My “advice for new homeschoolers” post has become a tradition on the various online forums of which I am a member. I thought I’d treat my Cheap Chicks to it this year. Even if you aren’t new, give it a read. Who knows? There may be something for you here, too.
This is not a “how to homeschool” article. This is more of a “how to survive homeschooling” article. This isn’t as much “big picture” as it is “little things.” It’s the little things that make you crazy, the little things that make it all worthwhile, the little things that make you both doubt what you are doing and dare to dream for bigger and better things. The devil’s in the details, as they say, but so is the beauty of everyday Life.
Rule 1.) Relax. Breathe. Breathe again. Homeschooling isn’t rocket science. (Unless of course you’re studying rocket science, that is….) You’ve taught your children how to walk, talk, eat, have manners, play nicely with others and ride a bike, swim, throw a ball, understand the rules of a game. Teaching them to read, write, add, subtract, and find Timbuktu on a map is actually easier compared to all of those, because you have a plethora of resources at your disposal. Reading programs, maths programs, how-to books like Homeschooling on the Cheap, blogs by fellow homeschoolers and websites full of good information such as Ambleside Online and Simply Charlotte Mason. Relax. Breathe. Breathe again. If you can read, you can teach.
Rule 2.) Create or find a support system. All those resources I just listed have real people behind them. Join an online group or two. Ask for help, for resources, for understanding of just how to do ______. If you’re incredibly blessed, you’ll be able to find a real live group of homeschoolers in your area. Co-ops and support groups are all over the place, and growing in number every year as the homeschooling “movement” grows. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. There is no such thing as a stupid question. In fact, stupidity can only reign when questions go unanswered. Chances are pretty good that someone has been there, done that, and knows how to show you the way out, too. Relax, Breathe, Breathe again. You’re not in this alone.
Rule 3.) Start slow, stay low and grow. Don’t jump in with both feet, doing every subject, every day. Even beginning with older students should be a gradual process. There’s plenty of time to “catch up.” Really, there is. We don’t jump in at the beginning of each year with everything, the first day. We ease into things, sometimes waiting WEEKS before we are up to “full speed.” There’s nothing more overwhelming to a new homeschooler – parent or child – than feeling like the world has caved in on you from trying to do too much all at once. Homeschooling isn’t a race – or if it is, it’s a marathon. There’s no need to do it all, all at once. Relax. Breathe. Breathe again. You’ve got plenty of time ahead of you.
Rule 4.) Keep a record, journal, diary, scrapbook, blog – something – that will help you record the “good days.” Those times when everything goes right. Those days when the light bulbs go on over their little heads. Those days when you triumph over that last hurdle between “not getting it” and “getting it.” When multiplication becomes a “cinch” and reading that “too hard” book is finished. Those moments are few and far between most years. And you’ll need something to remind you of them when you’re stuck at the next hurdle. Or when the next Everest team wants to practice on the Mt. Wash-more in your laundry room. And last night’s dishes are still in the sink at 3pm, and your spouse calls to say he’s bringing an important guest home for dinner. Or it’s 3pm and you haven’t managed to finish the maths you started at 10am. Those “good days” will shine forth like a beacon, a guiding star, reminding you of what it is you’re truly doing, and maybe even why you’re doing it. Relax. Breathe. Breathe again. Those good days will be back. They aren’t that far away. And the Chinese restaurant doesn’t charge for dinner deliveries.
Ruke 5.) Work on becoming (more) organized. You’ll need it to avoid the Everest teams on Mt. Wash-more and the “what’s for dinner” dilemmas all-too-common to homeschoolers. There’s no need for rigid routines, but there is a need for some sort of “get-it-together-ness.” There are books, mentors, websites, magazines – again, all sorts of resources available to you to help you to “get a handle” on things. If you are a planner and organizer by nature, you’ve already won half the battle. The better your routine or at least your organizational skills, the better your days will probably go. You’ll still have “those days” when everything goes wrong and nothing (or very little) gets done, but those bad days will be fewer and farther between. Relax. Breathe. Breathe again. Organization gives you breathing room.
Rule 6.) Take care of yourself. You can’t take care of your kids, your spouse, your home and your schooling if you aren’t at your best. Make sure you get enough sleep. Eat healthily. Exercise to help you stay or get in shape. Take time for yourself – after the kids are in bed, before they are up in the morning, once a week while they visit with Grandma, once a month on date night with your Dear One. Include your spiritual life, too. Just don’t take on more than you can deal with. Don’t let exercise or Bible study classes become a thing that adds stress to your life. You have enough of that. Relax. Breathe. Breathe again. Take a moment for yourself and you’ll be better able to do everything, be everything, you need.
Rule 7.) Don’t let frustration get the better of you. You can do it. You can work your way through it. And if something doesn’t work, figure out why. Ask for help. Find your solutions. Try something new. Try a new approach. Don’t give up without a fight. Dare to try. If your new thing doesn’t work, try an old thing a new way. It’s better to regret something you’ve done than something you didn’t do. Relax. Breathe. Breathe again. There’s nothing too tough to tame. You just may not be able to do it alone, or to do it in the same old way.
Rule 8.) You don’t need the next-best, latest-greatest thing. You don’t need all the bells and whistles. Just because it has great reviews and costs $1,000 doesn’t mean it’s worth it, or that you need it, to teach your kids. Games, notebooks, colored pencils, crayons, interesting literature, a library card, the Internet, old fashioned tried and true methods. They still work. They can still teach your kids effectively. Don’t get caught up in the curriculum catalog hype. In fact, use them for reading material, but be very selective about what you buy. Just because you spend hundreds or thousands of dollars doesn’t mean your kids are getting the quality or kind of education they deserve. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Look for curriculum that lasts, and that has lasted. Relax. Breathe. Breathe again. Save your money and your time. And your sanity.
Rule 9.) Relax. Breathe. Breathe again. Repeat as necessary. Remember, it’s not rocket science. Unless of course, it is! 
