Top reasons why we are a homeschool family and LOVE IT.

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Homeschooling: It’s on people’s minds now more than ever before. Find out reasons why our family LOVES homeschooling, and how yours can too!

I get lots of the same questions whenever I mention to a stranger that we are a homeschool family. “Aren’t you afraid your kids won’t get enough socialization?” “Don’t you need have a teaching degree?” “How can you be with your kids that much?! My kids drive me crazy!!!” It’s also not uncommon for moms to express to me how they would like to homeschool but they lack confidence and don’t think they are capable or qualified.

But what I always see on the other side of all of these fears (once addressed and put to rest!) is a life of greater flexibility, less stress, and more joy you may have never even dreamt possible as you learn and grow together with your family – now tell me, what could be more fulfilling than that!?

Addressing Common Homeschool Fears

The truth is, a lot of the questions I hear frequently about homeschool are just the typical common fears that most normal people have. And all of the answers to these questions may just surprise you! I’m here to tell you that while I may not be an expert on homeschooling, I do have half a decade now of experience, and I’ve got lots to say on this topic! Let me prove to you that it’s definitely worth it and that if I can do it, you certainly can too! I’m here to talk about some of the reasons why became a homeschooling family and reasons why we absolutely LOVE IT.

Is homeschooling for everyone?

Now, let me preface all of this by saying I don’t think homeschooling is necessarily “right” for everyone- some family situations/careers may not allow for it, or it’s just not something that is physically possible. Traditional school may be what’s right for you and your family, and I think that’s great! However, I do think that if you’ve ever had a slight interest in creating a home education for your children, let this post encourage and inspire you.

First, let me tell you that homeschool was something that was never on my radar. I NEVER envisioned myself as a homeschool mom. Ever. And yet now I’ve come to find some of my life’s greatest fulfillment in it! I can’t imagine NOT homeschooling at this point.

There are so many benefits to a home education!

Here are just a few of our reasons: flexibility with calendar and travel; slow, un-rushed mornings; to know exactly what our children are being taught; giving individualized attention to each child at their specific learning level; to foster a childhood where the LOVE of learning is central; learning happens anywhere and everywhere *especially* outside; to preserve their innocence as long as possible (let kids be kids!); setting a good solid foundation of family values; less screen-time; more time for children to be free and engage in imaginative play; time to explore and dig more deeply into their hobbies/interests; learning the important tasks of the home and sharing in responsibilities; un-rushed mealtimes with healthy, home-made food; cultivating a deep bond with siblings, parents and family; interacting with people of all ages in all sorts of varied situations, which is more like how real life is anyway. You can homeschool along with a traditional school calendar OR school year-round.

Not to mention, most recent studies show that children who are homeschooled typically have higher self-esteem, less negative influences and higher academic performance.

But our family’s BIGGEST reason for homeschool…

There are actually many more reasons we chose to homeschool that I won’t even get into, but the biggest one of all is this one: I want to be with my kids! I love my kids and want to spend time with them. To be there for their “aha” moments! My kids did attend a private school for one year and had quite a lovely experience, but when I would pick them up at the end of the day, it would make me sad to see how much they were growing so quickly and most of that time was spent away from us! You’ve heard everyone say that the time flies by so quickly and in the blink of an eye they’ll be grown. I can see how this really is so true – our oldest just turned double digits, and I truly cannot believe how fast it happened.

NOW is the perfect time to try homeschool!

There are so many more resources and opportunities available for homeschoolers than ever before. There are co-ops (weekly meetups), book clubs, sports teams, art classes, online schooling, the list goes on and on. One of the biggest things I’ve come to realize in these last few years is that homeschooling is not going to look like traditional school (how we might remember it as kids) at home. Truthfully, it is a perspective shift that took a while for me. And I’m still learning and adjusting accordingly.

How and when we started homeschooling.

In my first year of homeschool, my now 10-year-old was starting kindergarten and I wanted to give it a shot and see if I could do it. I had known a lot of homeschool families growing up (and had always wanted to be homeschooled myself though I wasn’t). I had a lot of close friends singing the praises of homeschool and were deep in the trenches of it, years ahead of me. They were always talking up the flexibility, benefits of a greater connection with siblings, and strengthening of the family as whole. Go figure – the first year I chose to homeschool ended up being the covid year when almost everyone had to revert to some sort of education at home!

In that time, I was very new to all of it but still found myself wanting to encourage other moms with how much fun it could be with getting creative to teach your children. I came up with an instagram page called @fernacreshomeschooling where I still occasionally post. In one of my first posts, I shared 3 of these first few things that I was learning myself at the time which I will share below.

3 important things I learned in my first year of homeschooling:

#1 It’s OK to make messes… sometimes really BIG messes, and sometimes your house will be turned completely upside down but you have to learn to be ok with it. To almost embrace it. It’s just temporary and most likely it’s creating amazing memories and giving children the chance to experiment and BE kids! This has been a hard one for me but getting easier. I like things in their place.

#2 Have a routine/schedule but don’t hold too tightly to it or it might just stress you out unnecessarily. That’s the beauty of homeschool – you can BE FLEXIBLE! You know what you need to do and you get it done but however it works best for your family! Some days I just let the kids play ALL morning to get all their nervous energy out and then they can better sit and focus later! Exercise is SO good for their brains!

#3 HAVE FUN! Whatever it is your children are studying, there are so many resources available right there at your fingertips. Ah, the beauty of the internet. A lot of nights before bed I’ll look at my curriculum that we follow, investigate a few different craft ideas pertaining to the theme — games, sometimes print out fun worksheets… look for fun books…explore how you can incorporate the subject material into your everyday life. Make food in fun shapes, encourage play activities including siblings – for instance, with math right now we use a play cash register and set up a grocery store to learn about addition and subtraction.

And now for some more things I’ve learned through the years… (sometimes the hard way!)

As I stated earlier, I do love being with my kids, but we all of course need a break from time to time- I know my personality and how I crave alone time. If I feel myself getting snippy, short-tempered, or losing my patience easily I know I am already overdue. Give some grace to yourself and your kiddos. Take a day off if you need it. Below I will share some practical tips and ideas for

HOW TO STAY SANE WHILE HOMESCHOOLING:

1. Schedule some time to yourself. SCHEDULE it. Even if it’s just for an hour or two. Don’t just say “oh, when I get a chance this week I’ll get out for a bit.” I’ve tried that and it doesn’t happen. Prioritize things that bring you joy and bring you life. Personally, I love a good long run outside and when I come back it’s like I’m a completely different person. Take time for YOU!
2. Let kids be bored. Boredom is the doorway to creativity! We actually do them a major disservice by feeling the necessity to entertain them constantly. It’s not healthy for us, or them!
3. Establish a quiet time in the afternoons.
4. Have kids do regular chores according to their ages and give them responsibilities starting at a young age. Get them doing things that may seem a little above what you think they are capable of. Call them up higher!
5. Get kids on a good routine/schedule. My kids do their laundry weekly, make their own breakfast, unload the dishwasher, clean their rooms and bathroom – I make daily checklists for them, and keep them in screen protectors for use with dry erase markers. I’ll print new ones out when more things are added/changed and let the kids personalize and decorate them. I also have our daily schedule written out on a blackboard in the schoolroom. There are set break times for snacks, lunch etc.
6. Get kids outside as often as possible- in all sorts of weather!
7. Delegate. You can’t do everything. Are there any family members who would love to help out with schooling? Maybe a grandparent or aunt? Is there a way you can find money in the budget to hire a cleaning person from time to time or to get a break from cooking and instead ordering takeout once in a while?
8. Your time is precious. Don’t waste time grocery shopping if you can place an online shopping order and pick it up. Don’t spread out your errands over multiple days if you can compile them into one single afternoon. Work smarter not harder.

“Do you need to have prior teaching experience to homeschool?” “How will I know if my kids are getting a good education?” “What about testing and requirements from the state?” and other common questions answered.

No, you do not need to have prior teaching experience to homeschool. You know your kids so well don’t you? You are their best teacher! Like I said earlier, the amount of amazing resources and curriculum available these days is overwhelming. Personally, I choose an award-winning open-and-go style curriculum that doesn’t involve a lot of prep work. It’s just that basically – sit down with my children, open the book and read it together. I do what it tells me to do. DONE. As long as I am sticking with the curriculum and completing the teaching of the concepts in a timely manner, there’s absolutely no need to worry. The most important thing here is to make sure you love and trust the curriculum you’ve chosen.

As far as regular assessments, reporting and testing you will need to check in with your local district to see what they require. Some states expect letters of intention to homeschool as well as quarterly reports and yearly testing whereas other states will not require anything. It really varies.

Lastly, here are some book recommendations that have helped me tremendously along the way:

The Bible

“For The Children’s Sake”

“Teaching From Rest”

Raising Grateful Kids in an Entitled World

I hope this post has maybe inspired, encouraged and informed you a little bit regarding the possibilities for you and your family when it comes to considering a homeschool lifestyle. I’ll leave you with this quote from Andrew Pudewa, Founder & Director of the Institute for Excellence in Writing: “And remember, about 90% of what happens in schools is classroom management and logistics, so if you get one decent hour of home education, you’re ahead of the institutions.”

Keep following along for more motivation, advice, crafts, and projects https://lifeonfern.com/category/home-education/