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Do you know what you need to know about homeschooling? You have heard all kinds of things about it. People have told you things like, “Want to really be free to live your life without running from one thing to the next? You need to homeschool your kids!” or “Are you tired of waking up super early every day, getting your kids all ready, and packing them into the car in order to get them to school on time?” or even “Do you want to be able to spend more time with your kids and become a part of their education on a new level? You could homeschool them!”
These are all valid points for many families and mommas. They all stem from different needs and desires, but they are all valid. I am here to tell you that homeschooling is no joke, and it is a great option for so many families across the world! Though there are many things to consider when wondering if homeschooling is something you would even want to consider (check out my post called “Do You Have What it Takes to Homeschool Your Kids?” here for more information about what it takes to even get started), we will focus today on some things you really need to know about homeschooling and what it takes to homeschool effectively.
1. It takes dedication.
Homeschooling is not for the quitter or for the faint of heart. It takes dedication! You must be absolutely dedicated to giving your child an education if you want to do it right. Will there be bad days? Unfortunately, yes. Will there be failures and even days you feel like giving up? I am sad to say that there probably will. Nonetheless, on days like those, you have to be determined not to quit!
You must be willing to do what it takes to get back up after a failure and press on towards the mark.
What you are doing is not easy, but it is so rewarding, and your kids are worth it!
2. It requires a plan and a budget.
I know that homeschooling gets a stereotype of just being super flexible to the point of not even having any sort of plan and simply choosing to “roll with it” every single day. Let me just tell you that this approach to homeschooling probably will not prepare your child for college or successfully prepare them for graduation. You need to have some sort of plan. Whether you decide to do a very structured curriculum like Abeka books/videos or choose to take a more personalized approach by using several different kinds of curriculum for your subjects, I believe you need to have a plan for how you want your kids to learn and grow academically.
Not only will having a plan help bring effective structure to your daily homeschooling life, but it will also help you feel more confident and put together, overall, since you know where you are, where you are going, and where you want to be.
That said, I wanted to include here a couple of planners that I thought looked helpful for homeschooling mommas (Click on any of the product pictures to be taken to Amazon).
I also wanted to include here, too, that homeschooling is not necessarily cheaper than any other way of educating your kids. In fact, if you take certain routes, it may even be more expensive. You need to have some kind of budget and take money into consideration when you make your homeschooling plan. With that said, there are definitely ways to homeschool in a financially efficient way, but do know that you must be intentional about what materials you use and even which curriculums/methods you choose to go with.
3. It demands consistency and determination.
I feel like this point will come up in several of the posts, here. When it comes down to it, though, consistency is crucial. It is important to note that it is not perfection or even an absence of flexibility. On the contrary, consistency in your homeschooling is simply being disciplined and giving your kids a routine that they can depend on and thrive within.
Determination comes in on days that consistency seems like an illusion. You must be absolutely determined to work through the challenges, to remember your why in the midst of the struggles. It can be so easy to get bogged down in math homework or the research paper that feels like an insurmountable challenge, but, in moments like those, you will need to be determined to push through and find consistency of purpose and mind. Just remember that, as my dad used to often tell me,
This too will pass.
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Though there are many things we could have discussed today, three things that I believe you need to know about homeschooling are that (1) it requires dedication, (2) you need a plan/budget, and (3) you will need to have both consistency and determination.
I sincerely hope that these tips have been helpful!
What are some things you believe every homeschooler should know?
I would love to hear from you in the comments below!
Until next time
This post contains affiliate link(s) which means that I am promoting resources I believe in and receive some form of compensation in return when you purchase through my link.
