Homeschooling Tips My Children Have Taught Me

My three children had missed homeschooling for a week due to sickness.

Allen got an upset tummy from something he had eaten; he was just recovering when a fever came around, putting him back in bed for the next few days.

My other two got fevers as well, and homeschooling took a nosedive for the next several days.

Over the weekend, their health was picking up, and by the start of the new week, I thought we could start out slowly with some homeschooling, just to get back in the groove.

We started out very slowly.

Usually, school time begins around 10:00 am for them; today it was noon before we opened the school books.

I tried to keep in mind that it had been over a week since their last lesson and might take a bit of time before a couple young kids would “get into it” again.

Still, it was difficult to keep from becoming frustrated, as Allen spent most of the morning either staring off into space or crying at absolutely-nothing-in-particular.

His behavior was quite a departure from my usually happy little boy.

Jessica, on the other hand, had decided that she needed to do the whole last week’s worth of school in one day because she had been sick.

She spent so much time insisting on it that she was accomplishing absolutely nothing.

I assured her that we could go at her pace today.

Needless to say, it was not the most productive school day we had experienced.

As a homeschooling mother, it isn’t always easy to find the right balance between school and life.

There are some inspired and wonderful teachers and parents who turn every moment in life into an educational experience for a child, without the child even realizing that they are “learning”.

Life is just one great experience after another and the parent manifests that in every moment of the day. They just make learning fun, exciting, and unforgettable experiences on a daily basis.

It is great when a parent, especially a homeschooling one, can make education fun for children.

Especially when they are young, children need more excitement, interaction, and inspiration … and less sit-down book work.

The thing is, I’ve always been a more “textbook” type of person and naturally take this approach with my homeschooling.

Although I have adapted various ideas and tips to try to make learning fun, it’s easier for me to explain a lesson on paper than to pull out a variety of ingredients for an impromptu science lesson.

On good days, I tell myself it takes all kinds, and as long as I am dedicated and manifest patience and love, my children will learn that which is most important.

On bad days, I fear that my children will end up with a lopsided education and rue the fact that their mother ever thought she could homeschool her kids.

Most days are a mixture of good and bad.

Here are a few homeschooling tips I’ve picked up along the way

Start each homeschool day with something special.

For young kids, this homeschool tip doesn’t have to be hard.

You can keep it simple.

• Show them a bug you found in the garden that morning
• Play a funny song from YouTube
• Try drawing a sketch of the child for a few laughs
• Even better, let them try to draw your portrait

Have a reward system.

The rewards can be as simple as a sticker chart which, once filled, can be exchanged for a treat – a snack or an extra video.

Offering a reward of some kind, for things like …

• good behavior
• positive attitude
• completing something in school

… gives your student something to look forward to.

Be consistent and fair with the reward system and children will look forward to it.

Allow spontaneity in your homeschooling.

You do have goals and requirements, but at the same time, a dull and uninspired child will work slowly and perform poorly.

If you notice they are slowing down or lacking inspiration, break it up!

• Introduce a new idea
• Take a break outside
• Teach a live class
• Do something to bring new vision into their day

The idea of this homeschooling tip is simply to let yourself have fun as their parent as well as their teacher.

Give yourself the space you need.

I think this is the most important of the homeschooling tips I’ve learned, personally.

Do whatever it is you need to be the best homeschooling teacher for your kids.

Yes, you can strive to be inspired and happy, but on some days you might need to sit them in front of a video or have them quietly read books so you can have a bit of me-time.

Every day can be a wonderful learning experience, but you don’t have to feel like you need to perform, as my mom would put it, a song and a dance on a daily basis to keep your kids learning.

I’m beginning to learn to also follow my kids’ lead. They need guidelines and schedules, yes, but just like us big people, sometimes they need a longer break or even a day off.

Kids are often the best teachers we have, and their exuberance and wonder can rub off on anyone, of any age.

Pretty fair trade, I’d say.

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Note: this blog post was originally written in 2011; updated in January 2021.

Image Boy Reading a Book — by © S. Seckinger/zefa/Corbis