There is a big difference between having your children home from school to complete remote or virtual learning and choosing to take over their full education and home school on a more permanent basis. Many myths can be dispelled when it comes to homeschooling.
Most notable, homeschooled children lack social skills, but many homeschooling moms can attest that this fact isn’t true.
So how can you as a parent prepare yourself for the task of educating your children after removing them from the education system?
Homeschooling Resources
There are many resources available for you to use when homeschooling. From visiting places such as your local library to accessing free or paid-for online portals that can supply you with plenty of worksheets and timetables to help you plan for upcoming topics and modules and track your progress, such as classroom and online teaching software for K – 12.
Plan Your Day
Don’t forget you can’t simply drop everything to become a teacher. There is a reason this is a profession, and as such, you should make sure you have planned your time accordingly. When it comes to homeschooling, you aren’t stuck to the times set by your local authority. You can be flexible with class timings to allow you to take care of everything else you have to look after.
Supplies
Make sure you have a bountiful supply of items you will need to use regularly. Buy spare chargers for tablets or mobile phones if you will be using them a lot to supplement your learning or complete work digitally to save on buying pens and paper.
Find Your Community
There will be many online and in-person communities supporting those undertaking homeschooling, from arranging social meetups to support when you are struggling and need assistance. Seek out local support networks in your local area and learn from their experience and support as you get started and find your way.
You Don’t Need to Know Everything
Many people think you need to know everything to be able to teach your child. You actually don’t. However, you need a willingness to learn more alongside them and be able to help them find fun and creative ways to learn to assist your new journey.
Don’t worry about not knowing the answer if your child asks a question you can’t answer. Look together for the answer or give them the tools and know-how to find the answer themselves.
Lower Your Expectation
Some days will go better than others. As with anything in life, things don’t always go to plan. Lowering your expectations and learning what works best for both you and your children will give way to a more productive learning environment and allow you to create a schedule and learning way that works for everyone without any added pressure. Be prepared to be flexible or even throw away the rule book should you need to.
Lastly, relax. This is completely new for everyone, and it is OK to take your time and settle into the role. After all, you are now in charge of your child’s education, and the more at ease you are, the better it will be to help your child learn.
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