If you are just beginning to homeschool your children, kudos to you! You’re embarking on a wonderful adventure that will likely be both immensely rewarding and undoubtedly challenging. Fortunately, millions of families have come before you, and there are countless ways to garner their wisdom and glean from their experiences.
There are some common ways that new homeschooling parents tend to get tripped up along the way. Here are six common pitfalls to avoid.
Duplicating ‘School’
It often takes homeschoolers a bit of time and experience to understand the vast differences between “school” and homeschool.Homeschooling is wonderful, in part, because it allows for long, deep dives into subjects of interest; it offers each individual child a customized pace for learning; it focuses on family traditions and connections; and it affords the utmost freedom—where the world is your classroom and the sky’s the limit.
“School” is the opposite—subjects are confined to periods and interrupted by bells, curriculum is mass-produced, academics cater to the average, and everything is standardized. It is focused on the collective, inhibits freedom, and caps potential.
While the look, feel, and practices of a school may be what’s most familiar to you, know that those trappings have little, if anything, to do with education and learning. Those who make the most of homeschooling set those deeply ingrained notions about “schooling” aside.
Treating Curriculum As a Tyrant
You might have invested quite a bit of time and money into choosing various curricula for your children. While some curricula will likely prove to be wonderful tools that enhance your family’s homeschool experience, others may turn out to be not what you expected or simply not a good fit for your students.It’s important to keep a proper perspective, recognizing that curriculum is simply a tool and not a tyrant. If something isn’t working, be flexible enough to recognize that fact and change things up when necessary. You don’t need to force your children to suffer through a program that isn’t effective.
Ignoring Your Child’s Interests
One of the greatest benefits of homeschooling is to make your child’s education meaningful by diving deep into their personal interests. Spelling words are suddenly interesting if they center on your son’s favorite dinosaurs or your daughter’s interest in fashion, for example.
You can cater so many subjects to individual interests, allowing joy and wonder to lay at the heart of your educational endeavors. Some interests will come and go, but a few will likely stay with your children for the long haul. The opportunity to dive deep into things that truly light them up is golden.
Stringently Scheduling
Another way that new homeschooling parents can frustrate themselves is by designing a detailed schedule and insisting on following it to a tee. Life will definitely throw curve balls throughout the homeschooling journey. It’s great to have an idea where you’re headed and a basic plan to get there, but you need to be OK with learning taking longer than you thought it would, a family emergency popping up out of nowhere, or a car repair appointment taking three times as long as you had scheduled.On the positive side, you also might want to remain flexible enough to recognize when your children are deeply engaged in a project, a book, or a lesson and that it would be best to let them keep going. Don’t become your own tyrant. Maintain flexibility for when real life happens.
Doing Too Much or Too Little
It can be challenging at first to gauge just how much “school” you should be packing into each day. Some parents overload their kids from the get-go, and some might be a bit too relaxed, not allowing their children to develop to their fullest potential.Know that it will likely take some time to get this right and find a solid balance for each of your children. Experience brings wisdom, so keep tweaking things until you’ve found your rhythm.
