Tips for New Homeschool Moms

 If you're thinking about homeschooling, it can become a bit overwhelming. 
I've been there, done that, and 4 years later, still have anxiety that I'm totally screwing it all up.
It's pretty stressful to fathom the idea that YOU are responsible for your child's education. 

If I've learned anything along this journey though, it's that stressing will get you nowhere.
Kids are going to learn, whether you teach them or not.  True story.
If they have access to books, (quality) games, movies, and documentaries, nature, and mama's guidance-- they will be just fine.  I promise.

Today, I'm going to share a few things I've learned with you. 
I hope these tips will help and be a comfort to you. Be sure to check out #4, as I think it's the best thing I've ever locked on to, as far as homeschool goes. 

#1.  Research Different Homeschool Methods
I only wish I had done this first! It would have saved me a lot of worry. I was a public school kid, and when I first started considering homeschool, I thought it was just that- school, at home.   As time passed though, I realized that homeschooling was more of a lifestyle than anything...and although I didn't recognize it at first, the whole reason I wanted to take my children out of public school, was because I didn't like the one-size-fits-all approach to learning.
Today, we are what is considered "eclectic homeschoolers."  Which basically means that we use a variety of methods and resources. Mostly life. We also lean towards the "Charlotte Mason" style as well. The basic concept of this style of learning, is that kids learn best through nature and play.    Research for yourself, and pick the style that speaks to you.  It's likely to change over time, but knowing that there are many styles and approaches to learning, can be a huge comfort in the beginning. 

#2. DON'T Buy Curriculum
Oh how I wish someone had told me this before I spent 100s of dollars on curriculum that wasn't a good fit and wasn't used.  Again, if you went to public school, the idea of "winging it" until you figure out your goals might seem intimidating, but you will save yourself both time and stress if you heed my advice!  There are tons of free websites where you can print worksheets, as well as get practice online, in any subject!  My favorite website for worksheets and coloring pages is TLSbooks.com.  ABCya is also a great FREE website for preschool age kids on up to 5th grade.  It offers instruction and practice in almost every subject.  Science Kids is a wonderful site for kids who are interested in dinosaurs and animals, science experiments, the earth and planets, etc. Education.com is a great website for kids as well.  I use it mostly for reading, and Language Arts.  I pay $6.99/month to be able to get more extensive practice and to keep up with my son's progress, but you can use this site for free, on a daily time limit, each day.  Also, my kids LOVE Dance Mat Typing for keyboarding practice, and this site is free too! Since my homeschoolers are still young, I don't know too many resources for high school kids, but this awesome homeschooling mama I watch on YouTube, who is a great inspiration to me, created this site called FreeHomeschoolDeals.com, that is overflowing with resources and freebies for kids of all ages.  Definitely check her site out.
Also, the Dollar Tree has a huge variety of workbooks, flash cards, calendars, charts, books, and various other learning material for $1/each.  The workbooks are very quality too!  I buy them regularly for handwriting, reading comprehension, spelling, and science.  Until you figure our your child's learning style, use the method of trial and error to figure out what works best.

#3.  Use the Library
This is one tip that I ignored in the beginning.  We went to the library and all, but I didn't use it for the awesome, endless resource that it can be. I wanted to do things by the book and it seemed like just "pulling it together" from the library and other free resources, was too much work for me.  But, after purchasing several different curriculum, that we hated, I quickly realized that the library was like a golden ticket to a homeschool mom. 
History, science, social studies, reading, writing, math, how-to books, and encouragement for you, can  all be found at the library.  Utilize it!  Some libraries even offer special programs for homeschoolers where you can connect with other homeschoolers for curriculum swaps, and/or attain curriculum through a barrow program.  Always use your free resources!

#4.  Combine Subjects (My Best Tip!)
My two oldest daughters are 12, and 10 years old.  Lately, I've locked on to an awesome way to help them get 3 or more subjects, all in one sitting.  Here's how it works.  I ask them to pick a person, place, time, or event that they're interested in.  They then research, and write about it.  Next, they review and edit their handwritten paper and give it to me. I then edit and give it back to them. They correct any errors and often add more facts and opinions, if needed.  Sometimes, I might give a paper back 2 or 3 times.  Once it's done, they then type it, and if necessary cite their work.   They're gaining the following skills from these types of learning activities:  Handwriting, reading, writing, spelling, research, citing, typing, social studies, Language Arts and Grammar, history, and sometimes, science.  See the beauty in this?!  They pick the topic, so it's interesting to them...and instead of purchasing an expensive Language Arts curriculum, that would likely bore us out of our minds and not cover nearly as much as mentioned above...we are "winging it" and loving learning. 
A few more quick tips:
Remember that you can complete what public school kids do in a day, in just a few hours...but no one says you have to model your learning time after traditional schooling methods.
Kids need life skills!  Something that is often overlooked in public school is doing laundry, time management, how to clean the toilet, how to price shop...etc. Real life stuff.  Involve your kids in the every day tasks of running the home, and you will see it pay off in a big way as they get older.
Don't feel guilty if you aren't accomplishing what you set out to do, it WILL be okay.  I promise.  When things aren't working out how you planned, reassess the plan. Keep changing it, until it works.  Often times, you will have a natural rhythm that you fight against.  Don't do it! Go with it! There is no wrong way, unless you're beating your kids and letting them watch South Park re-runs. Really. 
It's OKAY for your child to be on different grade levels, for different subjects.  My kids are in at least 2 to 3 different grade levels, at all times.  They are "ahead" in some things.  "Behind" on others, and right "on track" for the majority.  That's one of the many benefits of homeschool, is that your child can learn at their own pace. 
And lastly, remember that we are all learning all the time! If your child has access to nature, books, and a mama that will guide them when they need help.... they have everything they need to become well-educated. 
Don't Stress :)

What are some of your homeschool concerns? or how have you overcome your fears about schooling your kids at home? 

Leave them in the comments below!