Suddenly homeschooling… is like being forced into a new career that pays squat. The clients are largely ungrateful, always hungry, and would like to file a complaint every 5 minutes.
You didn’t ask for this! But you can rise to the challenge. It will at least look good on a resume.
- Survived 2020 viral pandemonium and toilet paper shortage without eating my children.
8 years ago, I too began homeschooling “Against my Will…”
But I had time to think it over, order a world map, second guess myself, argue with friends, family and strangers who disagree. Then, I had to prepare to take all the blame for whatever happened when we leapt off the cliff.
Now listen… there is no need to jump on amazon and order a map or denim skirt (the traditional uniform of our founders) or worry over being weird and unsocialized.
We’re all being weird and unsocial right now. It’s trending.
But I wanted to say….Welcome, if only briefly, to the homeschool world.
Suddenly Homeschooling Means No-Strings Attached
However, if you’ve ever tossed around the idea of homeschooling and been too anxious to leap, here is your chance! You have just been gifted the opportunity of suddenly homeschooling free of judgement, guilt, or blame.
The government literally just told you to go forth and teach your kids.
It’s a free pass! No one will argue you aren’t qualified or that your kids are missing out. If it doesn’t work out, you won’t be blamed. But what if it does?
If you choose to continue, there is a gigantic homeschool community of families, bloggers, organizations, publishers, conventions, and associations ready to drown you in resources and help.
Suddenly, Homeschooling Isn’t Normal Either
While we are obviously teaching our kids at home and, academically speaking, our boat hasn’t been rocked much, please know that things aren’t quite normal for us either.
We are usually fighting to stay home and actually homeschool!
Our kids are missing out on their regular activities too; group learning, friends, field trips, sports, music, hanging out at Starbuck’s! Contrary to popular belief, we know how to socialize and are actually quite amazing at it!
Overwhelmed Being Together
You’re likely overwhelmed having to be with your kids All. The. Freaking. Time.
It happens to us too. I’ve wondered how it’s possible to be surrounded by the very people I love the most and still feel lonely and alienated. Well, if you’ve ever sat through a 10-year old’s Minecraft-monologue you know what I’m talking about.
So how do homeschool moms stand to be with their kids all the time?
First, we don’t juggle all our roles (mom, teacher, maid, nurse, cook, sane person) at once.
But, you know when little kids first start writing and their hand is sore? And then, after consistent time spent writing, they get that callus of tough skin and it gets easier?
That’s kind of how we homeschool moms are able to handle and enjoy (mostly) being with our kids all the time. We’ve found our groove, and you will too. We know you love your kids as much as we love ours. But, like the pencil and hand, you have to learn to work together.
Find your groove. Work out the sore spots.
Get kids writing, drawing, and laughing while cooped up at home!
Suddenly, Homeschooling Moms are Real People Too
“But I’m not patient enough to homeschool?”
Pa-leeze! Neither are most homeschool moms! If we were, we’d never get anything done. Kids are professional procrastinators. You must be ready to counteract that with impatience and expectations.
Even homeschool moms have days we want to light our curriculum on fire, and let the kids play video games until their eyes bleed! Everyone needs a minute to themselves.
Some days we all drop the ball and get nothing notable done. We can’t find our kumbaya moments.
No matter if you homeschool or send your kids to school, there is no magic fix in parenting or homeschooling. We’re all human, bumbling along trying to find what works best for our families.
Anything worth doing is hard.
It’s what we do after those bad days that shows our strength and determination. We get up, put our big girl panties on, and go to battle with and for our kids each day.
Desk-less Learning
Please relax and know that homeschooling is not the checking-off of lessons and classroom hours logged.
Though many of you are getting assignments from the schools and even online classes to keep up with, I hope you also take the chance to grab the reins and do what can’t be done in the classroom.
Suddenly homeschooling allows more time for a different type of learning.
- Take time to talk as a family about what’s going on in the world and your personal views. This is social studies, religion, spirituality and politics.
- Remember the elderly and less fortunate who might need our help. Don’t hoard supplies. This is citizenship.
- Figure out how much toilet paper one person truly needs for 15 days. Help make a grocery budget. That’s math.
- Let your kids cook dinner, do yard work, change the oil in the car, help fill out the census or file the taxes, do laundry, or clean house. That’s life skills.
- Get outside for a walk, bike ride, weed the flower beds, play hide-and-seek. That’s P.E.
- Read a book, magazine, or tell campfire stories around a plate of microwaved s’mores. That’s reading/story time.
- Watch great movies/documentaries that entertain, touch on history, and open discussion. That’s art, film study, and history. Get my free homeschool movie guide here!
- Explain good hand washing, nutrition, and how germs spread. Observe wildlife, YouTube chemistry, experiment with weather and household items. Build, program, or code something. This is science and engineering.
- Stay in contact with friends online. Call your older relatives who may not be so tech-savvy. Write letters for old-school fun! This is technology and communications.
Suddenly, Homeschooling is Slowing Us All Down
Lastly…enjoy this timeout. We’ll all be back to the fast-paced grind soon. Even homeschoolers are itching to get out of the house and conquer their futures.
Plus we’re nervous eating, and eating for entertainment, and eating to try new recipes, and eating, cause why not? And homeschooling will make you fat, if you’re not careful!
The world is very different right now. We are in a confusing slow-motion free fall.
We don’t have to give-in to the media panic. We need to stay strong and do what we can starting right in our own homes. And if that means joining us in this currently abnormal version of homeschooling, we welcome you and will try to give helpful tips we’ve gathered in our experience.
This will be a memorable moment for us all. And it will end.
We will all have stories to share, some sad, some uplifting.
And someday someone might poke fun of homeschooling, and you’ll remember being with your family of all ages, and all the learning you did together without a desk or lesson plans. You’ll be able to share how you helped your community, even if just by staying home.
You’ll tell them that homeschooling showed you a new way to learn. It was freeing, despite the need to stay home. And everyone should get to experience it for at least a moment in time.
And that’s socialization.
