5 Things You Should Know When You’re New to Home Educating

Here are 5 things you should know if you’re new to homeschooling.

Being a home educating parent myself, there are some things I wish I had known when I started. A lot of parents start out with fear and anxiety about what am I going to do? What curriculum? What should we do? What hours should we keep? Slow down, relax, and breathe! You can do this!

Start by doing things your way. Everyone around us is always telling us what’s best or what you should do when homeschooling. But we learn as we go what’s best for your family, and sometimes that may not be what’s best for another family. We’re all different and our children learn differently. Also, some are unsure of when to do schoolwork, this is up to you. You can do school work in the morning and work until a set time in the afternoon. You can also wait until later afternoon and do get your schoolwork done sometime in the late afternoon. You can work a few hours at any time of the day and then some afternoon creativity and other stuff. One of the benefits of homeschooling is you can create your own schedule. So, enjoy it and do what’s right and comfortable for your family.
Learning at their own pace. Some parents think they have to get done as much as possible during your school time. You don’t have to, just stop, take a break, breathe, and relax. Slow your roll and do your thing. You got this!
Is there room for you? Parenting is already an intense job, but being an educator can amplify the intensity of the parenting role. Home-based education lets you make room for your family relationships and I encourage you to do non-school activities, cultivate outside, do enjoyable things that will last long after schoolwork has been completed.
Ask for help, don’t do everything alone. It’s a big job being in charge of your child’s education and you cannot always do everything all on your own. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, involve family members in the homeschooling process. You can also find co-ops, tutors, support groups, counselors, and friends. Create a community to make your homeschooling journey the best it can be.
Do your kids sometimes dislike school? This is normal and can be an adjustment sometimes. The fact your children are home with you doesn’t guarantee they’re going to always love learning at home. You’ll have those moments when kids complain, cry, or even try to convince you a subject is boring or they have learned something already. It’s okay, it doesn’t mean you’re a failure, you are just living life and our kids go through these stages regardless of homeschooling or not. Sometimes, you’ll see your kids light up with excitement and a love of learning, and homeschooling allows you to take part and be there for these moments, the good and the bad!

The new school year has already begun and you have lots of challenges, discoveries, and joys ahead of you and your family. We’re here to help you along the way if you need it. Feel free to ask us any questions and we’ll do our best to guide you along your journey.

Thanks, and good luck from a homeschooling mom, and welcome to Alabama Church School!