Tips and Tricks for New Homeschool Moms.
Hi friends and welcome back to by blog. Homeschool has really been teaching me to let go and let God. It’s almost like we were created this way 😉 I know that is easier said than done. But for example…I can plan all the assignments and think they are the coolest thing ever, and my kids give me a side eye and ask to go outside! I really had to learn that they’re actually not out to get me, and see it as an opportunity to say “ope” and move on. You may know where I grew up by hearing that reaction!
Homeschool can take a little time to find your groove, and not everyone’s homeschool journey looks the same. I am the different one that doesn’t have an interest in Co-ops just yet. We love getting together with others for play dates, but right now I am just interested in field trips if anything! I wrote another article about our hearts and how we the adults may be making homeschool “hard”. You can check that out here, but in this article I wanted to provide some tips and tricks that have worked for us and show you a little bit of the rhythm that I use as a single momma to three!
This year we are following a 4-day school week so that one day can be dedicated to field trips. I say rhythm because it is not set-in stone. I can look at the clock and know what we should be doing around that time, but it also allows me to have some grace for myself if it doesn’t work out that way. While I do think you do need to have some discipline, some days are easier than others. I know for me; I have to follow some kind of rhythm because if not documentaries could fill our day!
Right now I teach my two and 4 year old the basics while teaching a more classical curriculum with my second grader. Here is a rough breakdown of our week. We do school year-round, so we usually work 5 to 6 weeks on and take a week off! That week we venture out into the wild more, and explore the area! Here is the basic rhythm that is working for us right now!
- Monday- Thursday 9:30-11:30 am we do our core assignments. Math, reading, grammar, History, etc. This year we are working through Memoria Press for the meat and potatoes but have become a little eclectic with adding/ dropping somethings.
- After lunch and quiet time on Tuesday and Thursday we additionally do Art, Music, Science. We mix this up but usually it involves crafts and further discussion from earlier. For example, we were reading a book that sparked many questions and we decided to watch a documentary and do a craft project that day. I also have a blog post on choosing thought provoking books here!
Tips and tricks!
I am no expert and this is only our third year! However, I have learned a lot from veteran mommas and hope to help others just starting out! Here are some tips and tricks that have helped me!
Homeschool Year Round….
This has really worked for us! It allows us to break when we want for holidays and travel. Our current curriculum is set up for Monday-Thursday. However, I just go into our school day around 9-9:30, and work until lunch time. What we didn’t finish that day is where we start the next day. If there is something we need to absolutely finish, we will do it after lunch. I really like our mornings reserved for school, so I try not to schedule things for the morning if possible. Like I said, this has worked for our grade levels this year (pre-k-2nd), but I also take everything year by year! This also helps with homemaker things, because I can schedule my afternoons accordingly.
Teaching multiple grades….
Going about teaching different grades is something I was really nervous about, but I’m seeing my younger kids picking up work my second grader is doing. My preschooler can recite the same information her older brother can, and my one-year-old loves to scribble in her dollar store workbook. Teaching multiple grades can feel a little daunting, but it just takes a little trial and error. We do all electives, calendar time, prayer recitation, Christian studies, arts, music, and even science and history together this year. Most of the time for science and history my oldest does book work, and the younger two listens. But you know what, I heard my preschooler naming the presidents so there you have it! They do their main studies separately, like math, ligature, spelling, letters, etc. And I always start with my youngest. I find she likes to get some attention, and then plays better alone after. When I am working with one, the others can either try their work or find a quiet activity until I am ready for them. Being honest, the one-year-old is just wrecking the place, and that is something I had to just let go!
Teaching kids with different needs…
I have a precious little dude that is super smart, but loves to test every boundary out there. He is all boy, and we celebrate boys and girls being different here. When it came to public school, this is why it didn’t work. So, school days take a lot of patience. We rely on 5 -minute breaks, keeping a written schedule for him to check off, moving on when he’s mastered something, and making sure the curriculum has something he enjoys. He hates math, but so do I buddy! The funny thing is he’s really good at it. We are in the process of finding a math curriculum that will work better for us! But it really is a balance between finding something they enjoy, but also pushing a little for hard work. We have a lot of fun in school, but somethings things are hard, and I want my kids to do hard things. So, we may not want to do math, but it has to be done.
Still managing the home…
I can get overstimulated easily, so I learned early on with children that less was more. We don’t do a tone of toys and live pretty simply. Having less allows for easier pickup. We do toy pickups throughout the day, but the kids do that. I have to look past it, so they do learn to pick up. I spent a lot of time picking up and being mad that I had to pick up again. I am also a schedule girl, so I do follow a cleaning schedule for our home. Following the year-round schedule is really helpful for us, because I know I have the afternoons to complete anything I need too. We also still implement quiet time in our home from 12:30- to 2:30/3. The baby naps, but the other two play in their rooms or outside. This is when I work, or just relax. But my kids see me joyfully doing chores and I think that’s important. If they see us complain, can we really be surprised when they complain? Nope, so the afternoons are when I usually get cleaning done and catchup on things I may need to do.
Sticking to your why…
You have to know your why. If you feel called to homeschool pray about it. Figure out why you want to homeschool your kids and remember that when times get tough. I think we are totally equipped and called to teach our children. Things we lack, our Heavenly Father can fill in the gaps. You know what I had to stop doing? Making threats that I would send them to public school. It was so silly, when I would in fact NOT be sending them to public school (at least in my area). My family is also totally opened to tutors, co-ops that teach things I can’t, and so on. Homeschool can be hard, and that’s ok. We all have days, get sick, and just go through seasons. Our jobs though is to create a space that our kids want to learn. I don’t know everything, but if my kids know Jesus and free to ask questions, I feel I am doing my job. I have learned so much from them too! I hope this helped someone. Until next time…
Keep Growing,
Whit
