May this post encourage you as a homeschooler. They are your children. Don’t be ashamed to take charge of their lives and futures.

I need to lead with the simple fact, God is so good. I want to testify that He truly does give the desires of one’s heart who diligently seeks Him.

Friday, November 15th, we officially started homeschooling in our household and it has already been the greatest blessing to each and every one of us. The bonding time has been so rewarding. It has been everything we knew it would be.

Homeschooling has been an aspiration of mine before I ever had children. When I learned I was pregnant with my first child, I began to collect resources and tools to give it all I could when the time came. I encouraged a growth mindset in the home from the beginning and taught that learning is a lifelong process.

You are the captain of your ship. Let me encourage you to take charge of your child’s well-being, don’t leave it to chance. Plan for the worst, look forward to the best.

Despite my best efforts, homeschooling was not in the cards in 2019, and my eldest started kindergarten at a local private school. Wonderful school, very thankful for them. But early 2020 came, and with it the Covid shutdowns, and just like that, the second half of kindergarten had to be completed at home. I was so grateful that I had been planning homeschooling from the beginning.

Don’t get me wrong, it had its challenges. Patience was the greatest thing I learned during all of this, aside from grace. I was working full time while we homeschooled and there were many obstacles that came our way. But we never gave up. Forward, always forward.

Homeschooling should not be stressful. If it is, you’re doing it wrong in my opinion. Step back and reevaluate. There is no shame in admitting you were wrong and need to approach it differently. You and your children can learn together what works best.

Check your state and local rules and regulations when you decide to homeschool your child

Each state differs with what is necessary for requirements, and you must check what those stipulations are. For instance, Wisconsin where I am located requires:

• Submit an annual PI-1206 Home-Based Private Educational Program Report.
• Provide at least 875 hours of instruction each academic year.
• Include the basic subjects (reading, language arts, mathematics, social studies, science, and health) in lesson plans.
• You do not need to have any formal teaching degrees or other educational degrees.

You can learn more here pertaining to homeschooling in Wisconsin.

You can find the PI-1206 form here for my Wisconsin mamas.

There are many curricula options

I have had experience with the Abeka curriculum, both in a private school and homeschool setting, and I cannot recommend it enough. It makes it so easy to teach and the way they explain the material will turn any mom into a teaching wizard. Self-learning children will excel with this curriculum.

Homeschooling is easier than ever today with the help of technology. I have used Word Documents and Excel to create my own worksheets when necessary and watching documentaries from various platforms makes learning even more easy and fun. There are many apps that can be utilized and countless community activities to investigate.

You can do this, you can do this, you can do this.

Every moment can be used for teaching. Make it fun. Don’t stress. Enjoy the time with your children. Get dad involved. Your husband has a wealth of information to pass on. Tap into that!

Until next time, my friend.