Reframing the Idea of Homeschooling
How do we do this? Some sources say homeschooling can be, if not completely, mostly free. And then in another line they say it can be very expensive. Furthermore, what do you teach? And at what ages do you teach various subjects? How much work is enough? A possible answer: well, it varies person to person. Then comes, what is your teaching style? This followed closely by, what is your “students” learning style? Also, how much time should it take in a day? The never-ending questions just kept coming. Now, unfortunately each family has to figure that out for themselves. (I agree, what a frustrating piece of advice.)
Our answers came from many different places. First, there were my own experiences. As a parent, don’t forget, you were a kid once too. They are your children and often times get some of how they “tick” from you. I had experiences with small children, both family, friends and babysitting. We had a buddy reading program in school, where we had to help younger kids read for a class period every week. I had friends that were homeschooled with short stints in public school or worked with at my first “adult job.” I had a minor in psychology from Nebraska Wesleyan University where we learned about lifetime development. I had experience teaching others in school explaining things to classmates when the teacher wasn’t making sense. Not once did I doubt that if I had to, I could learn something and teach it, or in times of needs find someone else who could teach something I could not. Maybe that is a flaw of mine.
I then began online searches, this led to book purchases, and YouTube videos. Eventually these led me to homeschool conferences, and HSLDA (Home School Legal Defense Association.) I feel that I still need to build a more closely knit community, but this has been enough so far. Finding curriculum that works for us is a never ending, ongoing process of research and trial and error. Some things I make up, others I spend money on. I’d say we spend mid-range on school supplies. My husband often says, “I trust you, and our children’s education is something we should spend money on.” Basically, he is in the ballpark of “spare no expense”. Often when we purchase things, we keep in mind there will need to be multiple uses out of whatever educational thing we buy. I also, stick by the philosophy of “It doesn’t hurt to buy something and try it out.”
Answers have, and do continue to come in here and there. How much time we spend on academics varies based on what we are trying to accomplish. The rest of the time is spent on life skills. Schooling year round, also gives us flexibility with this. At the end of the day, I learned that the questions never fully stop, but the answers are out there, you just have to find them. This is a major point we try to teach our children. You never really stop learning, and seeking out knowledge is part of growing.
