Thursday, August 9, If only I had known ...

What have you learned on your homeschooling journey? What would you/did you change? This is an opportunity to encourage others who are just starting out or who are struggling with issues that seem unsolvable. It is also a perfect opportunity to tell us about one of those days made you want to throw in the towel. A funny story? Perfect!


My advice to new homeschoolers would be to just keep trying. It takes a little while to find curriculum, schedules and plans that work for your family. We started out with Konos and while I love it, it takes a little bit more time to plan than I have to give to planning. I still will use it some this year, just not all the time.

I've learned that if I don't put breakfast/brush teeth on my kids schedules, they will not eat breakfast (or brush their teeth) and when I finish work and am ready to start school, they're ready to eat. So, I have to put that on their list of things to do. Silly, maybe, but it works.

I've also learned that I need to make a schedule for myself and I have an agreement with the kids that if I don't do mine, they don't have to do theirs. This helps me to remember to do things for myself (exercise!) and take care of the housework on a regular basis so it doesn't pile up. Otherwise, I'll just get so caught up in working and schooling that I will be worn to a frazzle and the house will be a wreck.

I've learned that reaching out to others who are homeschooling is invaluable because they can help with advice and sanity and a listening ear.

If only I had known how good homeschooling would be for our family, I would have never sent my kids to school at all.