The Blog Cruise is back for this new session of the TOS Crew! Each week, there will be a new homeschool related question and members of the TOS Crew will share their thoughts and opinions. I really enjoy participating in this and plan to as often as my schedule allows. The first question for this session is;
Wow. That's a big question, actually two big questions!
For those considering homeschooling I would first encourage you that you cannot discover all the answers to everything you wonder, fear, or are curious about before you start. You will not find the perfect curriculum or detailed instructions on how to have the perfect family. If anyone tells you this is possible, they are lying. Or naive. Or both.
That said, I would encourage you to research homeschooling. Research your options, philosophies, learning styles, curricula, etc. (If interested, see my article in TOS' free digital magazine, Your Guide to Examining Curriculum). Talk to other homeschoolers, as many different "flavors" of people as you can find. Read homeschooling books (Todd Wilson's are great, as are Barbara Edtl Shelton's and Diana Waring's). If you're a Christian, prayer is a huge part. Commit yourself to really discovering what homeschooling is all about. Don't just dabble, dive in and spend some time acclimating yourself.
To those who are just getting started, I repeat all of the above and then add- relax. Research and then Relax. I know, I know, it's weird. But find out as much as you can, try out what appeals to you and seems like it may fit your family, and then relax. You don't have to plan out all twelve years today. Enjoy the time with your children, because I can attest to the fact that they grow up much too quickly and before you know it, you are no longer planning their schoolwork but their weddings. Yikes.
You need to discover your own vision, what's ultimately important to you for your children. For me, it is all about relationships and knowing how to learn. There was so much more I wanted to do and learn with my two oldest but our time is up for homeschooling. I have to be content with the fact that I know these two life lessons were accomplished. I don't look back and regret not doing more math worksheets or science experiments. For me, it's all about the time spent learning together- whether through games or projects or reading aloud. You must determine what's vital to you, focus on that, and then relax about what "everyone else is doing".
You'll be an "expert" before you know it. You won't feel like one. At least, I never have. But spend a couple of years homeschooling and you'll find yourself answering questions like these, encouraging new homeschoolers that they can do it and do it well, sharing the books and products you have discovered and fallen in love with, maybe even blogging about the process. It's all new and scary now, but it won't stay that way. Jump in, learn with your kids, enjoy your family. That's the beauty of homeschooling.
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4 People Had Something to Say:
Lori, Thanks for reminding me what it's all about.
Thanks for sharing your wisdom.
Great advice. I like the part about not having the regrets with the older ones about should have dones. Thank you as I embark on our first year of High School.
God's Blessings
Learning HOW to learn is just as important as learning itself. GREAT point! Thanks for participating in the Blog Cruise this week!
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