We are just getting ready to start our fourth year of homeschooling in a couple of weeks and the back-to-school shopping has begun. Our back-to-school shopping is a little different than most. We are not shopping for a new wardrobe for the entire family, much to my daughter’s dismay, but we spend a lot of time on Amazon finding the perfect curriculum for the year. This time of year is a little bittersweet as the kids’ friends go back to school and we have to go from our happy-go-lucky schedule and late nights and get back to a more structured schedule for our school year.
We didn’t always homeschool and it was never really a part of our family plan, but a few years ago Nikki had a very strong impression that it was time to pull our kids out of public school and start homeschooling. I had asked her about homeschooling the kids a couple years previous, but it didn’t feel right for her at the time. Since Nikki does the majority of the schooling while I am away at work (I mostly handle art and physical education), I asked her to share some of the challenges and joys that come from being a homeschool mama.
Hey guys, it’s Nikki. First of all, I wanted to make it clear that I am not a teacher and the thought of doing this was absolutely terrifying. I was worried I wouldn’t have the patience and that I NEEDED that time away from my kids. I hear parents this time of year excited for the fact that their kids are going back to school, and sometimes I think “that would be nice”. But then I think about the extra time I have with my kids and the ability I have to mold and teach them instead of sending them to school to be molded by their “peers” and be stuck in a classroom for six hours a day learning with all the other kids in all the same way.
Let me start by saying that I have a great respect for teachers. They work so hard and put so much into teaching our kids, and they have their patience tested constantly. They are superheroes in my mind! I have learned one very important thing as I teach my kids –they all learn VERY differently. Gracie is very much a “by–the-book classic student” who could sit in a classroom and excel. Zac and Nik struggled with reading and spelling until I found an online spelling program that teaches them their spelling words by playing games – genius! Soon, they started getting 100 percent on their tests. Hallelujah! They are also really good at math and are working a year ahead of their grade level, which not something we could do in public school. Zac has a very mechanical brain and is a hands-on learner. Last year he fixed the snowmobile, 4-wheeler and lawn mower after his regular assignments were done, and this year we found a fully functional model motorcycle motor that he can build from scratch. Nik loves to cook and we are able to spend some extra time helping him learn new recipes, plus he makes us new treats. Ali has ADHD and is very smart but to sit still in a class for 6 hours would be torture. Now she has her work, can get it done by lunch and can get her wiggles out in between if needed. She also wants to be the first woman on Mars (she thinks big all the time) so she is studying everything she can about space.
Our school day, when the kids cooperate, is over by lunchtime and then they have the rest of the day to go outside, explore, and be kids. No homework!! When we say we homeschool, I know a lot of people ask if we are worried about our kids and getting enough social time. Our kids actually have more play time with their friends now because they don’t have homework and have already finished their chores by the time their friends get off the bus. Plus, I know the kind of kids my kids are socializing with because they are at my house, not school while they are hanging out, and that makes me feel more secure as a mom. We also do some community homeschool activities and usually host holiday parties at our house so the kids aren’t missing out on those activities at all.
We’ve collaborated with Amazon for this post and, like most of you already know, Amazon has tens of millions of items available with FREE Shipping. I can honestly say that Amazon is an essential part of our homeschooling program because it allows me to find a variety of specific teaching tools for each of my kids. I’ve put together an Idea List of some of the items we are using for homeschool this year for the Amazon Back-To-School Store.
Overall, homeschooling works extremely well for our family. I don’t think it is for everyone because it is a huge commitment and you have to have the right frame of mind. If you have any questions or are thinking about homeschooling, leave a comment and I’ll do my best to answer any questions. It isn’t easy, and I think about sending them to school often, but I know it is right for our family, and it is so worth it.
Alan my wife and I are teachers with a 3 year old. We havent had to make the choice yet… But I can tell you that it has been on my mind lately. Like you mentioned every kid learns differently and our little guy is pretty bright. In our eyes education is a game changer in life and I would hate for him to ever not like school or to get a teacher that is not 100% committed. I appreciate your honest thoughts on this issue.
Hi Eric,
Thanks for sharing. We have loved how homeschooling has allowed us to laser focus on our kids learning. We know what they are good at and help them focus on those things. Let me know if you decide to homeschool.
Best,
Alan
We love homeschooling our kids. My boys learn so differently than my girls and have been able to excel at math without being held back with the rest of the class, but struggled with reading and have been able to do that at their own pace without feeling ridiculed or made fun of. Thanks for this list, it gave me some good ideas
Hi Sarah,
My youngest son struggles with reading as well and I too am grateful that he can go at his own pace without being made fun of. Are you using online resources for math? I’m curious about what works best for you.
Thanks,
Alan
I’m going to be completely honest and say that I NEVER had any intention of homeschooling my kids. Like EVER!!! I’m not a very intelligent person and I have a really hard time retaining information, especially historical dates. But not feeling qualified to teach my kids wasn’t the only reason I didn’t want to homeschool. I enjoyed school when I was a kid. I enjoyed going to play with my friends. Going to school was just something you did. It was just the way things were. But I didn’t think that playing wanting to play with your friends all day was a very good reason to send my FIVE YEAR OLD away for 6 hours a day.
My daughter was turning 5 soon and it was time to enroll her in kindergarten. We had done an online preschool program at home with her and really enjoyed it. She excelled and was at a 1st grade reading level already. We had decided what school to send her to, but for some reason I couldn’t get the thought out of my mind that I needed to homeschool. I was trying my best to ignore this thought, but it was there…constantly and it seemed to keep getting “louder” if that makes sense.
I knew a family in my neighborhood who homeschooled so I decided to give them a call. I was invited to go sit in on one of their days and she showed me what she’s done in the past, what has worked for them and what didn’t. She explained that some of her kids learned differently than others so some things she tried worked for some of her kids but not others. For the most part, she needed to find ways to teach 2 of her kids differently than the other 2 because they weren’t “traditional learners”. When she first started homeschool she tried the traditional classroom setting, because that was “school”. But these 2 kids struggled. It was an eye opener for me.
I knew my kids were bright. But I also realized that they were excelling in “hands on”, interactive learning. I didn’t sit down with them and trace letters for hours on end. I didn’t use flash cards or phonograms to teach them to read. They learned differently. I thought, if my child(ren) doesn’t learn well by listening to a lecture or lesson they’re not going to do well in a classroom setting. If they struggled in class because of this, it was only going to be natural to start comparing themselves to their peers and I worried about how that was going to effect their self esteem. I didn’t want that for my kids.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not the type of person who doesn’t think their kids have to experience unpleasant things in life. I’m not trying to keep them from never being disappointed or from not always being top of their class. They know life isn’t fair. When we play a game, not everyone is a winner. But I want them to be able to enjoy the game. I want them to be able to be happy for their peers or teammates for their victories. I didn’t want to set them up for 13+ years of always comparing themselves to others, feeling inadequate and “stupid”(for lack of a better word) when they’re not learning the same way others do.
Our homeschool journey has been interesting to say the least. I too am in my 4th year, and I’ve found things that work for some of my kids and some that work for others. I’ve found so many resources that are there, both in the community and in the wonderful world of computers. I’ve found learning games for their tablets where they can learn through play. I’ve found programs and co-ops and so much more. I’m actually quite amazed at the vast number of families in our community that homeschool, and this may sound weird but they’re not the stereotypical “homeschool” families. I’m surprised to find so many people that we can connect with. Everyone has ideas and different programs they’ve found.
We’ve tried to connect with different families for holidays too. I realize that one of the things that makes school more fun are the activities and field trips, the hands-on science experiments and art projects, the science fairs and field days. We don’t miss out on those things with our homeschool. We still make valentines boxes and have Christmas parties. And guess what? We can call it Christmas! We don’t have to say “Holiday party” to keep from offending anyone. We get to teach our kids about God. We get to teach about morals and character. We don’t have to worry about them learning that our founding fathers were evil or corrupt or learning things that we don’t believe to be true or accurate.
I have had days where I’ve wanted to send my kids to public school because it would be easier for me. Homeschool is time consuming, emotionally exhausting and it’s not easy all the time. I just have to remember that I’m their mother. It’s my responsibility to teach my children and I shouldn’t pass that responsibility on to someone else, especially someone that I may not see eye to eye with or share the same beliefs with. I don’t want that. I’ve seen things in my kids when they’re struggling with something and they’re not letting on, but because I’m their mom and know them I can catch it and help them resolve whatever issue has come up. They wouldn’t get that in a classroom full of kids and one teacher. They would get overlooked. They would probably learn to bottle up their feeling for fear of being looked down on or being weak, inadequate or “stupid”.
I’m so grateful that I decided to listen to my heart and homeschool my kids. I get to see them learn, and grow and excel. I get to be the one to see the light in their eyes as they catch on to a math concept that’s been just out of reach or get 100% on their spelling test! I get to be the one to see their talents grow, and recognize their strengths and weaknesses and help them learn how to navigate everyday life in a positive light. I love it and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Hi Alan, I enjoyed reading this article! These are some great thoughts that you have compiled together here. Acctually I haven’t made up my mind to homeschoold my children but after reading this article, I think it’s also a good way to teach my children so that they can learn what they want to learn. Thanks a lot!
I’m glad you liked it. Homeschooling your kids takes a lot of time but we feel like it is worth it. Let me know if you have any questions about starting a homeschool program.
Best,
Alan
Why is the spelling program Nikki mentioned?
*what
Could you share the online spelling game you use? I’m homeschooling two boys who love to learn via games!
There are many thoughts that run through your mind when you think about homeschooling your kids. As it’s about their future, No parents would take any risk in spoiling their kid’s career. We also think how would we take the 1st start? Will homeschooling go well for your child? And many things. I had these all doubt when I was starting schooling my kids. But then finally homeschooling got started, there were some ups and downs but we went through it.
Each child is different and it takes a lot of planning but it is worth it. Thanks!