I receive emails fairly frequently from parents who are new to homeschooling.
Perhaps something has happened in their public school that made them say, “Enough!” Perhaps homeschooling is an idea that’s been brewing for a long time, or just the only option that they feel like they have.
If you are new to homeschooling, I want to make sure you know – NOBODY has this mastered, no matter what they tell you! And no one can tell YOU how to perfectly homeschool YOUR kids. Every homeschooling family has a unique blend of parent and kid learning styles, strengths and weaknesses, and more.
The first think I want to tell you is: BREATHE. You can do this.
Secondly, I wanted to offer you some words of advice from a few parents in our Learnwell community.
“Don’t try to do it all. If you start with the foundation of language and math, you can build on that. Reading, writing, number concepts — those are the basics. Also, celebrate your own strengths! For example, because I love creativity, my motto always was — If I’m bored, they’re bored. So, I’d do something that fed that creativity (without abandoning The Basics ;).”
“Stay calm and smile even when you feel overwhelmed. Your kids need to see YOU enjoying the journey with them. Take all the pressure of the end result off your shoulders and just notice your kids’ efforts and interests every day. Build them up and make sure they know that you SEE them and LOVE them and HEAR them. Things will not be perfect, but for the season that your kids are homeschooled, focus on joy and relationship. It makes everything else more manageable. You’ve got this.”
“You can do this because you know your child better than anyone else, except God of course. Speaking of Him, He will guide you each step of the way. Do not fear.”
“No need to panic, you’ve been homeschooling since they were born, you just might not have labeled it that. You’re not perfect, and you never will be. You don’t know everything, and you never will. You’re also not alone, and you never have to be. The only basic guiding principle you ever need is the same one you need with every parenting decision you face… Love. Love your children. Do this from the firm foundation of knowing that you are fully known and loved best and most by your parent, God.”
Third, I want to point you to some resources that I think will be helpful to you:
Finally, let me just encourage you. YOU CAN DO THIS! And, our community believes it’s OK if you don’t want to go it alone, especially as you’re getting started.
Actually, we’re not the only ones who believe this. Our friend Kris at WeirdUnsocializedHomeschoolers.com wrote THIS about when and why you might need homeschooling help.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help. The help you need is just an email or call or social media group post away!