Author Archives: Barb

F is for Frustration

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ABCs of Homeschooling - Copy

F is for frustration. In homeschooling, there will be times when you get frustrated. There will be times when one of your children gets frustrated. And once in a while, there will be a really bad day where everyone gets frustrated (that will be a good day to bake brownies and call it Home Ec.)

Feelings of frustration on anyone’s part (yours or your child’s) don’t mean you’re bad at homeschooling your kids. They just mean you’re human. What counts is what you do about your frustration. Don’t submerge it; it will only return. Instead, look at what caused it and figure out how to fix that problem. Over time, those feelings of frustration will become less frequent.

 

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E is for Excellence

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ABCs of Homeschooling - Copy

E is for excellence. Homeschooled children have the time to pursue their specific interests to the point of excellence. As writer Malcolm Gladwell famously noted in his book Outliers, it takes 10,000 hours of practice to achieve excellence in a given pursuit. Children who spend their days in school lose eight or more hours a day to school and homework. But the homeschooled child who loves to paint or play the violin or program computers can easily carve out five hours a day for every weekday of the year and achieve excellence in their chosen area in 8 years. Imagine how many more accomplished citizens our country could produce if every child with a strong interest was homeschooled in order to have time to pursue that interest. Let’s hear it for homeschooling!

Prepare your children for the future: read my book, Thriving in the 21st Century: Preparing Our Children for the New Economic Reality.

D is for Dad

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ABCs of Homeschooling - Copy

D is for Dad. At first, homeschooling was primarily the province of moms. But the changes in our economy have made it easier for women to find work than men, so expect to see more homeschooling dads than ever.

That said, even if your husband has a job, he can and should get involved in homeschooling the children. Dads have their own unique style, and the kids will love learning with them, whether formally or informally. The bonus, of course, is that when Dad takes over, you take a break. So give Dad a chance to teach the kids; you won’t regret it!

Looking for a short but faith-boosting summer read for you and your older kids?Try The 40 Days: A Novel.

 

C is for Curriculum

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C is for curriculum. Packaged curriculum looms large at the beginning of homeschooling, when parents need the framework it offers. But over time, many parents find that they deviate from the curriculum as they gain confidence in their teaching abilities and their knowledge of their children. This is good: embrace it.

On the other hand, if a given curriculum continues to work very well for your children and you, why give it up? The key is to remember that curriculum is just a tool that helps you teach your children; it shouldn’t dictate how you teach your children. As long as you can make it work for your children, it’s worth keeping, but once it stops working, don’t be afraid to move on and try something different (or do your own thing).

 

Try a free lesson from my Bible study written for mothers and daughters: Women of the Old Testament: 14 In-Depth Bible Studies for Teens.

B is for Balance

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B is for balance. Homeschooling can take up every single day if you let it. Some curriculum products will literally fill your day from 9 to 5; if you sign your children up for every outside activity that interests them, you could end up with a schedule that will burn out you and your children simultaneously! Instead, strive for balance:

Balance teaching time with free-learning opportunities.

Balance inside time with outdoor time.

Balance math time with art time.

Balance time as a group with time alone with each child.

Balance is the key to long-term homeschooling.

 

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