Vet Tips
There are some days homeschooling is a breeze. For the remaining 179 school days a year, we *might* need a little help from Jesus, strong coffee, and a good support network. Um, yes.
I will never forget our first week of homeschooling in 2013. I was so nervous. Day one went decently well. Day two I heard my oldest yelling down to the basement, “Hey, Mom! You better get up here.” I discovered my youngest had taken her morning snack of yogurt and slathered her head, shampooing her hair with toddler delight. That was DAY TWO. I cleaned her up and immediately questioned myself all over again. “How will I homeschool my kids when I can’t even keep yogurt off their heads?” (As if that’s a prerequisite!)
Alas, we’ve moved past the yogurt. Yet despite homeschooling for 11 years now, I would never be so brave (or cocky) as to declare myself an expert. If anything, I’ll go with veteran.
Here are some of my favorite “Vet Tips” if I was new or several years into this homeschooling journey. I wish I’d known:
· Freedom to Flex:
o Your Calendar: You, yes you, get to decide the schooling days of your choice. Want the summers off? Follow a traditional school year of nine months. Want breaks every six weeks? Choose the year-round schooling method. You’re in the driver’s seat.
o Your Back-to-School Start: If you take a summer break, ease back into your school year. Layer in subjects over the course of a week or two. Start with the “spine subjects”- reading, writing, and math. Begin on a Wednesday for a built-in bonus of a shortened week. Trust me on this.
o Your Schedule: Have a pre-determined start and end date. Bonus if you can end your school year earlier, but a firm end date is a helpful “light at the end of the tunnel” for everyone.
· Pivot: I was far too afraid to pivot mid-year. No more. If something isn’t working well, that’s the beauty of individualized learning plans. Scrap it and utilize a different method.
· Built-in Breaks:
o Vacations: No one likes long lines and busy places. Enjoy vacationing during the public school year. We planned our trips after Labor Day for off-season rates and low crowds. Yes, and amen. Vacation can also mean staycation fun too.
o Snow Days/Spring Days: Despite living in Michigan, we do not take snow days. We “bank” our snow days and take “spring days” when everyone has a case of spring fever. It’s lovely to have parks, playgrounds, and public spaces all to yourself.
· Borrow, Borrow, Borrow: Homeschooling can be extremely expensive. Purchase used curriculum or swap with a friend. For years, I would borrow a friend’s entire curriculum and just supplement the yearly consumables. She was easily bought off for a 10-lb bag of coffee.
· Find your tribe: Community is key and not just for the kids. Consider joining a co-op or finding a homeschool connection group. Even virtual community is helpful if there is nothing available in your location. There’s nothing like sharing a win, a hard day, or brainstorming with another homeschooler.
· Inner Compass: Reflect on your values to steer you as you select curriculum and guide your homeschoolers. For more on this topic, check out my Glordinary podcast episode Inner Compass. It details how I navigate curriculum choices and decision-making for my Home Sweet Holmes-school.
· Prioritize: Treat homeschooling as your full-time mission, ministry, and job…because it is. I aim to curate our time accordingly and minimize distractions and appointments as best as possible. I do not take phone calls during the day unless it’s my husband. Family members know to call in an emergency. Otherwise, I will check text messages at lunch.
· Cover Your Tooshie: I’m a card-carrying member of HSLDA. (Homeschool Legal Defense Association) I cannot recommend this enough, and I would not homeschool without it. The peace of mind and legal expertise is worth the minimal annual cost. In addition, the resources are invaluable, and they offer online classes for your students. Worth it!
· Walking Alongside: Without a doubt, I will likely be a Read-Aloud Revival premium member even after I finish our homeschooling journey. Sarah Mackenzie is my podcast BFF, despite never meeting me or knowing I exist. Her podcast, masterclasses, premium membership perks, student classes, and book lists are worth every cent. In addition, her book Teaching from Rest: A Homeschooler’s Guide to Unshakeable Peace is literally my summer read every year. I have nearly every sentence underlined and highlighted after reading it so many times. I’m sure many things I say are a direct result of wisdom I’ve gleaned from her over the years.
· It Isn’t About Results: And the number one thing, hands-down I wish I had known 11 years ago is this: God never called me to be successful. He called me to be faithful. The results are not up to me. I can’t control the future or the outcomes. But I can choose to show up every day. I can choose to live a “long obedience in the same direction,” as Eugene Peterson said. He’s called me to be faithful, and He loves my kids infinitely more than I can even imagine.
I’m so proud of you as you homeschool your children. It’s a hard task, but a worthwhile one indeed. You’re not alone in this. I’m praying for you, friend…all along the way.