The Homeschool Lifestyle

Earlier yesterday I read something that disturbed me in an online group via Facebook about a young girl that could not do the work that she was assigned in math. Eventually her mother was disgusted and pulled her out of public school and tried to convince the child to do math in the homeschool. Well something that I and others do wish they would have learned early on is, never force a child into doing something that they at the time in their life do not want to tackle. Now think back on a time when you were a youngster and were being forced to do something that you did not quite feel ready to do. Yes, remember the animosity that you felt towards the person that was pushing you to do so. This is what I want to focus in on today. The animosity that we feel being forced to do something not only blocks a person from learning but helps them to hold a grudge against that particular subject for years to come. It eventually becomes a permanent block that could lead to failed classes and low self esteem.

Now let us take a look at homeschooling and how we can overcome those things within our homes. First of all the reason why we pull a child out of public school should be for the child and the family to better accomplish goals. Self directed learning takes many forms. As homeschooling parents we must learn to let the reigns and pressure of schools go and adapt to self directed learning with our children. Now, I can write with experience and clarity because I too am a victim. A victim of the institutions ran by the government that convince us that children should be learning this and that at a certain time in their childhood. So, if we are not giving them this and that we are not the best teachers for our children and we buy into getting them to move faster and we soon start to apply the pressure. The pressure becomes so great that we start to doubt our techniques and eventually we lose everything. We lose all that we hoped and dreamed what our homeschools would be. We learn to forget who we are and concentrate on that math or reading skill as if our very lives depended upon them. Well stop right there! This is not the way our beautiful homeschools should be, we should be approaching topics with ease, and giving our children the benefit of learning at their time, not via a list that a public school or curriculum planner provides. This is our life, our way, our happiness and most of all our homes. We decide how to run them, we decide if we want a curriculum or not, we make the decisions and when I type we I mean we, all of us here in the home.  Everyone gets a choice here, everyone is equal in this circle and we all help one another in what we must complete for ourselves. So that means we are a team of learners working together towards the same goals. We walk with pride at knowing we are doing this because we can, and listen all of you out there reading this, you can do it too! Do not lose focus, if you lose some time because you stayed on something else for a spell, that is ok. You needed that time, you needed it and so did your child.

Don't beat yourself up over things that you may think are going wrong, we are at this point in our lives for a reason. To gain something out of it, to weather a small storm and come out of it knowing that we stood firm in our homeschooling beliefs. This is what homeschooling is all about, picking, deciding and choosing for you and yours not having a third party dictate to you what you must do and when. We must leave the institutional frame of mind behind us and move forward into our positive future with our goals and happiness still intact. So, when you get the bug, you know the one that bites and tells you, you are behind or your son or daughter is behind or you can not keep moving. I am here to write to you that you can and you will. Keep in mind that homeschooling is the best and no matter what rock may stand in your way, you will get past it and feel accomplished!

Until Next Time,

Nish Gardens Homeschool