Written by Jamie Martin, editor of Simple Homeschool and founder of Steady Mom
Last week I began a series called Secrets of a Successful Homeschool Mom. Seasoned homeschooling mamas (& papas!), don’t you ever wish you could go back in time and whisper a few well-chosen pieces of advice in your own inexperienced ear?
That’s what this series is about–reminding us of truths we likely already know or setting those newbies among us up for a strong and joyful beginning.
Last week we talked about the fact that school is not like home, and doesn’t have to be. What a relief when we finally realize we design our learning environment to work for us and our unique needs.
Today we tackle another common misconception in the homeschooling arena: curriculum.
Now you might be thinking, “Isn’t curriculum just a given?” We need to find one, don’t we, or maybe even several for a variety of different subjects.
Well, I have a secret to tell you:
It’s not about the curriculum you buy; it’s about the atmosphere you create.
Searching for the right curriculum is exactly what I did when I first began considering this educational path. Not only that, but I felt like I was doing a disservice to my kids and their future if didn’t look at every option…so I did. Which left me exhausted before I’d even started.
It’s all too easy to get consumed by the hunt for the “perfect” curriculum. Even if we find a resource that works well, we sometimes wrestle with a gnawing sense of anxiety…wondering if the grass is greener over on someone else’s bookshelf.
We are incredibly blessed to have so many homeschooling resources at our fingertips, but the limitless options can also become a distraction. I believe we’ll feel more relaxed as homeschooling parents when we realize that that the atmosphere we create in our homes is just as important as any curriculum we bring into it.
Of course this leads to the question, “What type of atmosphere do we want?”
The answer?
An atmosphere of inspiration.
Imagine the most inspiring place you’ve ever been. Maybe your memory will take you somewhere in nature, maybe just a cozy armchair where you read an amazing book, maybe a lecture hall where you heard someone speak.
When you were there, what did you want to do?
I believe that an inspiring location begs you to create.
Inspiration demands a response.
When we surround our kids with inspiration – in art, in books, in resources, in the peace we cultivate in our homes—we create the perfect conditions for learning to happen naturally.
Curriculum can of course be one part of that. But if we only progress through page after page of someone else’s resource day after day, soon we’re likely to find that we’ve made another conveyer belt in our homes. We may even find that we’ve lost the passion that made us want to homeschool in the first place.
We need to follow that life, that energy, that passion. We need to bring into our homes the resources we’re led to. We also need to be willing to let go of the ones that are no longer working for us or our children.
It’s not about the curriculum you buy; it’s about the atmosphere you create.
Have you ever found yourself consumed by the hunt for the perfect curriculum?
But please, would love more ideas for setting up an inspiring environment!!
I’m coming late, but thanks for the post. We don’t buy any curriculum at all yet (7 and 5 year olds). Over the past 9 years we’ve collected chapter books, classics, kids learning books, history books, coffee table books on various cultures, etc. I used picture books to teach my kids to read – any book can work! And now I send my 7 year old off with assignments – pick a book and spend a half hour writing down what you learn. To me buying a set package of curriculum would undo part of homeschooling – learning is life, life is learning, and not filling out someone else’s worksheets!
This might change when my kids are older though. 🙂
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Thanks for the post I love reading your daily messages! I always end up some where else on your site! That’s a good thing because I sometimes end up feeling better than I did about something, I”m a first time homeschooling mom. My computer recently broke and I had to log on to computer in safe mode w/ networking just so I could get to abcteach and print. Only to find out my printer wont work in safe mode either…….. ugh……….. but I did what I had to and hand wrote the next 6 spelling lessons, thankfully I already printed the next several months of math and some other things. I didn’t rush in to the whole schooling when my son was younger, I let my son be who he is until about 7 years old when the law here says he should be in a PS, then I enrolled in cover school and we slowly started. He is my sweetie and my only child. I couldn’t put him in PS, I have been there before and it was bad when I went, I cant imagine it now. I enjoy this site though very much thank you for the very nice emails that keep me reading!! My son loves being home schooled, because he does more of what he is comfortable doing and learns at his own pace, he loves cooking, building, drawing, math, and learning to read, he enjoys but its not his favorite and outings of any kind as most kids do. I love sharing on his site I take videos and pictures, he loves it. We do home work any were in the house as long as we are both comfy, we are good to go. I’m so glad to be a home schooling mom!!!!
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Ok I understand it about the atmosphere. But how do you create the atmosphere.
I am 29 and a mom of 3 children plus my 16 year old nephew. He is in 10th grade, then my children are in 2,4,and 6th grade. Our homeschool routine is to homeschool in the evening. None of us are morning people so we spend our morning/afternoons playing games and bible study. Around 8pm we begin homeschooling and homeschool until around 11pm.
Our routine is grab a book such as math, english, reading, history, science, spelling….etc.. Then we work on the curriculum until we have one lesson of each done. I use different curriculums for each child. Bob jones, rod and staff, alpha omega, and my nephew is in several different types.
Homeschooling has been kinda boring. Can anyone give me tips to create a fun, inspiring atmosphere. We live in a small house to we homeschool in the dining room. I need help. My kids are all very productive but you can see the boredom on their faces. I want them to be excited about school
This post is so timely. One week into our first year of homeschooling our 2 first graders I realize the curriculum package I bought is just not going to work. So I was on the hunt again until my teacher instincts kicked in (I used to teach 1st, 2nd, & 3rd grades). It’s not about the perfect curriculum because it isn’t out there! Like you said, it’s about creating inspiring learning experiences. And I found that if I trust in that, it will guide my decisions on what to teach and when. So…I’ve abandoned the “all-in-one” and have gone for a more “eclectic” approach by choosing things that work for us. And for US, that is (right now anyway) “school at home”. It’s what they seem to crave and what feels natural to me. In my search for the perfect “homeschool” experience I ignored what my kids asked for and what came natural to me as an educator. But not anymore. Thank you again for reminding me that I actually do know what I am doing. 🙂
I just realized something, as you were talking about inspiration through books and art, etc. Kids are such great natural learners because when they catch that spark of whatever it is that they see, they want to do it right now. So being flexible to go research and for my 7 year old, go play that thing, it sinks in better than curriculum anyway.
Yes! Yes! Yes! This is another of your posts I absolutely must share. Thanks for all the wisdom Jamie.
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