5 Tips for the Brand New Homeschool Mom

If you are approaching your first year of homeschooling, you are likely experiencing some feelings of trepidation, worry, or overwhelm. Modern technology provides us with a whole host of wonderful curriculum options and support right at our fingertips, but it also breeds comparison and competition as we are offered a glimpse into the lives of other homeschool moms, overwhelm at the thought of just how many curriculum options there truly are, and the temptation to follow the "experts" as we research all things homeschooling.With that in mind, I want to clear the air and make things a little bit easier for you. Hopefully by the end of this article you will be able to take a deep breath and remember that homeschooling can be a fun, rewarding, sweet experience as you begin to let go of all the mental clutter.Before I dive in, I do want to make it clear that I am not a veteran homeschooling mom - my children are 3 and 1, so we are currently in the preschool stage of homeschooling. However, what I'm going to share with you comes from my having witnessed my mom homeschool me and my brother all twelve years of school, hearing what she, as a veteran homeschool mom has shared with new homeschooling mamas, as well as what I have experienced myself as a long-time homeschooling nanny to the three little ones I have home-educated thus far.I hope something I have learned along the way serves to ease some of your worry as you embark on this new journey.

  

Tips For The New Homeschool Mom#1- Find out the homeschooling rules for your state.

This is important. Though homeschoolers have far more freedom than they did in the 80s, there are still certain rules you have to follow, and what those rules are will vary from state to state.When we lived in Texas, there were virtually no rules or regulations pertaining to homeschooling. When we moved to Tennessee, however, my mom discovered that to homeschool here, we would have to be affiliated with an "umbrella school" to which we would submit our grades each semester, our lesson plans each year, and our running list of credits during high school.So, be sure to find out what the rules of your state are here. 

Tips For The New Homeschool Mom#2- Don't get overwhelmed.

When I oversee registration at each year's local curriculum fair and home education expo, the number one emotion I sense from the mamas new to homeschooling is a feeling of being terribly overwhelmed. Here's the thing, mama: you do not have to do "all the things". Don't look at all the curriculum options available to you and begin hyperventilating.At the end of the day, just pick one and try it on for size. Realize that picking this curriculum or that will not ultimately make or break your homeschool.You are free to change curriculum as needed if you find your child simply isn't clicking with the one you originally chose - even if it is the middle of the school year!The same goes for sports, co-ops, and other extracurricular activities. Don't buy into the lie that your family has to "do it all", either, becoming involved in every program available.Assess the needs, personalities, and dynamics that make up your family and see what will work best for your schedule and prove faithful to your priorities. That's one of the beautiful things about homeschooling - you have complete freedom! Freedom to experiment, try something new, change course, or completely re-fashion your homeschool altogether to meet the needs of your own unique family.Embrace that fact, and let go of the overwhelm.

 See also: Self-Care for Christian Moms - Smart or Selfish?

 

Tips For The New Homeschool Mom#3- Don't compare!

This is a huge problem in our day. Here's what we have to remember, though: your family was made by God to be completely unique from all the other families in the world.Yes, learn what you can from other homeschooling moms, seek their advice, applying it where it is helpful to do so, but always first remember that you were never meant to be a complete replica of any other mom. You have a family makeup unique from hers, with a different family size, different passions and interests, and different learning styles and needs. You do what is right for your own family, and rest in the comfort that doing so will bring you.

 See also: When Christian Motherhood Becomes An Idol  

Tips For The New Homeschool Mom#4- Study your child.

As you journey through your first year as a homeschool mom, become a student of your child. Make it your purpose to unlock the potential that is in your little one. Find out what makes your child tick, what his learning style is (does he do better with visual, auditory, hands-on, or text-based lessons?), which subjects are of special interest to him, etc. Is your child enjoying the curriculum you started out with, or is a change in order? What is working well, and what isn't?Homeschooling allows you to cater your child's education to his specific needs. Take advantage of that opportunity, rather than allowing yourself to become a victim if the going gets tough. When the going gets tough, the tough get going.... to another option! See also: 12 Important Bible Verses About Homeschooling 

[bctt tweet="Homeschooling allows you to cater your child's education to his specific needs." username="christcentermom"]

 

Tips For The New Homeschool Mom#5- Above all, have fun!

Why did you choose to homeschool? So that you might have more one-on-one time with your child? In order to protect him from some of the dark influences out there? In an effort to specialize and advance his education at a pace which suits him well?Whatever it was, hold on to that reason. Remember why it was important to you to homeschool, and let go of everything else - all the feelings of failure, perfectionism, comparison, overwhelm, discouragement, anxiety, or loneliness.Shake those negative feelings off, and just have fun! Forget the structured lesson plans if need be, slow down, be present in the moment, laugh, and enjoy your child. The more you have fun along this journey of homeschooling, the more you will be making learning fun for your child, and the more they will be encouraged to embrace and run with it.So, get outside and play, cuddle on the couch with a great read-aloud, turn the music on and have an impromptu dance party, or do as I have enjoyed doing lately with the 8-year-old little girl I'm currently homeschooling: Google anything your child wonders about. Our searches thus far have included everything from "Why are hot dogs called hot dogs?", "Is it colder at the North Pole or the South Pole?", and "Why do you loose your strength when you laugh really hard?". 

Homeschool by Faith

Most importantly, look to the Lord. Embrace the promise that is yours in James 1:5.

"If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him."James 1:5

Close the computer and stop searching out the overwhelming and differing wisdom from all the "experts" on homeschooling and instead fix your eyes firmly on the true Expert of your child.He will lead and guide you in the way that you should go (Psalm 32:8). With that truth placed firmly in your heart, you can cease your striving, sweet mama, and simply enjoy the journey ahead.

What about you?

Do you have any tips for the new homeschool mom? Are you starting out in the homeschooling journey? Or are you a seasoned homeschool mom? What tips would you want to share?

About the Author

Rebekah Hargraves is a wife, mama of two littles, blogger, podcaster, and author whose passion is to edify, equip, and encourage women in their journey of Biblical womanhood, particularly with an emphasis on the gospel and its implications for everyday life. Rebekah's first book, "Lies Moms Believe (And How the Gospel Refutes Them)" released last fall, and the "Lies Moms Believe" Companion Bible Study comes out March 30, 2018. You can find Rebekah on her website, Hargraves Home and Hearth, on Instagram, or on iTunes via her podcast. 

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