There are many parents who dream of homeschooling their children. Whether it's having more time to spend with your little ones or simply needing a more flexible schedule, more and more parents today are jumping on the band-wagon.
Is Homeschooling For You?
In truth, the only person who can answer this question is you! As an editor of a Global Publication it's a miracle that I can manage to find the time to dedicate towards my daughter's education, but it's extremely important to me. They say if something really matters to you, you'll find a way to make it happen. That was certainly the case with me. I won't lie to you, it was HARD at first. One day my husband suggested I examine the quality of education I was giving my daughter, which was a real game changer for me. Prior to that talk, I took a more lax approach to my daughter's schooling. She received quality lessons, however, her classes were scheduled around my schedule. I figured, "it's a perk of homeschooling! I can make it work for me!" WRONG!!! I'll let you in on a little secret...children need DISCIPLINE! Although a free-spirit like myself loathes routine, I've found throughout the years that it's absolutely necessary to truly thrive at business and at life. Children are no different, but they need even more stability. So, let my life example be a lesson to you homeschool-hopefuls out there, that you really need to have a solid plan before you jump headfirst into a huge commitment like this. Here are a few ideas to help you decide if it's right for you!
Ask Yourself...
Do I have the time, or can I make the time, to really focus on my child's education?
What online program will I use to help educate my child?
What supplies will I need in order to make sure my child has everything they need for their daily lessons?
How will I financially support my child, myself, and/or my family if I do decide to homeschool?
What is our daily routine going to look like?
Do I have the patience to help my child through even their most challenging classes?
You MUST understand that in order to be the very best teacher for your child, you MUST also teach yourself!
If patience isn't one of your virtues, homeschooling is NOT for you! The fact of the matter is that a child needs time and redundancy to learn anything. If you are not a patient person, you may hinder your child's ability to grow. Consult an expert for more help and guidance on how to grow your patience if it is something you struggle with.
Be prepared to answer millions of questions you didn't even know you needed to know the answers to! Children are inquisitive little ones and will constantly ask you, "why one plus one equals two?" Or "why the sun is yellow?" Or perhaps even questions like, "why do some people measure temperature in celsius, but others in Fahrenheit?" Do you know? I don't! So you need to be prepared to use a whole lot of GOOGLE and read a whole lot of "really boring" material at times to answer a variety of questions you'll encounter during their studies.
You'll also need to understand how children think. I've found it beneficial to speak with a therapist who specializes in children's psyche to understand how a child's mind works, thinks and learns. I also read a lot of books like "The Holy Bible" for spiritual growth, and "The Five Love Languages of Children," by Gary Chapman and Ross Campbell for emotional growth, and more. I wanted to understand how to best help my child grow in knowledge and wisdom, understand herself mentally and emotionally, nurture her curiosity and creativity, and to become confident and self-assured! You get what you work for, and it's been working wonders in my daughter's life. I cannot stress enough how important it is for you to educate yourself in order to best educate your child!
These are my thoughts and some advice I've found to be quite helpful in my personal journey as a homeschool mom, artist and business owner. I hope this helps you! Tell me your experiences and your thoughts! Until next time FAMEily! ~ Rachel Cruz
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