How to (Not) Worry About Homeschooling
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As a family we definitely have a more unschooling bend to us and my husband and I are really free form with the girls education. That being said our girls LOVE workbooks and so do we. I attribute this to the fact that no one has ever told them that workbooks aren’t supposed to be fun (score one for homeschooling). The fact that they love workbooks is a huge relief to me because I worry about their education and for some reason I equate workbook work with learning. I’m trying to get over that.
Lately we’ve been quite busy with life in general they’ve had birthday parties, sleepovers and other social engagements so they haven’t done workbooks or their online reading course in quite a while. This happens every now and then and this is also when the panic sets in. Yes my kids have been enjoying themselves but have they been LEARNING?!?!?! So I stress and worry that we’ve missed a couple of potential weeks of workbooks and learning opportunities and I get myself all in a huff but as the fog of worry clears I look at my girls and realize that they are smart, intelligent, inquisitive kids who are doing just fine. They have learned things over the last couple of weeks. My oldest continues to stretch her reading by reading every sign we pass in the car and pouring over books on her own at home. My little one has been working on a human body puzzle made up of tons of little bones and asking tons of questions about how the body works. They did math when we went to purchase their Halloween costumes and they had to stay within a budget. They have both been as inquisitive as ever about the world. I remind myself that despite not having it drilled into them in school they know the seasons and the days of the weeks, how to add and subtrac, they know what to do in case of a fire and they know how to be kind and loving towards others. They will be and are doing fine.
How do you remind yourself that homeschooling is working?
Great post! I am new to homeschooling and really needed to hear this!
I’m glad this is helpful and welcome to homeschooling!!!!
How do you remind yourself that homeschooling is working?
I look to see how happy they are, how often they’re saying “I love you” and hugging me, how much they are interested in the world, how often they say “I’m bored” (with my kids, never), how well-fed and well-rested they are (very much indeed), how well they’re succeeding in the things they choose to do. Spending time with my kids means I also get to know them well so I bring them home things they might like.
I think it’s terrifically hard not to re-engage in the “measuring up” that the school mentality encourages (which is in turn encouraged by our culture at large, at least in my home country of the US).
I just came back from a screening of Race to Nowhere and it brings to light the stress that kids feel to succeed, get good grades and get into the “right school” etc… In the end it suggests that families redefine and not make it grade, college, school based which goes right along with what you’re saying about whether they’re well-fed, well-rested and if they’re succeding in what they choose to do. Those are great measures of success.
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My kids are much older than they once were. At 15 and 12, I don’t need to remind myself anymore – they do the reminding for me! Every day, usually multiple times, I get proof.
Interestingly, neither one cares or ever cared much for workbooks, so the last of the ones we had went on to homes where they hopefully were/are more appreciated.