Three Things to Remember for the Homeschool Beginner

So many parents are hearing the news that this unexpected homeschooling thing might last the remainder of the school year, and I can only imagine the stress that is causing.  

Here are two thoughts that helped me feel better when I first began homeschooling.  The third thing is just a salute to the craziness that can ensue when you're trying to teach multiple children different subjects simultaneously.

1.  Remember learning at home doesn't have to look exactly like learning in a school classroom.

If you grew up going to public or private school it's natural to begin by trying to organize everything at home to mimic a classroom experience with set times, school desks, etc.  None of that is bad, but it always helped me to remember home is not the same environment as a classroom with 15 other children in it.  Your routine and schedule will look different than the routine and schedule at school, and it will look different from the routine and schedule of other families right now.  That's okay.  Don't feel badly about that.  

2.  When you have interruptions in your "school day," remember that there are interruptions at school, too!

You might be interrupted by a younger child or the dog or a work e-mail or a phone call, and it can feel like it takes longer than it ought to finish the school day.  Remember that a traditional school day includes kids needing bathroom breaks, misbehaving children, getting everybody lined up for P.E. or lunch, school assemblies, etc.  So yes, assignments can sometimes be done quickly if there are no interruptions, but sometimes the school day at home will have just as many moving parts as a traditional school day.  That's okay, too.  

3.  You'll probably feel a little crazy switching gears constantly in helping multiple children with different assignments.  

I have nothing but solidarity to offer here, especially if you're helping with work assigned from your child's school.  If you're designing your own program, I recommend consolidating all you can so you don't always feel like someone's waiting on you.  In the past two years I've tried consolidating History, Read-Alouds, Science, and Grammar.  Grammar rules stay the same, but you might require more involved writing from an older child.  

Ultimately, every home is different, all parents are different, kids are different, so home education is going to look different in every home.  There's a lot of freedom in that.  I know you're doing a great job.