Every homeschooling family is different. If you are going to home educate, you must not compare yourself to other families.
You can let other families inspire you, and you can get good advice from other homeschool families, but you don’t have to do it the same way. You need to know your limits, and if you own up to them, that’s not a failure. If you lack the ability to provide an important element of a good education in your homeschool, it is not a failure to ask for help, outsource it, or even decide to try school.
Every parent is going to have something they are good at, and you probably have super powers that you don’t even realize. Other mothers may be looking at you wishing they could do what you do.
I know for me, I used to want to be one of those mothers who sat and read books all day with my kids. I like to read, and my boys like reading, but we’re not a sit-on-the-sofa reading most of the day kind of family. And when I think about, I don’t really want to do that anyway. It just sounds good, especially on days when I could use some more rest.
I know mothers who are so patient, and they seem like good teachers. All they need is a good curriculum, and they can lecture and teach the material to their kids. I don’t feel that’s me. Maybe it was when my boys were younger, but as they get older, I spend a lot of time figuring out resources that will help them teach themselves with less support from me. It’s not because I don’t want to teach but because it’s beyond my abilities now. My role is more of a facilitator and organizer and problem solver in these later years.
I also know mothers who come up with incredible projects and unit studies, and they work on those together, exploring fascinating subjects. I sometimes think I would like to do that. Maybe I did a little when the boys were younger? (Everything was so much easier when they were younger!)
To be honest, part of the reason it’s easy for me to do child-led learning is because I don’t like coming up with the ideas! But this means we have many days when we’re not doing anything interesting. (I mean, not interesting enough to write about in a blog post. Most days are kind of the same.)
You should ask yourself: what AM I good at? Maybe you’re a fantastic cook, and you have inspired your kids to cook with you. Maybe you’re athletic, and you and your kids are outside on the trails every chance you get. Maybe you’re brilliant at crafts, and you’ve inspired your kids to build their own toys. Maybe you have a mind for business, and you have helped your kids start selling their crafts at a local market. Or maybe you just like hanging out together, and you give your kids a lot of quality time going to interesting places.
No matter what it is that you’re good at, it will be good for your kids. What they need is a guide who is loving and kind and has their best interests at heart….Not a jack of all trades or an academic genius.
Another one: maybe you’re good at research, and you pick the right curricula and resources that fit your kids needs…..that’s me. That’s what I’m good at. But it’s not very glamorous or blog worthy to show a picture of myself sitting at my computer doing research.
Maybe I’m pretty good at playing Wingspan more times than I can count too. 🤔😆
