First Things First, Starting Homeschooling

After the decision is made, but before starting the new task of homeschooling, countless things go through our minds. We daydream about how enthusiastic our children will be with a little encouragement from us. We imagine all different types of schedules. We visualize all of the different curriculums. We fantasize about all of the supplies. Then, we are overwhelmed.

Okay, first things first. The decision is made to homeschool. In order to be truly effective in our new endeavor, we have to adopt this way of life. It is actually a lifestyle. Educating our children can not be scheduled into what ever else we are doing. Education comes first; everything else gets fit into the day afterwards.

For example, my weekly schedule: Mondays are coop days, Tuesday through Friday daily schedule: I am up at 7:00 am, children up at 7:30 am. Children make their beds, brush their teeth, change their clothes, eat breakfast, pick up breakfast dishes, and get their books ready for lessons by 8:30 am. Younger child may feed pets; bring down dirty laundry, practice handwriting while I give some instruction to older child. Older child is working by himself, younger child is ready to go on, and so I work on something with him. This volleys for several hours with a couple of breaks peppered in. It is a full day.

That full day is why homeschooling needs to be thought of as a way of life. After a little experience, other things can be mixed in, like: personal time, long phone conversations, or shopping. Ask any individual who has homeschooled for more than three years, and they will say for sure that the most difficult time was the first year, then the second year.

The first thought might be that this way of life could be restricting. What about a new job? It is often restricting at first, longer hours, the struggle to catch up with the other employees, learning the ropes. When you are at a new job, do you have long telephone conversations with your mother? Do you run out to the convenience store? Absolutely not! The new job attitude is needed for the start up home school family. Hopefully, this was an "ah ha" moment.

Come back soon to learn the practical side of this theory. Comment! Ask questions! They give ideas for future articles!