Secular Homeschooler. Disney Addict. Cat Person. Nice Atheist.
When I first considered homeschooling my oldest, I stressed about so many aspects of the process. I could not stop myself from researching it to death, following every rabbit hole, reading every blog, dissecting every detail. As a result I created a slew of worry that did not need to be there.
Homeschooling very young children does not really look different from parenting young children. I hesitate to even use the term homeschooling in this context, because it can deceive people into thinking that means they need to be actively doing something.
When you first considered homeschooling, you may have approached the idea from an academic standpoint: How will I teach them? What materials will we use? How will we structure our days? However, most homeschoolers eventually learn the many “surprising” benefits of homeschooling.
Do not let the thought that you need to be “teaching” all the time stop you from simply wandering around the zoo, watching a documentary just for fun, or choosing random selections from the library because the pictures look amazing. When your students are ready for more concentrated study, they will let you know.
The idea of year-round homeschooling may seem odd if you {like most of us} grew up with the notion of summer “freedom” being an essential part of the school experience. But it works for us. And it might work for you, too.
When you plan your homeschool within a framework of child-led learning, it does not mean you necessarily need to hand over full rein to your students. Instead, it establishes a sense of cooperation from the beginning and encourages discussion before making any set plans.
Wondering how to create a realistic routine for homeschooling? Worrying your kids might not be doing enough academic work? Looking for reassurance that you will find your groove and it won’t always be this hard?
One reason I share our ideas and book lists and curriculum choices each year is to illustrate the fluidity of homeschooling. I will undoubtedly be writing a follow-up post in a few months detailing our successes and failures and changes we made midstream. This is not a flaw of homeschooling, but a feature.
Let me assure you that planning the homeschool year is not as daunting as it sounds. Yes, it can be a lot of work, and research will be involved. However, if you have a strong commitment to helping your students—and even minimal organizational skills—it will be easier than you think.
Do you spend much time thinking about death? What do you think happens after we die? Do you believe in an afterlife? What about angels or ancestors watching out for you? Have you ever considered what dealing with death as a non-religious person might be like? Are you not religious yourself and looking for where to turn during a difficult time?