Okay, friends. I decided to pass along what I have learned and help you learn from my mistakes and successes. Let me know if it helps any of you.
Don'ts of Homeschooling
*Don't compare yourself with other homeschoolers. It will only discourage you. Get ideas and helpful info from others, but don't expect your family or household to run like someone else's. We are all like different fruits in a fruit bowl, each having its own unique sweetness.
*Don't try and run your homeschooling like the public school with textbooks and desks.
* Don't compare yourself with the Joneses, the neighbors that have two cars, vacation houses, material wealth, etc. Homeschooling requires a sacrifice. It is a hard labor that, like a farmer, that requires time and patience in seeing fruit
*Don't wait to discipline children when they are preteens, and the cuteness wears off (he,he). I have seen this mistake so many times over. Teach basic "doggie commands" (come here, sit, pick up toys,etc.) while they are young toddlers. Children don't balk at discipline when they are brought up with it in the young years. Teens resent parents imposing discipline on them when they never had it before. It destroys your relationship with them. Remember the reigns of a horse are at first snug then loosen up as the freedom is earned.
*Don't order curriculum without knowing what learning style your children have, and your own personality for following through.
*Don't just fly by the seat of your pants. You can't expect your children to be self disciplined if you aren't.
* Don't beat yourself down with regrets. Homeschooling is a journey with bumps and smoothness along the path. You won't learn without the bumps.
*Don't growl at your children. Keep on your knees with your problems and ask God for the answers. Then spend a certain quiet time each day to get the answers (my favorite time is 3am, when I can get it, because everyone is asleep.)
*Don't expect the cookie cutter curriculum to do all the teaching, but do allow for a lot of reading. Children seem to remember all the stories they read because they get to experience history, science, and famous people's lives through the eyes of many story book characters.
The Do's of Homeschooling
*Do your schedule according to what works for you, not someone else.
*Do your schooling with what works for you. Don't get caught up in what is popular or trendy.
*Do keep a household notebook to help with organization: weekly menu, grocery lists, www.organizedhome.com Disorganization causes a lot of stress. Keep organized!
*Do be consistent in discipline. Don't forget to encourage your babes with, "I know that you will choose the right way to behave next time. You are such a wonderful son" (etc. with hugs and kisses).
*Do expect a messy house! As long as there is happiness in your home, and giggles, then you are succeeding!
*Do expect criticisms and unfair judgments by others. We live in a time and culture that is very negative to home schoolers, and large families. Understand that some people just won't understand and others will be convicted by your sacrifice for your family.
*Do realize that you are like a farmer. The early years are the hardest working. Later, the harvest will come. Be encouraged and patient. Those heart strings (relationships) that you create will reap a beautiful harvest.
*Do journal, journal, journal. Have your children get familiar with letting the juices flow before you start editing, critiquing their works with them. Make it a lot of fun at first. Provide a lot of freedom at first. Write love notes to them in their journals, drawings, etc. There is a lot of time ahead for critiquing. Start the early years with a lot of free writing.
*Do a strong phonics base curriculum that can go from K-college level (like the Spell to Write and Read from the revised Spalding method) which can easily be taught to multi-ages/grades. Without a strong phonics children can really struggle with higher level books.
*Do remember that God is the real success. Keep yourself humble before him. It is not the curriculum that will cause you to succeed but God who grant the success.
I bet some of you seasoned homeschool ladies could add some great additions here. Please share in the comments section!
God bless you all!!!
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