Starting a Mindful Homeschool
This is the second part of a two-part post about starting your homeschooling journey. You might want to read the first part if you haven't done so.
When I told you about the insecurities I felt while homeschooling our daughter, it was mainly because I did not have a clear goal about it. You should start by identifying and knowing what your goal is—why you are doing this—then work around that.
After identifying your why, do your research by reading quality materials. There are hundreds of articles written by many experienced homeschoolers all over the world that can help you jumpstart your homeschooling journey.
This goal and research will then eventually lead you to deciding which homeschool method is right for you. But first, you must know that not all families are the same which is why there are several methods available for different needs:
Unit Studies
“Relaxed” or “Eclectic” Homeschooling
Unschooling
Classical Homeschooling
The Charlotte Mason Method
The Waldorf Method
Montessori
Multiple Intelligences
DVD/Video Schooling
Internet Homeschooling
You can read up on each methods or if you’re like me, take this quiz to help you identify which one befit your family. Your chosen method will then help you determine the curriculum that you will use.
Now, in choosing a curriculum, you should also consider your values and beliefs as a family. You should also take into account that the curriculum will not just cater to the children and there has to be some kind of a connection to you as a parent-teacher as well. It has to be something you really believe in and you will enjoy using.
When Should You Homeschool?
They say homeschooling is a natural thing. It starts upon birth when you read to your baby, assist him in crawling, eating, walking, then eventually, teaching him his first words and counting together.
I guess the real question most parents are interested in knowing is when should they start enrolling their children to the system. In the Philippines, under DepEd’s K-12 curriculum, the age requirement is at least 5 years old for a child to be enrolled in their system. That would mean formal lessons only start during Kinder and the early years can be regarded as playing and exploring.
In other countries, especially in Europe, they start formal lessons at the age of 7 where they feel the kids are more prepared.
I personally believe that there’s no right or wrong answer here. It really would depend on the readiness of the child. If for example at age 3 or 4 your kid is already very eager to learn, why prevent him? And if the child is 6 and has not showed interest yet, why rush?
Should I Enroll With a Provider or Go Indie?
Just as anything else with homeschool, this question also does not have a right or wrong answer. As I’ve said, your journey is yours and will be rooted on the values and beliefs you have as a family.
For us, being an independent homeschooler gave us the flexibility and we were able to save on our finances. However, we did fall short in the area of discipline. Since there was no accountability in the form of a provider, we were more likely to procrastinate with school work.
This is also why our family decided to re-enroll ourselves with a provider that catered to our chosen method and we know would help us grow in our journey.
Aside from flexibility and financial reasons, a family may choose to go indie during the early years, say when the child is 3 or 4 years old, to have the freedom in exploring lessons that suit the need of the child during that time.
One downside of independent homeschooling is the additional work in gathering documents like Form-137 and/or a Diploma which you will need later on if you decide to enroll your child in a conventional school or college. Although this shouldn’t scare you because you can easily obtain the proper documents by scheduling a PEPT with DepEd.
Meanwhile, if you are new to this method or not yet sure about your long term plans, it is highly recommended that you first enroll under a provider for an easier and worry-free transition to traditional school later on.
To be able to explore your options, here is the full list of homeschool providers and services they offer.
A Mindful Schedule Goes A Long Way
I understand we are facing unprecedented times. Most of us were taken aback by this pandemic and our lives, most especially the lives of our children, have changed dramatically. Some of you have probably never imagined homeschooling their child but is now forced to learn the method and caught up in so many things.
This is why, more than ever, we need to pause and think, to become really mindful of how we spend our time.
For our family, what’s helping me keep my sanity is to plan everything ahead of time. This doesn’t only apply to lessons and activities but also chores, errands and meal preparations. Since this is the first time our youngest would be formally joining our classes, I had to think of a new approach that would work with my personal life, home management and homeschooling.
Mike and I are early risers. We’d wake up at around 5AM and proceed with our morning routine followed by breakfast, a couple of hours dedicated to writing, an hour for chores then lunch. By 2 in the afternoon, the children would then be settled in our attic where we do our classes and devote their (mostly) undivided attention for our lessons.
I could not stress enough the importance of having a family rhythm where every member knows they need to contribute to make a livable home and that it’s not just the kids who gets involved but dads have a special role too. For example: Mike does our laundry, occasionally cooks our breakfast, washes the dishes, cleans our electric fans—all of which helps me focus on other important tasks. Once you get that rhythm going, habits are formed and life at home will become less chaotic.
Another thing is to take weekends and holiday breaks to recuperate, process or even entertain yourself by pursuing a passion. As Charlotte Mason stated in one of her principles, when we rest, we will then return to work with new strength hence the kind of energy our children should see as well.
Pre-pandemic, there will be weekends where we send our kids to their grandparents so Mike and I could work on ourselves. Presently, we have devised a plan where one of us can continue taking care of themself by scheduling a couple of hours in a day to either write, read a book or watch TV while the other attends to the kids.
I also understand that not all of us are privileged to have the same comfort e.g. the single parents out there who are struggling day to day. But just to encourage you, many single moms or dads have succeeded in homeschooling despite the adversities because they have a clear and strong goal. I would also suggest that you join Facebook communities dedicated to homeschooling and connect yourselves with people who can help you in your journey.
Lastly, when it come to making a schedule, don’t forget to be flexible. I personally love to plan and I am OC when it comes to scheduling which usually results to disappointments and anxiety when things don’t go my way.
If anything, this whole COVID situation taught me that I do not have full control of what happens in my life so I’ve learned to be a little more kinder and relaxed if all of a sudden something goes wrong or the kids aren’t feeling the day. It happens, believe me, and that’s alright.
Be Encouraged
I am not going to sugarcoat homeschool life. It’s not always going to be Pinterest material or Instagram-worthy. It’s more like going on a 12-hour drive with the family and somewhere along that trip one child spills her food, the other cries, so Dad gets annoyed, Mom gets all panicky trying to settle everyone.
However, once you get to your destination, you quickly forget everything that happened until the moment you’re driving back home and the same thing happens a second time. But when you eventually get home, when all that is left is that beautiful memory with your family in that place, it’s priceless.
It may not be easy for you right now. Maybe there are moments you feel like giving up. Don’t. Not yet. Hold on a while longer. Take a break if you have to but come back and you will, too, find beauty in all these chaos.
Trust me, I was once there too and although I am still learning my way through, I know it will all be worth it.