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Worry, self-doubt, self-negativity. These plague me almost everyday, especially when we first decided to homeschool. Not to mention, the people in our lives, or those we meet that like to dig that little, tiny hook of self-doubt even deeper. I had someone ask what my title was, and point out that it could not possibly be "teacher". Why? Why, can't it be teacher. As mother's everyday we are teaching our kids important lessons, even if we do send them to school. Mother's are a child's very first teacher, we are their most important teacher. Mother's teach morals, manners, integrity, honesty. We teach our kids how to behave, we teach them the difference between right and wrong. Why is it so hard to believe that we can teach them academics.
I admit, the first year we started homeschooling, I listened to my own self-doubt and the well-meaning doubters. We didn't think we could homeschool. Instead, we chose a virtual public school, Connections Academy. That decision was a nightmare for us. We had way less flexibility, than traditional brick and mortar schools. My daughter in 6th grade was spending 10+ hours a day on the computer, it was ridiculous. I know this option works great for some people, it just was not as advertised, and it was not a good fit for us. We withdrew after 2 months. Best decision for us ever. Because of the self-doubt we chose that option, but I ended up teaching them everyday anyways, there was so much busy work.
Worry, self-doubt, self-negativity. These plague me almost everyday, especially when we first decided to homeschool. Not to mention, the people in our lives, or those we meet that like to dig that little, tiny hook of self-doubt even deeper. I had someone ask what my title was, and point out that it could not possibly be "teacher". Why? Why, can't it be teacher. As mother's everyday we are teaching our kids important lessons, even if we do send them to school. Mother's are a child's very first teacher, we are their most important teacher. Mother's teach morals, manners, integrity, honesty. We teach our kids how to behave, we teach them the difference between right and wrong. Why is it so hard to believe that we can teach them academics.
I admit, the first year we started homeschooling, I listened to my own self-doubt and the well-meaning doubters. We didn't think we could homeschool. Instead, we chose a virtual public school, Connections Academy. That decision was a nightmare for us. We had way less flexibility, than traditional brick and mortar schools. My daughter in 6th grade was spending 10+ hours a day on the computer, it was ridiculous. I know this option works great for some people, it just was not as advertised, and it was not a good fit for us. We withdrew after 2 months. Best decision for us ever. Because of the self-doubt we chose that option, but I ended up teaching them everyday anyways, there was so much busy work.
That first year, we started with Easy Peasy All In One Homeschool, what a blessing! The lady who created this website and curriculum is amazing. The amount of work she has spent creating this and then offering it for free, so families like mine could homeschool. She also helped me put faith back into my daily life. Don't get me wrong, I had faith, but this was so hard. Easy Peasy is a Christian based homeschool curriculum, so it helped me realize I needed to lean on God and faith to get through this. That first year, I am not going to lie, I needed to lean a lot! The first year homeschooling is definitely the hardest. It was really hard for my daughter and I, my sons made friends fairly easy. We joined a gym co-op that had a lot of kids, but surprisingly enough, a lot of homeschool moms are not overly welcoming. Then, I met the gym teacher, and another wonderful friend. Our kids play, we also now do our own small group co-op.
Our second year, we tried switching things up a bit. We played around with different curriculum, because not everything works for every child. The beauty of homeschooling is being able to do what works for each child. Not trying to fit each child into the same, single mold. Homeschooling boys, especially, I have found is beneficial. Boys just don't have a long attention span, and they need to move. This does not mean they have add, or adhd. Yes, some kids do, but I believe our society is over diagnosing boys with this disorder, due to the fact that boys were meant to move. They are not meant to sit still in a desk all day, and love doing worksheets. Mine don't, mine also love learning now. My middle son, had a very difficult time in school, he now loves school.
Our second year, we tried switching things up a bit. We played around with different curriculum, because not everything works for every child. The beauty of homeschooling is being able to do what works for each child. Not trying to fit each child into the same, single mold. Homeschooling boys, especially, I have found is beneficial. Boys just don't have a long attention span, and they need to move. This does not mean they have add, or adhd. Yes, some kids do, but I believe our society is over diagnosing boys with this disorder, due to the fact that boys were meant to move. They are not meant to sit still in a desk all day, and love doing worksheets. Mine don't, mine also love learning now. My middle son, had a very difficult time in school, he now loves school.
This is our third full year, and I am a lot more relaxed. I still have self-doubt, just not as often. I have not ruined my kids. Yes, there are days that are difficult, some extremely so, but we take it in stride. I have fully come to realize what homeschool means. It does not mean doing school at home, it means teaching your kids to love learning, so they can continue for a lifetime. My middle school daughter is not a reader, which is really hard for me, because I love to read. Last year, she took a middle school english class, she had to read a lot. 12 or 13 Classic novels she read in class last year, she didn't like the reading all the time, but she did it. This year, I taylored her reading list. She has some classics, but also some fun books. I do want her to learn to like to read, I am just having a hard time finding her books that she really likes. The beauty of homeschooling is that we can play around with these things, we can experiment, without approval of the principal or school board. We don't have to have them tested and labeled in order to try something new. We just do it.
Stop worrying. This is homeschool, there isn't a manual. It can be scary, but it is so rewarding. The really tough days, we are allowed to take a step back and breathe. Sometimes, this is the best thing for everyone. A frustrated, short-tempered Mama, does not a good teacher make. When you get frustrated, take a break, step back and pray. We all have bad days, we all say things we regret. Apologize, that in itself is a major life lesson, being able to admit mistakes. A lot of times it is just as hard, if not harder for a parent to admit making a mistake; yet we expect our children to do so without hesitation. We have to remember the advice, that to lead, it must be by example. It's ok for our kids to see us make mistakes, they have to learn no one is perfect. So, stop worrying Mama, everyday whether you know it or not your kids are learning something. Trust yourself, take time for yourself, and cut yourself some slack. You've got this.
Stop worrying. This is homeschool, there isn't a manual. It can be scary, but it is so rewarding. The really tough days, we are allowed to take a step back and breathe. Sometimes, this is the best thing for everyone. A frustrated, short-tempered Mama, does not a good teacher make. When you get frustrated, take a break, step back and pray. We all have bad days, we all say things we regret. Apologize, that in itself is a major life lesson, being able to admit mistakes. A lot of times it is just as hard, if not harder for a parent to admit making a mistake; yet we expect our children to do so without hesitation. We have to remember the advice, that to lead, it must be by example. It's ok for our kids to see us make mistakes, they have to learn no one is perfect. So, stop worrying Mama, everyday whether you know it or not your kids are learning something. Trust yourself, take time for yourself, and cut yourself some slack. You've got this.