Written by Kris Bales of Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers
There are so many things I want to tell you in this little space I have with you.
They may seem random, but as I ponder what your heart may be longing to hear as you embark on a new homeschooling year (if you haven’t already), I realize that the random tidbits may be more cohesive and less insignificant than they seem at first glance.
It’s okay to change your schedule – even if you love it.
My year-round homeschooling family has taken the summer off. The whole summer. Since Memorial Day.
We usually take six weeks and resume school just after the July 4th holiday. None of us were ready to get back to the books so soon this year. Yes, that includes the mama.
There were church camps and mission trips to be attended, swim days to be enjoyed, and hobbies to be explored. There was sleeping in, too. That was mostly my teens, though, as their mama enjoys the quiet of early mornings before the house begins stirring for the day.
Since the July 4th holiday, I’ve taken baby steps to prepare for the upcoming school year – one small, simple task here, another there. The biggest was figuring out when we really needed to start formal schooling so that we could still enjoy short breaks throughout the year and finish by the end of May.
I calculated that we could pull it off if we started by August 1, so that’s the plan. Sure, that’s only two days after the big curriculum fair I’m planning to attend, but that’s okay. We’re entering our 14th homeschooling year.
We all know that all the shiny, new curriculum doesn’t need to be ready to go on Day 1. We’ve got this.
If you’ve discovered that you need to adjust your schedule – even one that has served you well for years – it’s okay. Homeschooling seems to be an ever-changing endeavor.
It’s okay to change your approach.
My teens and I are eager to dip our toes into interest-led learning. You’d think we’d have done that years ago, and maybe they’re too old, but I’d disagree.
They chose to begin working independently with workbooks a year and a half ago. I despise workbooks. They seem so boring compared to my preferred hands-on approach, but guess whose education it is?
They wanted to try workbooks, so we tried them. They like them well enough, but sometime toward the end of last year, I realized that I was tired of trying to cram information that they cared not a whit about down my teen’s throats. (Because, workbooks or hands-on, that’s what I’d unconsciously been doing.)
How can I tout a personalized homeschool education if I’m insisting that my teens’ high school science must consist of biology, chemistry, and physics because that’s what the kids in public school are studying?
My girl wants to study astronomy, so guess what? We’re studying astronomy this year.
Photo by Pixabay
We discussed the merits of interest-led learning, and I told my teens that I was completely for it – but they had to take ownership of it. They had to tell me what they want to study, how they intend to study it, and how they plan to demonstrate what they’ve learned.
They really don’t like to think about school during summer break, but that didn’t stop my daughter from voluntarily making a list a couple of weeks ago, outlining what she’d like to study next year – because they really do have interests, y’all.
If you’ve discovered that you need to adjust your approach – even if your kids are teens – it’s okay.
It’s normal if you still worry.
I’ve been talking to some homeschooling mamas who are worried about their teens. They’re concerned that their teens are:
- behind academically
- struggling with a particular subject or two
- not in a co-op or the fancy (but pricey) school for homeschoolers (Yes, there is such a thing.)
- not dual-enrolled
- not expressing any particular gifts, talents, or interests
- not measuring up to whoever they’re being compared to
While some of these worries do have some basis in fact that need to be addressed, most are just a matter of us beating ourselves up. It goes back to that question about a personalized home education.
Homeschooled kids don’t need to be in a co-op to have a successful homeschool experience. They don’t need to dual-enroll. Some kids struggle with {fill in the blank with your student’s tough subject} no matter where they’re educated. Some people don’t discover their passions before graduation.
If you’ve discovered that you still worry about your homeschooled students, it’s – well, it’s not okay, but it is normal.
So, what do all these rambling thoughts have in common?
Homeschooling, like parenting, doesn’t come with a manual. It’s an ever-evolving, sometimes-worry-inducing experience that changes just about the time you think you’ve got it sorted:
- Just when you think you’re dyed-in-the-wool year-round schoolers, everybody decides they need a summer off.
- Just when you think you’ve got your homeschool style figured out, your kids request a change.
- Just when you think you’ve got a handle on homeschooling and the sleepless, worry-filled nights are over, it’s time for high school.
And, that’s all normal, even if it’s not always okay.
What are some of the ways your homeschool is changing this year?
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What we’re doing differently this year is DiscoveryK12. (It’s not a government school like K12.) I sprung $50 for the teacher account that lets me monitor all my students. I have 5 schooling this year so I needed this so no energy would have to go into planning. They’re still doing a separate math curriculum but I think this is going to work for us for everything else. Most of the work isn’t on the computer, and it has a lot of focus on literature. Completely new approach for us, as I’ve always designed my own curriculum.
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I bet you are going to feel so liberated. lol A few years ago, we went from me piecing together all our various and sundry resources to something I never, ever thought I’d use – a boxed curriculum. (Trail Guide to Learning) We loved it! And, I was giddy with excitement over all the extra time I had since all the planning was done for me. I hope you and your family have an amazing homeschool year.
Kris @ Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers’s latest post: How Single Parents Can Afford to Homeschool
Discovery K12 looks very intriguing. I will have to keep this in mind for the future. Plus can’t bet the price.
Perfect timing! I have been the homeschool mom who didn’t start until everything was “all together.” I think this is something some personality types except from the beginning and then there are others that need to hear it every year and throughout the hard days and winter months. That’s me. Thank you. You also said its never too late as I feel my youngers missed out on some stuff I did with my first. There is time. Breathe. Pray. Walk in faith in schooling too.
I have been guilty of not doing things with my younger two that I did with my oldest. Thankfully, as you said, there is still time to rectify that. August 1 is fast approaching and I’m not doing the bulk of my curriculum shopping until Saturday. It feels so strange not to have everything ready to go, but, oddly enough, I’m not feeling the least bit stressed about it. Walking in faith, for sure.
Kris @ Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers’s latest post: How Single Parents Can Afford to Homeschool
Thanks Kris for your words of encouragement. I still feel like a novice after 10 years of Homeschooling. I am blessed with 3 very patient children, since their mother ( that would be me ) is often behind and disorganized. Walking by Faith and seeking Grace with each step!
I’m glad it’s not just me who sometimes (often, perhaps) feels that I don’t have it all together. I’m going with the conviction that we’re doing better than we think we are. Walking by faith. God’s got this even on the days when I’m sure I don’t. 🙂
Kris @ Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers’s latest post: How Single Parents Can Afford to Homeschool
We’ve been slowly making our way through the summer as well! We’ve always been mainly interest-led learners, but I’m going to follow a but of curriculum on foreign language next year because our piecing it together hasn’t worked as efficiently as we were hoping for in the past! We’re also forgoing our in-depth Spanish study and moving on to Latin, which I took in High School but that seems like a lifetime ago {but in reality, only a couple of decades..yikes!} 😉 Grace and Space for all the wonderful homeschooling behind us and those years in front of us — it’s all about the relationships growing, nurturing, and helping us evolve! I’m working on a blog post about this very subject and so happy to see the veterans going through the same processes.
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Wow, the perfect post for me to read today. I am freaking about my not yet reading eight year old and my almost in high school daughter.
This time last year, my 8-year-old was not yet reading. I kept telling myself and everyone else that this was all right, even though I was freaking out on the inside. Halfway through the year we had a breakthrough (which for us came with the introduction of the All About Spelling curriculum…we completed Level one in the last few months of our school year) and now my 9-year-old is an avid reader who is really looking forward to doing her schoolwork more independently this year! Hang in there (I say as much to you as to myself). If you put good things in front of your kids, they will pick up the tools they need when they are ready to use them.
I also took 3 weeks off despite my goal of schooling year round. My main change this year is to pay more attention to when we need to stop school for the day or maybe take recess breaks. Sometimes I get tied down to my checklist & I want it all done. BUT that’s when the meltdowns happen…usually mine 🙂
The list can wait til the next day!
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Love reading your posts. I am going to start homeschooling my son this year. I am excited but scared of making mistakes. Hearing how you and others make it work is encouraging.