Thinking About Homeschooling Now?

The year 2020 has so far brought in a few new things to where I homeschool.

• COVID-19 Virus
• Quarantine orders
• Schools shut down the last two months of the year
• Online learning becomes a real thing to many kids
• Small business shut down
• Sahara Desert dust storm
• President impeached
• President acquitted
• Olympics postponed
• “Pandemic” becomes the new word
• “The new norm” is the media’s new phrase

With all of this happening, a new surge in homeschooling questions have began to pop up. Homeschooling is something that is being looked into more and more by people who said “I’ll never do that! I would go crazy!” Well after a month or two of doing it with their kids, many people have found out that they can do it. Not only can they do it, but the kids survived. So, let’s take a look at what is up with homeschooling.

Homeschooling does require some adjustment. Not every kid is the same. One of the great things about homeschooling is being able to work with your kids and learning their strengths and weakness. Finding a curriculum that will work for them is a necessity. With that being said, there are a whole lot of book, programs, online classes, co-op groups out there that can help you. I know that when we started homeschooling there was a curriculum that we used called Sonlight. It was great for us in the beginning because it was a complete one year curriculum in a box. All the books, worksheets, reading material, experiments, and everything! Over the years my wife found other material. It became a pick and choose on what would work for our kids. A little Sonlight here, a little Abeka over there, Answers in Genesis on this side, with Andrew Pudewa’s voice on the television.

Homeschoolers are not part of some secret society that meets with each other after the rest of the world goes to work. We are normal people that have normal lives with normal kids, mostly. We are a people that have decided to put a outside the house job to the side and take on a job inside the house. Do not be confused, homeschooling is a job! It is not coloring pages, pajama days, and warm fuzzy Instagram photos everyday. It’s a job that requires you to give it your all every day and then be willing to feel like a failure every now and then. But the reward, Ohhh, the reward is great. Time with your kids, memories, knowing what is being taught, an occasional Instagram photos.

Homeschooling is also something that requires both parents to be actively involved in. Dad, you don’t get to bail in the morning and “head out to the office” while mom bangs out the homeschooling from 8 till 3:30 and think that you will be coming home to a perfect house with a perfect meal and a perfect kids and your slippers waiting for you at the door. It takes both of you. Mom may be great at english and dad may be the math professor. Use your strengths to strengthen your kids in their education.

Last bit of advice for those thinking about homeschooling. Find other homeschoolers. There are groups all around your more than likely that you don’t even know exist. Ask around and see what is available. Being with like minded people with past successes and failures help you learn and give you direction as well. Get to a homeschool convention somewhere, like Teach Them Diligently or Great Homeschool Convention. Look up homeschool stores around you. We have one in north Atlanta called Homeschool Hangout Bookstore. There are awesome websites, videos on Youtube, and blog sites that you can get information to learn more about what goes on in homeschooling.

If you have questions, let me hear them. Got advice for some homeschoolers that may be here, put it down below. The point is to help one another along the way so we will all be able to teach and learn together.