9 Tips For A New Homeschooler From An Old Homeschooler
We’ve been parenting/homeschooling for over two decades now, doesn’t it sound like a long time, not sure if it feels long or not 😉 One of the gifts of having several children over a twenty year span is our hard won wisdom doesn’t ‘go to waste’, our younger children benefit from our earlier experience.
We’d like to share 9 tips with you that we’ve learnt along the way, in this parenting, home educating journey, come along and travel with us. What have we learnt along the journey, where are we now focusing our energies, what pieces of wisdom gained are we implementing?
It’s All About Relationships
Focus on nurturing relationships; your relationship with your spouse, each child, siblings with each other, your relationship and theirs with Our Heavenly Father, all are of paramount importance and what this journey is all about. Enjoy one another, create memories, embrace your unique family culture. You may be a family that enjoys; reading together, playing board games, enjoying the outdoors, being active, all these or more. Treasure this time together, it will pass all too quickly, but the foundation laid now will be the bedrock that holds.
Keep Your ‘Vision’ in Sight
We each embark on Home Education for our own reasons, often a variety of them, but it will always includes a ‘bigger picture,’ a dream, a vision for our children and our family. Whilst some of the reasons we begin this journey are not necessarily the reasons we continue, our vision will further crystallise as we continue. Home Education is a rich, rewarding lifestyle but there will be times when you are bought to your knees. Always keep the ‘vision’ in sight to encourage and remind yourselves why you are traveling this journey.
Develop Good Habits
Forming good habits are far more important than you may think, I know I didn’t give them enough weight in the earlier years. The habits children develop when young are taken with them into adulthood, the good and bad. Manners, time management, chore skills, personal hygiene, exercise, health choices, work ethic, interpersonal skills, all these and more are developed before leaving home. Focus on instilling good habits.
Foster Strong Interpersonal Skills
Assist your child in developing strong interpersonal skills, teach him how to communicate and interact with others, individually and in groups, these life skills are important for success in personal and professional life. Seek out opportunities to teach a variety of life skills, be part of the wider community, give your child a wide frame of experience, model, instruct and role play how to interact in various situations. Encourage your child to show compassion and kindness to others. Strategise teaching these life skills, don’t leave it to chance, this is part of your parenting responsibility, the ‘buck stops with you’. Encourage independence, your child will be leaving home all too soon, prepare him well.
Know and Accept Your Teaching Style and Your Child’s Learning Style
God created you exactly as you are, unique. Don’t waste time trying to make yourself into someone you are not, or feeling guilty that you are not as talented in the areas it appears your friends or other homeschooling mamas are. Accept yourself as He made you, you have unique talents and they are sufficient, most of all love your child.
God created your child as He wanted. Don’t wish your child’s learning style is different to how it is, or compare him to others. Accept and tailor your teaching approach to your child’s learning style where you can, remember there is always ‘more than one way to skin a cat’. Embrace and treasure your child for who he uniquely is.
Immerse Your Family in Rich Literature
Foster a reading culture within your family, read aloud together often. Parents read to children, siblings read to one another, if you struggle to read aloud, utilise audio books. Provide quality books for your children to read independently and encourage them to regularly read, model reading, show your children that literature is valued as part of your family culture. The benefits are manifold; language skills, literacy skills, a rich imagination, most of all close family connections.
Build a Strong Foundation in the Early Years
Build a solid base for learning by focusing on the 4Rs in the early years, so important.  Focus your energies on; reading, ‘riting, ‘rithmetic and religion above all else, and obviously immersion in rich literature. If you’re needing suggestions I highly recommend All About Reading and Spelling, a solid maths program such as Singapore Maths or mathsonline, and to handwrite daily, using pencil grips and Startwrite or similar programs, most importantly supervise to ensure correct grip and formation, as for religion that will be specific according to your beliefs.
Ensure Your Child Has a Wide Knowledge Base
Once the foundation is solid, it’s time for your child to broaden their horizons. Ensure that they have a knowledge base across a breadth of topics. Â Whilst we want to, and should foster our child’s passions and interests they also need to be introduced to areas that may not be of their choosing to ensure they are well rounded in their education. Many a child has homed in on their passions and shown all indications of having found their career path only to at the ‘last minute’ do a 360 degree turn and follow a path elsewhere. Â We need to ensure our child is sufficiently skilled in all areas for that ‘about face’.
You Won’t Know Everything, Outsource
Truth is you won’t know everything your child may need to or want to know, particularly as they grow older, that’s okay, don’t feel daunted, you can outsource.  Outsourcing includes online classes, correspondence units, hiring tutors/teachers, finding mentors and various other avenues. You are still the primary educator of your child, you are simply finding resources to fulfill a need.
You can do this, He has gifted you with all the ‘tools of success’, wishing you every joy as you embark upon this rich, wild and rewarding journey 🙂
Inviting all veteran homeschoolers to add any tips you feel important to this list.Â
16 Comments
Theresa
Sharing this, Erin! I so value your wisdom and experience <3
Erin
Oh thank you Theresa 🙂
Sharyn
From an old homeschooler!! Not old yet 😉
This is my 10th year, and I have yet to have a graduate, so not a veteran yet. From what I have learnt though I agree with this list. And number 9 was something for me to think on as a, yet to be a veteran 🙂
Thanks for sharing your wisdom!
Erin
Sharyn,
Aw thanks, and true 😉 I think 10 years qualifies you for veteran. Reassuring you’ve found the same through your experience. Writing lists can be a little nerve wracking as maybe my reality isn’t others. No 9 I struggled with a little at first, now it makes total sense.
Ellie
Erin, I love reading these types of lists… so many young women can benefit from those just a generation (or a season!) ahead of them. My oldest is 13 and I can agree with the whole list already. This year for me has been the year of FOCUSING ON RELATIONSHIPS! And with a new baby due this spring… I fully plan on next year being the year of OUTSOURCING! 🙂
(As an aside… do you get a copy of “Soul Gardening Journal?” It’s free (supported by donations) and we ship all over the world. I think you would like it… God bless you!
Erin
Ellie,
Sharing this list is my little way of ‘giving back’ as I also benefited from those a season ahead. Smiling, can see your focus headings will see you through. {}
Thanks for the Soul GJ suggestion, have signed up for it.
Jennifer Mackintosh
Loved your list, Erin! It’s concise and spot-on! I’m a big fan of vision – so keeping that big picture in mind, and having regular check-ins with myself has been so essential to sticking with this thing through the long haul! Absolutely great post filled with helpful ideas! Thrilled to be an “old homeschooler” right alongside you! 🙂
Erin
Jenn,
Oh thanks! Glad you think it spot on, was concerned I might have left some major tips off. Just had a chat with my husband re the vision tip, after chatting, thinking I may elaborate in another post on how we reflect and assess this area, as you say regular check-ins.
Thanks for your encouragement, one ‘old’ homeschooler to another, so appreciate that we’re traveling this journey together 🙂 {}
Maxabella
This is parenting wisdom, not just home schooling wisdom. There is such a gentle acceptance in everything you do with your beautiful family, Erin. I think many of us can learn from that. You know how I struggle with accepting the limits, and the vast horizons, of my kids. x
Erin
Bron
I agree, I was torn, I considered even whittling the list into homeschool and parenting. The reality is though homeschool and parenting cross over all the time. So sweet of you to say, though I’ve still a work in progress xx
Nothing else we ever do in life will extend our growth like parenting xx
Peta
This was so well written! Thanks a lot, I found this really helpful. I’m just beginning home schooling so I feel like I need all the help and advice I can get! Peta
Erin
Peta
Thank you so much!! You’ll do fine xx Mostly He entrusted your children into your care and He knows what He is doing {}
Carol
Wise words, Erin. “Many a child has homed in on their passions and shown all indications of having found their career path only to at the ‘last minute’ do a 360 degree turn and follow a path elsewhere. We need to ensure our child is sufficiently skilled in all areas for that ‘about face’.” Yes!! And developing goods habits!
Erin
Carol
Smiling here, I suspect you’ve traveled this path of ‘wisdom’ in discovering the importance of preparation and habits yourself {}
Kylie
This is fabulous Erin and so much truth. Although we are in our 10th year we are yet to graduate anyone so I still have plenty of learning curves ahead. I think I need one of these posts that just has a focus on the upper high school years and graduating our homeschooled teens **insert cheesey grin**
Erin
Kylie
Thank you 🙂 Have noted your request on my list. Writing to you to discuss exactly the focus you’d appreciate 🙂