This Is Not Homeschooling
It’s important to realize that what we’re doing is not traditional homeschooling.
A traditional homeschooling parent has chosen to homeschool their children. This is a lifestyle they have planned deliberately.
They are free to choose the curriculum, and many of the requirements are tailored to their child’s interests and needs.
But for many of us we are being dropped into someone else’s schedule, to fulfill someone else’s requirements, using the means that someone else has decided is best (enter zoom), and our environment isn’t set up for this.
So be kind to yourself. You won’t be able to do it exactly the way the school does it…remember they often have several individuals teaching each subject.
But that’s okay. There are several ideas I have for you here. Consider some but dump the ones that don’t work for you. I think the most important thing to remember during this time of lockdown is you have more freedom than it may feel.
Make schooling at home fit your lifestyle and your family the best you can. I realize this can be hard because of so many variables.
So I’d like to share what has helped me as I co-work with our pre-schooler.
Make It Your Own
I had to quickly learn to stop apologizing.
In the end my family is more important than someone else’s agenda. I had to learn that it’s okay to say, “no, my child is done with screen time for today” or “thank you but no we don’t need anymore worksheets or projects”.
I have had to be okay with change schooling options. It can be so hard and so scary. Wondering if we’re doing what’s right. Are we making the best decisions for our young children?
We’ve had to change course educationally for our children and it’s terribly painful. But necessary.
I’ve had to lay aside my preconceived ideas about what education is supposed to look like for my babies. Something my mom said to me a long time ago is
“it doesn’t matter how they learn it, it just matters that they do learn it eventually.”
Pace Yourself
We take frequent breaks.
Remember even though your pre-schooler or elementary student goes to school from 8-3 they really only need 15-30 minutes of actual school work.
As they get older it increases little by little especially as they can take more personal responsibility.
This is incredibly freeing. I have found it’s easier to work within my child’s natural patterns. If he is tired and struggling to concentrate then we take a break.
It doesn’t mean I give in to every distraction. If he wants to talk about something different than the work in front of us I redirect him to the work at hand. Because after all we are building discipline.
Lighten It Up
The rule of thumb I go by, like I mentioned, is if my child is becoming too antsy we take a break.
I will often crack a joke if I find myself becoming too rigid or annoyed with him.
One goal of education should be the love of learning especially for the littlest kids. I don’t want my child to remember lockdown 2020 as a very stressful time because mommy was always angry and yelling.
It’s stressful enough that he can’t see his friends.
It’s a stressful time for everyone. Kids don’t always show stress and sadness the same way as adults do. So keep it light.
Structure Your Days
School provides structure. We should too.
Routines and schedules creates stability. The structure removes many barriers to learning because the child isn’t wondering when or if their basic needs will be met.
Humans are freed up to think and focus on learning when their basic needs are met.
You don’t have to have a rigid schedule where every moment is planned. This will just frustrate everyone.
I personally like to have benchmarks throughout the day. These help me if I find myself becoming so tired or overwhelmed. We wake up around 7-7:30 (first benchmark), then breakfast and then a walk around the neighborhood.
Then we read and about 10:30AM (second benchmark) we eat and baby goes down for nap.
Maybe eating meals is the benchmark for you. Maybe other rituals of connection are what you plan your day around.
These can be thought of as anchors throughout your day that move you along. They can keep you from becoming depressed or sluggish especially if you’re not working currently either.
Set Reasonable Goals
The schools and support staff may give a ton of things for your child to do from home.
But I decided to make two goals for my child during this time.
Goal #1: Help him to grow in his spiritual life
Goal #2: Teach him to read using the book 100 Easy Lessons To Teach Your Child to Read
That was it. I set the goals based on his interests and based on the skills he needs to have to become a well-rounded person.
I chose the materials. If the materials the school provided fits those goals then great…if not…then I scrap the assignments.
I felt that if he could read then he could learn anything he wanted. If he has a moral compass then he will be a kinder happier human being.
Questions for you…
What do you want your children to leave home knowing?
What does your child show an interest in?
What do they need to know in order to make them a good person?
Find a way to teach them the life lessons that matter the most.
It’s my opinion that formal schooling often forgets that education is meant to serve the student, and the development of the full person, for the betterment of society.
But society only benefits if the individuals are free to realize their fullest unique potential. Schools are often too quick to label a kid because they don’t happen to learn the way they teach.
Check out our review on Sir Ken Robinson’s TED Talk entitled “Do Schools Kill Creativity?”
