Do This. And I’m Here to Help
These Secrets have been invaluable to me.
They have changed my family and my life.
Who Am I?
I’m a homeschooling mom with six years experience. I’ve taught my children from babies to High school now. I am in the trenches right alongside my homeschool mom friends, learning, growing, trying new things, failing, and getting back up again. In these six years I’ve learned so much, and I’m eager to help you wherever you are in your journey.
How I got here
I never thought I would homeschool! Never! It wasn’t until our life was in the midst of great change and even turmoil that I began to see the need to ‘bring it all in.’ My oldest went to school at our local private academy in town from preschool through 2nd grade. He was learning very well, we had great relationships with the staff, and I was the part-time general music teacher as well! We loved it there.
Our last year at this lovely school was a very full year. My oldest was in full-day school, my youngest was in part-time preschool, and I taught a handful of private piano students after school. This perfect storm of circumstances had me driving to and from the building 3 different times in a day sometimes; And my oldest wasn’t even nine years old! On top of that, I was apart from my sweet eight-year-old for more than 7 hours a day! 7 Hours is a very long time to be apart from your little one. I genuinely missed him, and I longed to bring our family together again.
Mid-year of that chaotic time, my husband faced a drastic change in career which caused us to move to a small rental apartment, find a new church home, cut down on budget expenses, and welcome a surprise! We became pregnant with our third baby! Tim pulled together three part time jobs during that time, and I’m so grateful for so many parts of that transition phase. Our homeschool journey is one of the best gifts and blessings that came out of that time.
My Best 6 Tips
These are the 6 BEST things that I have learned in my journey. They have caused me to absolutely LOVE my homeschool! Here we go…..
Secret #1: Encourage, Encourage, Encourage your Children
What do I mean by ENCOURAGE? My piano teacher in college traveled with our music teams and inspired us to greatness. He saw it as his mission to enCOURAGE us! He wanted to build our courage in our music, in our individual selves, and in our ministry to the churches we would visit.
We have the special opportunity to enCOURAGE our children in our homeschool. We are with them (for many, many hours!). This is our task as mother and parents. We are the ones called to do this very good work of encouraging our children.
Give your children that boost of courage every day. Hug them. Tell them you are so proud of them. Look them in the eyes and smile. The secret is to take the moment to do one of these small enCOURAGING acts. We do it from love. Take the moment. Do it.
When you take those moments and act on this secret, you fill up your child’s cup! It only takes a moment of your time, and yet it fills them in ways you couldn’t short-cut or buy. You cannot streamline this part of parenthood. This element of loving and encouraging our children is vital to your child’s mental health and nurture.
Call to Action: Hug each of your children in a specific moment today. In the middle of your dish-washing, turn off the sink, dry your hands, and walk over to that child. Hug him, look him in the eye, and tell him you love him. Do that again tomorrow, and the next day, and the day after that, etc.
Secret #2: Read to your kids
Reading a great chapter book aloud with your kids has been such a magical time spent with them. Reading books before bedtime is full of cuddles and sweet snuggles that I’ll cherish the rest of my life. Reading to your kids is a great gift. Don’t miss this gift you have in your homeschool!
Reading to them opens their mind and imaginations in ways regular conversation will not do. Research shows that television is not the key to their minds. Reading a book together is one of the most meaningful ways you can spend your time.
Start with a favorite childhood book of yours. Or, pick a book from Sarah Mackenzie’s amazing website, Readaloudrevival.com. One of my favorite books to read to the kids was Charlotte’s Web, by E.B. White. We had so many laughs together as I read this book aloud each night to my kids. Another favorite was the Little House on the Prairie Series, by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Her true to life stories were meaningful and simply enjoyable to us.
Call to Action: Choose a book to read aloud to your children. Start with chapter one tomorrow right after lunch or at bedtime. Even start with a couple pages. Do this every day! You will absolutely love it.
Secret #3: Aim for Progress, not Perfection
I grew up aiming for the very best I could be; perfection. A few years into my marriage and two babies later, this life habit or goal began to plunge me into post-partum depression. It was after my 2nd child that I faced this dark season of my life. As I went through the dark days, I received counseling and direction from God’s Word about some of my current mindsets. I came to realize that only my heavenly Father is perfect. Perfectionism was a sin in my life that had taken a very tight hold on me. I had to forsake this and let it go.
Why is perfectionism so dangerous? It’s sneaky. Especially in today’s culture of self-help and strong self image, we can be tempted to fall into perfectionism’s sneaky trap.
In Matthew 5:48, the Scripture is clear that God requires perfection. Though God requires perfection, He knows we cannot attain it by ourselves (Romans 3:10, 23). We need a Savior to become our perfection (II Cor. 5:21). Jesus is our perfection, our stainlessness, our holiness. We are not. If we truly aim for perfection in ourselves we become proud and we don’t think we need our Savior. There is the sin. There is the Lie!
Stay grounded in the Truth of God’s Word. He alone is our holiness and our perfection. We fall short.
Do not expect to get this homeschooling thing right on the first try (or second, or third). You will not find the perfect curriculum or the perfect schedule. Do not aim for perfection in any way regarding your self or your homeschool. Instead aim for progress and practice.
Progress is repeating good patterns. Progress is choosing healthy habits. Progress is leaning into the curriculum that works 4 out of 5 times. Progress is expecting to get many items on your list accomplished, but not all of them. Aim for progress in your homeschool (and your life!).
Call to Action: Read Ephesians 2:8-9 to yourself, and soak in the Truth that fights the lie of perfectionism.
Truth:
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
Ephesians 2:8-10, NKJV
Secret #4: Count Every Day as a Learning Day of School
You’ve heard the total number. It’s 180 days. I see it on school calendars and other materials when it comes to how many days is a full year of attendance in school.
The truth is, every day your child is learning. Every day. Believe it because it is true!
When you take “attendance” in your homeschool. Start with a specific date, and then count all of the Monday through Fridays up until (or maybe even past) 180 days. When counting this way, August 1, 2022 through May 19, 2023 totals 220 days. I have 39 of those weekdays marked in Blue highlighter which means “DAY OFF.” That totals 181 days. I don’t need to discount the Blue highlighted days! Those count. This is more than enough time to fit all of your studies in the school year, while leaving room for breaks, and life!
The naysayers may call this cheating, but truthfully it is not! Don’t believe the hype or the naysayers. Know that you are training up your child each and every day. Check out the Smiling Homeschool podcast. Todd and Ben discuss so many great topics and questions around homeschooling in a very encouraging and fun way.
Call to Action: Mark your weeks of school in your planner or calendar. Consider the 180 days done. Go and learn!
Secret #5: Join the Band!
My son loves music. He has studied piano since he was five years old, and he began the trumpet around 5th grade. This year as he continues his Freshman coursework in high school, he has the opportunity to join the local High School BAND! The Fall begins with Marching Band, and the Spring focuses on Concert Band. He is really enjoying this experience!
What does your child enjoy? Do they love to build legos? Do they love to write letters? Find an outlet for them to explore this love, and make it happen for them.
Call to Action: Study your child and brainstorm the following questions. What does he love? What does she really enjoy doing? How can I help grow this love? What group can we join? What place can we visit? What person can I connect with to inspire my child in this thing they love to do?
Secret #6: Go to the Park with your Friends
God has given me a dear friend. She homeschools her children (though she didn’t always homeschool, and that’s not how we first became friends). Now that be both home-educate, we have found that not only are WE friends, but our children ARE friends!
I love the flexibility in our homeschool to meet at the park with this family! We will text and ask each other if such and such is a good day or time. Then, we make it happen. The better the weather, the more often we do this!
The beautiful part of homeschooling is the ability to move your studies from the morning to the afternoon or vice versa. Many times, I do just that to make time with this friend happen. The relationship is the priority. The friendships between our children are the priority.
Homeschooling allows you the great freedom to keep the important things at the forefront and set all of the doldrums aside.
Call to Action: Text your friend and ask to meet at the park this week. If it’s the wrong season for the park, then invite her over to your home. Don’t clean the house top to bottom before they come. Just tidy up a bit, light a candle, and welcome them into your space. Enjoy their company and nurture these friendships. They are truly valuable!
You Can Do This
I know that you too can LOVE your homeschool! These Secrets have been invaluable to me. They have changed my family and my life. I hope you can find them invaluable also.
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Keep Walking Friend,
Christina