HOMESCHOOLING, AGAIN

How are you? Summer is winding down and school, if not fast approaching, has already started for some. Who would have imagined that schooling would become such a fraught topic. Take a deep breath. No matter what choice you have made for your family this year odds are it’s not what you wanted or planned, it gives you anxiety and you felt like you made the best decision you could. If you, like us, have chosen the homeschooling route I want to be here to support you in that, help in any way I can and provide some resources that I have found helpful along the way.

I think the most important thing to keep in mind is there is no RIGHT way to homeschool. Especially now. What your child will need in order to thrive is a supportive, loving and engaging environment that allows them to chase that natural curiosity that all children posses. And all of us will needs heaps and heaps of grace, forgiveness and the freedom to chart a course that feels in tune with our life.

When it comes to my homeschooling philosophy I like to pull from two different systems of education - Waldorf and Charlotte Mason. I am drawn to the Waldorf view of education because it focuses on imagination and creativity. It also does a really good job of nurturing a sense of wonder and spirituality in children without a focus on any specific religious tradition. There is an emphasis on ritual and rhythm and being in-tune with nature, which I adore. Blossom & Root is a great secular and nature based homeschool curriculum that blends Waldorf and Charlotte Mason as well. I appreciate the Charlotte Mason philosophy of education for its emphasis on educating the “whole child.” A Charlotte Mason education is based on the belief that children learn all day - from their surroundings, from the modeling they observe in the adults in their life to actual instruction. The morning time ritual is something we have used in the past and the kids just adored. It was devised by Cindy Rollins, a Charlotte Mason homeschooling mom and author. I found her book invaluable when I was homeschooling for the first time a few years ago.

I like to structure our school in a way that opens up the door to natural and innate curiosity, creativity and play. I don’t like rigid structure and I like to ease into the school year in order to get a feel for what each child needs and what works best. And more than anything I try to remember to have FUN. Reading can be fun, math can be fun, science can definitely be fun. Remember - at home you have the flexibility to make just about anything school! Baking is fractions! Outdoor play can become a science lesson on the weather or the seasons. Reading your child’s favorite storybook and talking about it is language arts!

I would like to share more about our rhythm and what our days are structured like in another post but as a general rule of thumb I break up our day into morning and afternoon. Because my children are young and their attention spans are finite I have learned to do more “brain powered” or academic work in the mornings when their minds are fresh and they are excited about the day. We switch between language arts first or math but generally we get those two out of the way before noon. After breaking for lunch we return to do more hands-on activities or creative play. I don’t do a firm stop time and instead watch for what they are capable of or what they need on any given day. If we’re struggling in the afternoon and I’m getting a lot of pushback or we are unfocused I will usually close up shop early and send them outside to move their bodies and expel any pent up energy. For now this is what has worked best. Of course as they grow and their needs and capabilities grow I will adjust accordingly.

Remember to trust yourself, no one knows your kiddos better than you. And reach out for support. There are so many other families doing this along with you, so many resources. This doesn’t have to be a lonely road.

And on that note here are some links you may find helpful:

• Easy way to look up homeschooling regulations by state

• Wonderful manual for getting started

• A Homeschooling community

• Our chosen curriculum

• Classic choice for handwriting

• Shop that stocks Waldorf inspired toys and supplies

• My amazon storefront with a list of tried and true homeschooling supplies as well our book list

• A book for YOU to keep you grounded and a peace

• My homeschooling pinterest board that has lots of great ideas

• Another valuable book for tending to our mental health

Here’s to the new school year, to balanced expectations, grace, kindness and a belief that if we raise kind humans we’ve already done the most important task!

Happiness is Contagious
by William Martin
(from The Parents’ Tao Te Ching)

If you always compare your children’s abilities
to those of great athletes, entertainers, and celebrities,
they will lose their own power.

If you urge them to acquire and achieve,
they will learn to cheat and steal
to meet your expectations.

Encourage your children’s deepest joys,
not their superficial desires.
Praise their patience,
not their ambition.

Do not value the distractions and diversions
that masquerade as success.
They will learn to hear their own voice
instead of the noise of the crowd.

If you teach them to achieve
they will never be content.
If you teach them contentment,
they will naturally achieve everything.

We all want our children to be happy.
Somehow, some way today
show them something that makes you happy,
something you truly enjoy.
Your own happiness is contagious.
They learn the art from you.