6 Tips to Find Encouragement as a Homeschool Parent

Are you feeling rundown and weary? Maybe you feel like a failure as a homeschool parent? Perhaps you’re ready to give it up and move on? Our hearts go out to you. 

Recently, I spoke with Jaime Jo Wright, who is a homeschool mom and successful author. She was also homeschooled from Kindergarten until she graduated. In our interview, she shared encouraging information for homeschool parents or those who want to homeschool. 

• Use teamwork.
• Delegate as needed.
• Mold homeschooling to fit your family.
• Be flexible. 
• Encourage critical thinking. 
• Give yourself grace. 

Homeschooling Should Fit Your Family

First of all, use teamwork. However it works best for your family, partner with people who will help you. Join support groups and/or co-ops to keep you going. Also, pair tasks with specific family members. For instance, if you love teaching science but not art, let someone else handle that. Bond as a family unit and discuss a plan of attack that will work best. 

Next, delegate. As mentioned, if you love teaching science but not other subjects, find others who can help. Enroll your children in co-op classes so other teachers can help. If Uncle Jimmy can teach German, go ahead and delegate. 

Continuing, let homeschooling fit your family. Don’t force your family to fit homeschooling. Homeschooling encourages free learning and freedom. Discuss family learning styles and habits. Would your family prefer a nature-based curriculum? Perhaps you would enjoy a Charlotte Mason approach. Whatever the method, discuss a good plan as a family. Involve your children in the discussion as this fosters good communication, teamwork, and critical thinking skills. 

Moving on, become flexible. Don’t force your child to fit a certain method. If it doesn’t work, remove it. It causes tears or fears, kiss it goodbye. Also, if your child learns differently from you, try to adapt new ways of teaching to fit your child. Remember that you don’t have to homeschool the same way every year. You can change the pace and system as needed. 

As mentioned, encourage critical thinking skills in your child. Invite them to your conversations and decisions. Ms. Wright recommends encouraging your children to review the books that they read. Encourage them to leave online reviews that give considerate feedback. This encourages independence, the formation of opinions, and, of course, critical thinking. 

Finally, give yourself grace. You will make mistakes on your homeschooling journey. You will make wrong choices. Forgive yourself for these mistakes and move forward. It is okay, and you are human. Besides, your children are resilient. Just like your children will learn, you will learn as you go, too. 

Ms. Wright supplied encouragement for the parent who can’t homeschool but wants to homeschool. If you have to send your child to public school because of your life/family situation, you’re not a bad parent. It’s not a failure. Ms. Wright simply said that God uses these parents on a different path. Just be involved in your child’s education, and that means everything. 

Conclusion

In conclusion, homeschooling isn’t a box. You can fit homeschooling to match your family. Use teamwork, delegation, and flexibility. This will help your homeschooling journey become more peaceful and graceful. Let go of guilt and remember homeschooling is a literal learning experience. It’s okay to fail and make mistakes. You are not a bad parent. You are a human being!

At NxtEra, we want to support you. Remember, you can call or message us whenever you need. We want to see you succeed, and believe you can achieve your goal of homeschooling. 

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- NxtEra

Written by Bethany (@thebookwormgirl_bethany)