7 Things Every New Homeschooling Parent Should Know

1 Relax and believe you are doing the best for your children. If you have little ones start by just reading aloud on the couch. Enjoy this time.
Learn what philosophy of education you like.  If you are taking your children out of the system, deschool for a while. Don’t worry about academics and just reconnect with your child. Ask them what they want to learn.  I call it Delight Directed Learning, though I am sure I didn’t coin that term.

2. Find a local support group that isn’t just an online group. Get plugged in, that means participate. You will make lifelong friends.

3. Think outside of the “school” box. Don’t try to recreate a brick n mortar school at home. Make your school cozy, a joy to learn in. Don’t be afraid of messes. Clean up time instills good habits and discipline.

4. Find someone you can connect with that is older been there done that. That has a heart for homeschooling families.  Likeminded in your philosophy of education, religion, politics, just generally someone you can trust.  I know this can take time, and I am not saying people who aren’t the same are bad or wrong, it just makes it easier for you if you are not confident. 

5 Learn your child’s learning style. Check out The Way they learn by Cynthia Tobias. 
Everyone learns differently even moms. 

6. My number one thing I tell every new homeschool parent. If you do nothing but love your child, you are doing more than the public schools.  No one will love them like you do.

7. If you are a Christian parent, pray over your children and make reading the bible the first part of your day.

A New Adventure Going into 4th Grade

We are trying a new approach this year. Ditching the traditional textbooks, some of you may say finally!

  

Over the summer we "unschooled". If you don't know what that means, it is mostly child led learning.  The concept of delight directed learning leans toward educating to a child's interest, whereas child led learning, the child is doing what they want and learning from life through playing games, exploring, other interests, tv, whatever means they choose. 

As I prayed and watched my son over the summer, I felt like there was not enough biblical training in this method. Even though we read the bible, and have a chore list in place.
I felt in my spirit that even though I want my child to play freely, I cannot let my biblical duties and desires to train up a child to be left into my child's hands. This is my responsibility. Just like I will not turn my child over the the school system, I will not leave him alone.  The bible says in Prov 29:15 But a child left to himself brings shame to his mother.   There are many scriptures that speak of training children, so the idea of radical Unschooling is not for me.  
Educating children is the parents choice, the parents responsibility to chose the how, the what, the where.  I would hope you seek the Lord for what is best for your child and your family. God has given each child his own bent, prayerfully ask the Lord what is your child's bent and how to go about what works best in your situation.
With that in mind I was blessed by my local home school groups used sale and got Joe Teaching Textbooks Math. It is on the computer, and he loves it.  We are also doing some notebooking with timelines on the subjects he chose for 4th grade.  I will be at the library lots this year.   

 God bless you as your journey takes twists and turns. Enjoy the moments of unwrapping your children as the gifts they are.