“You Homeschool too?” “You
must be SuperMom!” “You have more patience than I do!” “I could never
homeschool my kids.” These and more are all typical responses I hear when
people find out we homeschool our children (ages 21m, 35m and 6yr). Am I a
SuperMom? Do I really have more
patience than others? I sure don’t think so.
When we first decided
homeschool was right for our family, a whole bucket-load of emotions went
through me. I was excited, because I had always wanted to be a teacher. I was
scared, because I thought I might fail. And, I was nervous, because I was
afraid I might not be able to teach my then 5yo to read. And, then I attended a
Homeschool Mom’s meeting and heard something so profound, yet so simple. If God has called you to homeschool your
children (which we felt He had), then ask Him daily for guidance and he’ll give it to you. Ask Him how best to
teach your child…He will
give you the answers! WOW!!
Even though we had sought
Him in our decision whether to homeschool or not, it kinda stopped there.
DUH!!! The speaker was exactly right! He would
guide me…if I just asked Him!
So, how do I make it work
with 4 kids (ages 6, almost 3, 1 ½yr
and 5m)? Well, I must admit some days are easy and others I literally could
pull my hair out!! But, I’ve found a few things that work for us. (At least for
right now.) At 9:00 , when its
time to start school, I put the middles in their high chairs and turn on an
educational DVD (we have the complete Brainy Baby collection).
Right now we’re concentrating on the ABC and 123 videos. They love watching the other kids on the
video and really have fun. While I’ve got them set-up I turn my attention to
the 6yr old. We alternate days for paperwork and reading assignments. He does
not care for paperwork, so we do those on Tues and Thurs. And then Monday,
Wednesday and Friday I do Science, History and Bible with him. Now, we do a
daily devotion everyday, but this is our actual Bible curricula that I’m
talking about. His little brain just doesn’t have the capacity to sit for
reading those subjects and doing
paperwork all at once. We have melt-down after melt-down. So, after Christmas I
decided to switch it up and see if this fit him better…at least for a while. So far, so good!
Now, on days he’s doing
paperwork I will often get him started and then leave him to work while I go
back to the middles and read the coordinating book or do the coordinating flash
cards of the DVD they just watched. My daughter loves books and being read to and my 3yo
boy loves flash cards. I mean he really loves them…almost to the point of obsession! But, ya know
what?! If he’ll do them and he’s learning…I
don’t mind!!!!
Now, you might wonder
where the baby is all this time. Well, we’ve timed it just perfectly to where
she’s snoozing away in dreamland until about 10am , at which time we’re usually finished with our
daily school work!
So, there ya have it! It
may seem a bit crazy to you, but it works for us!! The key to homeschooling is
to not be afraid to change it up and try new styles, routines, and schedules.
Find what works for you. And if that starts to fail, try changing it up again.
Keep things fresh and new. Especially with BOYS!!! They typically don’t like
repetitive things. Boys are active, spontaneous and hands-on! So, make your
school plans accordingly. (Can I tell you how much I’m looking forward to
homeschooling my girls?! I just hope they like papers as much as I do! haha)
OH…I forgot to mention that Thursdays are typically
our field trip, experiment and FUN
days!!! (after papers are done) Why? Because the Hubster is home to enjoy this
time with us and loves being involved
in the schooling process in this capacity! And, frankly…I’m glad! I love building volcanoes, but let’s
face it – a Dad building a volcano with his son is so much more fun for both
of them! So, I’m willing to sacrifice that time and let them have FUN !! (Isn’t that nice of me?!)
Well, I hope this helps
you a little. I just hope you enjoy the journey as much as I am!! I am so incredibly grateful that God has called me to be not only a wife, a mother, but also my children's teacher!!! What a blessing and JOY it is!! And, really…I’m learning so much more this time around!! I
just might be smart when I grow up!
Happy Schooling!
Blessings,
Annette
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