10 Resources and Things to Consider When You Are On The Fence About Homeschooling

We started our homeschool journey 3 years ago, even though when I see our daily living, we have been doing this forever.  I am a planner, scheduler, active person by nature.  To slow down and relax is hard for me.  There is always something to do, even if it is reading, I plan it!

Now that we are officially on summer break I even have made a summer schedule- but before you roll your eyes, let me explain.  My kids can't function without a plan- I am sure its because they are so used to how I work.  I don't like seeing my kids on an electronic, but unless we get rid of them completely, I have to learn to let go, and it's easier if we have designated times, and a timer set.  They get their fill and not an all day thing for me to get irritated by it.  They know what to expect and of course I can toss the schedule to the side when we are headed to the lake or a day trip or vacation.  

When I made our summer schedule I had a flashback to when we lived in Baltimore and Peanut missed the cutoff to start kindergarten because her birthday falls in October, and JellyBean was a baby, so we needed structure and I created our daily plan.  It included tea parties, games, quiet time/naptime, library days, etc.  I love when I get these reminders, that God truly did call me to this, and the more I let go of the worry, it is so enjoyable.

I get to spend alot of time with my kids, and there are days where I do grab the keys and leave when the hubby gets home, or take a very long bath, I don't feel so guilty about it anymore.  We were not meant to drain ourselves or endure fits of a 2 year old, or hormones of growing girls for 14 hours a day - the Lord needs us quiet to talk to us, He wants to spend time with us just as much as we want to spend time with Him - and if you have to plan it, you won't hear me scoff!  

I have had moms ask about homeschooling and curriculum, but I had a friend recently call and ask about homeschooling. She is on the fence.  It's a commitment, and gasp, our 'alone time' is taken from us.  Your alone time is not 'taken' from you, you are laying it to the side for a greater good.  You might not get 40 hours to yourself like you did before, but you can get up early, you can ask the hubby to put the kids to bed, you can set up coffee/walk dates with girlfriends on the weekend-every weekend if you need to!  And you know what, I have found after I am away for a little bit, how much I miss them!  When I want to go do something fun that is not up my husbands alley, I think of my girls first.  New movie? Swimming?  Park? Adventure?  Shopping? Antiquing?  Thrifting?  Art?  Running? Yoga?  I ask them to spend time with me or they ask me to come jump on their trampoline at least twice a day.  I am so thankful for this.  And I am thankful that each day I see them growing that I stop saying No to playing, and I say yes.  Laundry will always need to done.  And dishes.  Bless those dishes...all day and all night....

Here are some places I recommend to those who have called, emailed, texted...What do you use to homeschool?  What are the rules?  

1. If you live in Idaho go here: CHOIS FAQ  This will give you more of an idea on rules and regulations {which spoiler alert, Idaho is considered a very relaxed homeschooling state}
2. I recommend joining a Co Op, it was important to me since the first year we decided to homeschool I was pulling a very social girl out of school and having a newborn baby.  It was great to get to know other homeschool families and ask veteran moms questions or hear them say "you are doing great, just relax."  We have made some great friendships out of our Co Op.
3. Attend a local Homeschool Convention, you will not regret this.  It will fill you with so much inspiration and encouragement.  If this is not an option, I recommend podcasts.  For my personal taste I listen to At Home, A Delectable Education, and The Busy Mom.  These are good too.
4. I recommend reading Teaching From Rest, I have read it twice and will read it every year in the beginning because I can get pretty excited over new lessons and rush the process.  
5. As far as curriculum goes - just know that you bought it, you own it - it does not own you.  This is huge, you will spend money.  You will not use everything you buy.  Or you will like the curriculum but not use all of it in the way they tell you you should.  Ask to look at or borrow from a friend before purchasing.  Go to your local library and check out this book, you can take a quiz on your style of teaching and your childrens best way of learning and she breaks down the curriculum that will be your best fit and which curriculum takes time to put together or is ready to go.  This is a huge time saver.
6. Start small and then add more. I have wanted to quit many times over. Due to attitudes, how hard it was for me to let go of wanting to do 'school' at home.  My kids do not learn from worksheets.  They are auditory and kinesthetic learners with a crazy toddler brother interruptions, and the oldest are 3 years and 9 months apart.  I can teach the same science/social studies/history lesson but require more of the oldest to repeat back, understand or write a longer paragraph than her sister, but I am not able to teach them both at the same level on everything, and the hardest is when Little Man won't allow anyone else but Mom to help him get a snack or play or cuddle with him.  So things have been put off, we plan to do stuff when Dad gets home, but everyone wants to spend time with him, play, and Little Man didn't want to be left out.  Now that he is older, he can play tools with Dad or ride the lawnmower so he doesn't feel pushed away.  I didn't want to look back and regret how I segregated him, or made the girls feel like he was a nuisance.  I found this article recently and how I would have loved to have seen it a few years ago!  
7. Trust yourself, because this passion that God has instilled in you, its why He has called you to do it.  I can remember countless times that I wanted to quit and in the next 30 minutes I was inspired by some idea and came up with a new way to make learning fun.  The hubby and I would laugh, just thinking I was crazy, until a sermon I heard recently where our Pastor said "Your passion and drive come from the Lord.  Live generously with what God has gifted you." I have held on to that ever since, because nothing else can explain how I go from feeling like a failure to so excited for the next day within an hours time.  My passion and drive come from the Lord and I am so thankful.
8. You need a bible, devotional books, and a prayer warrior.  Someone who you can call and say I quit, or I can't do this today and they listen and pray for you.  Not someone who says, yes, you should or no you shouldn't.  You need a bible and write out many verses that will help you start your day, and memorize short one that you can recite and dwell on in 'those' moments. If you need a jumpstart, try these. This one is a personal favorite: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." (Proverbs 3:5-6)
    I love leaving devotional books at my teaching desk, my bedside, and the dining room table.  If I need a quick pick me up during the day, I don't need to go searching.  Or, if you need a good venting - call your prayer warrior.
9.  Don't neglect your marriage.  I strongly feel this is why so many husbands are not on board.  They know how drained the wife can be already, now this?  Call in your girlfriends, vent to them. No one really talks about this so much in the homeschooling world.  I don't feel like anyway.  Its always all about the kids and then all about how Mom gets a break.  What about the couple that was, before the kids and homeschooling came along? You were called to be a wife before a mom and before a teacher.  A walk around the block, holding hands and talking about his day, or what he wants to do with his days off is a great way to give him attention.  Now that our oldest feels comfortable to be home with the other 2, we can run down the road for dinner and participate in small group again, which is huge for your connection to your church, other believers praying for you, you praying for others, and you might even meet other homeschoolers this way too!
10. TIME.  We can't go back, and we can't ask for more than what we have, right now, this moment, this day.  You will have growing pains, you will go through times where you feel like the only one going through it, and you know what, you might be.  No one has your child.  No one else is you.  And God knows that.  I will save you time - pinterest, facebook, and venting to whoever will listen will not bring you closer to your child. God will.  Prayer will. 

I don't claim to know it all, I learn daily and yearly about what helps our family to continue this path.  I think these are some great ways to start.  Basically you can't do this alone.  You need God, veteran homeschool families, other believers praying for you, and keep your marriage in the forefront.  And have fun!  These children are not ours, they are God's.  We get maybe 18 years to spend with them before they typically move out, and move on.  Why not make them great?  I have yet to meet one person who has ever regretted homeschooling.  #connectionovercurriculum #mykidsaremyfriends