An Open Letter to Homeschoolers...

My new post is up over at Heart of the Matter! An Open Letter to Homeschoolers is meant to encourage all of us new and old who need a reminder of what homeschooling's all about.

I want to share some tips I’ve learned along the way so that hopefully you can learn from them too.

1) Remember, slow and steady wins this race- your kids don’t have to know everything today or even this year so refrain from turning on the fire hose of information. A corollary to this is don’t worry about keeping up with what public and private schools are doing- it’s a recipe for discontentment at best and disaster at the worst.

2) Start simple and establish a routine- a framework is great and allows you to get back on track if you derail (sick fussy babies are super derailers), but don’t be a slave to your routine.  Your homeschool will begin to lack joy.

3) Let go of traditional school conventions- some of them may be fine and work well for you, but so often I see parents trying to replicate the experience they know and understand well. We all come to the homeschooling table with a similar background in education. It’s okay to let those fall away and find the niche that you and your children will fill. For more on this topic you might want to read Leaving Behind Conventions.

4) Be consistent- whatever routine and program of study you choose, do it consistently. While we can leave behind the traditional school model, we still have the responsibility to educate our children.

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