Homeschool Life Q&A!
This week I asked on instagram stories if anyone had any questions about Homeschool life and all that it entails, and I was so happy to receive some really good and thoughtful questions! I love to share about homeschooling because I know it is something that people can be very curious about and not really fully understand if they have never had any experience with it. So I like to share to open up dialogue about it, to show others what it can really be like, and because it’s something I am definitely passionate about. I also love to encourage others along in their journey of either choosing homeschool, or not choosing homeschooling, which leads me to the first question!
“Do you think Homeschooling is for everyone?”-
No, I definitely don’t think homeschooling is right for everyone, I am a firm believer that you have to really WANT to homeschool, feel called to it, and truly believe in it if you want to be able to do it well. I also think it works better for certain kids’s personalities and others not so much. So it’s really a case by case and family by family thing to decide to homeschool. Every family and dynamic is so different, and so what works for me may not work for someone else and vice versa. I also believe that there is no ‘perfect’ way to educate your children, wether you choose private school, public school, or homeschooling, there are pros and cons to every single one. That is why I don’t ever think someone should feel pressured to homeschool, OR send their child to school, but rather look at your children and your family and decide for your own situation which way of schooling would be best. For some families that means one child is in school and one child is homeschooled, and to me THAT is awesome! You know your own family best and that is the most important factor when choosing how to educate your children.
“How has Homeschooling changed your family dynamics?”-
I think it’s definitely changed a few things, it’s really bonded the kids and I, and brought us quite close together. It’s also given me a first hand opportunity to really know how my kids learn, and the ins and outs of their individual personalities. We spend all day together, every day, all..day..long….and we basically have no choice but to really KNOW each other well. We are able to spend lots’ of quality time together, and that is probably my absolute favourite thing about homeschooling, spending all this time with my kids! It has also changed Chris’ and I’s time together, because if we had kids in school, we could take day dates together, work on our business or projects together during the day, but alas that becomes quite tricky when the kids are always here :) Thankfully it just gives the kids an up front look at how we run our businesses and how we work together and that is good for them to be exposed to, but a lunch date here and there would be nice ;) Now that Ben is old enough to babysit a bit hopefully that will happen more soon.
“What are your top 3 benefits of Homeschooling?”-
This really ties into the last question about family dynamics, because I would say the quality family time we get to spend together is definitely one of the biggest benefits! Also being able to tailor my kids education to their individual needs and learning styles and not having to put them in a box is a huge benefit to me! We are able to choose their curriculum and what we teach them, and coming from a teaching background (I was an ECE (early childhood educator) and kindergarten teacher before I had kids) I really like having that option! Another benefit is that we can travel any time of year for however long we like, and not have to worry about school schedules, and even if this makes me seem like a rebel I guess I kind of am, because we really enjoy being able to make our own schedule. I also love how the kids learn how to interact with people of ALL ages, not just their peer age. When they are home they can glean and learn a lot from Chris and I , wether it’s woodworking in the shop with Dad, learning to play guitar, or making a meal for someone in need and delivering it, they are experiencing lot’s of real life with us everyday, and learning things that aren’t just academic. I also love all the outdoor time we are able to have as being out in nature is one of my favourite things, Ok, that was more then 3 things, whoops ;)
“What is your biggest homeschooling pet peeve, and your favourite thing?”-
I like this one ;) because I love keeping it real! My biggest pet peeve is probably not having much quiet time, I am an introvert and also a ‘type 9’ (enneagram style) and keeping the peace is something I really value, BUT when you have your kids home all day, every day, ‘peaceful’ is not always something I’d describe our house as haha. It is LOUD and crazy much of the time, and my peace craving self misses quiet time for sure. But I guess my pet peeve and my favourite thing kind of cancel each other out, because my favourite thing as I mentioned before is all the time I get to spend with my kids, as I genuinely enjoy being with them and watching them grow and encouraging them each day. So I can deal with a loud house for that benefit ;) I am sure one day my house will be so quiet and I will really miss the bustle!
“How do you choose curriculum?”-
By researching online, talking to other homeschool Mom’s and seeing what worked best for them, and also by just trying out different curriculum over the years you can figure out what ones you like, and that work best for your family. There is no ‘one size fits all’ curriculum, and so I just read about different ones, decide which ones will jive best with my kids personalities, and give them a try. The great thing is, if they don’t work out, it’s ok! If something isn’t working after giving it a good try (I would definitely say don’t give up too fast!) then it’s totally ok to switch and find something that works better. Even if it’s something that every homeschool mom has had major success with, but you didn’t, thats OK! It’s trial and error, and I am not sure if any homeschool family ever finds the absolute perfect curriculum. You can also use what the Ontario government provides online if you wish to teach exactly what the school board teaches too.
“How do you keep up with Homeschooling more then one child?”-
It’s actually really nice to have different ages and grades. My older kids can be more independent in certain subjects and while they are doing their independent work I can do some more hands on learning with my youngest. Then when my older kids need more one on one help with their less independent subjects, my youngest can use that time to build a puzzle, play with lego, or do his computer reading program. And some subjects we do all together! Sometimes an older child will help a younger child, while I am working with someone else. We all have a little job and try to work together to make sure everything get’s done in a day. It’s not always perfect, but I feel homeschooling 3 different ages is quite manageable, I tip my hat to all the large homeschool families with 6, 7 and 8 kids as I know that must be much more challenging! But if you think of a regular public school classroom, it is typically 1 teacher for up to 30 kids and they do alright for themselves, so I am ok with 3!
“Will you Homeschool in high school? If so how will you apply to college/uni?”-
We haven’t actually reached this milestone yet, our oldest is now at Grade 7 level, so we technically have another year before we have to decide about high school. As of now the plan is to start with Grade 9 at home and go from there. But a year from now this could totally change! We will take it year by year, and child by child and see how it goes. I am open to doing high school at home with a virtual academy (not on my own) and I am totally open for the kids to attend a high school also! If one of our kids ends up staying at home for all of high school, they can apply to any college or university they like as any other public school student, there is just a bit of a different process depending on how you decide to do everything, but they would have equal opportunity as a child who went to public/private school the entire way through. From what I know every college/university has a different process for accepting home educated students, and so it’s good to contact them a few years into high school so that your child can work on getting the proper requirements to where they want to be accepted.
“What were your biggest fears about homeschooling and how did you overcome them?”-
Through my life I have often been looked down upon and questioned about my abilities for looking younger then I am, and so one of my fears was that people would not think I was capable simply because I seem a lot younger then I actually am. I am not going to lie that I’ve gotten more comments then I can count about this very thing when it comes to homeschooling, but after the first few years it honestly doesn’t bug me anymore because I know I am capable and my family knows I am and that’s all that matters :) people will always have an opinion and I don’t need to focus on it, I realized that those people don’t really know me, because those that do know me would never say that. Moral of the story is, don’t look down on those that are younger then you, or look younger then you because that just ain’t right ;).
“Do you get nervous or anxious about teaching certain subjects, and how do you cope with that?”-
In the beginning I used to be nervous about teaching math, as that was the subject I personally always had trouble with myself growing up, and so I thought I would not be the best person to teach math. BUT those were silly thoughts, because instead of just worrying that I may not teach them math well, I went to work re-learning math! Not only was that good for me (by refreshing and re-learning everything that I never really understood in school as a kid, I love knowing that now I do understand it) but it’s been good for teaching, because now I feel more confident to teach my kids certain math that I never thought I could before. Just shows what a little hard work can do ;) never underestimate yourself! Every homeschool Mom will have subjects they excel at more then others, that is life and that is ok :) I just always try to keep on learning along with my kids, and I actually love it!
Last question for today because I don’t want this post to be toooooo long ;)
“What made you decide to Homeschool the kids?”-
This could be an entire blog post in itself, so I may very well do that one day soon, but to sum it up…I had always had it on my heart to homeschool ever since my youngest was born. It was something that I felt called to do right from his young toddler age, as a teacher myself, I really wanted to be the one that taught him. It was always at the back of my mind, but I never really talked about it too much because my husband wasn’t necessarily on board at the time. After sending him to traditional school for kindergarten and Grade 1, and never feeling quite right about it, and seeing how it wasn’t really the best learning environment for our son and his specific personality, I brought up the idea again and this time my husband was more open to it. Long story short, we started homeschooling for Ben (our oldest) and every year we saw the benefits more and more and have continued to decide to do it these past 6 years. We love the flexibility on so many levels and the family time, and I know I won’t look back and regret these years of having them home.
Like I mentioned before, to me there isn’t one ‘right’ way to school your child, I definitely don’t think homeschooling is the perfect way or the only way, I just know that right now for this time in my life I do feel called to continue this homeschooling journey and I will be grateful for every year I am able to do it! I also know I really love the many benefits it has and all the hard work of teaching the kids every day is definitely worth it!
Thank you again for your questions and for reading this! If you are interested in homeschooling and would like some support in starting up I am always here to help and listen, I love to help others and be a friend so don’t ever hesitate to send me an e-mail or message!
stay cozy,
Shelley