Our family has been homeschooling since 2012 and we are celebrating our 9th homeschool anniversary this month! Yay!!!
Unlike many other homeschool families, we didn’t plan to educate our children at home. Through a series of circumstances we found ourselves homeschooling without a plan or support system. I am an avid researcher and studied, read blogs, networked, and organized our way through our first year.
And it was wonderful!
So wonderful, in fact, that we are still homeschooling after 9 years. Learning as a family has been an incredible adventure that we wouldn’t trade for anything. Educating our kids has been a blessing beyond measure. You can read the story of how we started homeschooling here.
Over the years we have learned some valuable lessons that have shifted our thinking and shaped our approach. Today I’d like to share 10 simple lessons homeschooling has taught us.
10 Simple Lessons Learned Through Homeschooling
1. Learning comes in many shapes and sizes.
No two children are exactly alike and one of the most beautiful aspects of homeschooling is being able to customize learning to the child.
Celebrating each child’s uniqueness through their education is one of the best parts of homeschooling.
2. Learning and school can mean two different things.
Our kids sometimes learn the most outside of “school” activities. Field trips, nature walks, playing, creating, building, and exploring can be the richest learning experiences.
3.Children blossom differently.
There are so many developmental skills at play as children learn and we’ve witnessed firsthand that those areas usually don’t necessarily develop evenly or in sync with one another.
And that’s ok.
As a homeschooler we have the luxury of spending as much time as needed to help our child master a skill.
4.Children are programmed to learn.
Maria Montessori unlocked some powerful truths through her research on child development and the absorbent mind. It’s been a joy to witness our kids’ natural curiosity as they organically gravitate toward building specific skill areas and certain developmental stages.
5.Hands-on learning helps kids assimilate their knowledge.
I love Benjamin Franklin’s quote, “Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.” There has been a lot of research on multi-sensorial learning and I’m a believer.
Giving our kids the opportunity to learn through play and exploration has been the most effective strategy in our homeschool.
6.Time is one of the most precious gifts we have.
The time we have with our children goes quickly.
Watching our kids explore, create, struggle, grow, and blossom is a gift that I wouldn’t trade for the world. I am so grateful for the time we spend together as we learn.
7.I will never be enough and that’s ok.
I will never be perfect and will make mistakes, miss things, and lose my patience.
I am so grateful that God is by our family’s side every day and is at work helping us to make the most of each moment.
I trust that He is equipping me moment by moment to be the mom and teacher my kids need and that He is developing my kids into the people He has created them to be day by day.
8.Leave wiggle room in the schedule.
In our beginning years I was eager to pack in as many quality activities as possible. I wanted to make sure our daughter had everything she would have been receiving in a brick and mortar school PLUS some.
I learned the hard way that space is a critical part of our homeschool day.
Kids need time to assimilate their knowledge, play, explore, and rest.
And so do moms.
9.Homeschooling is hard.
It’s very hard.
It will push your strength, perseverance, patience, creativity, and organizational skills to the limit.
And that’s ok.
We didn’t choose this path because it was easy. We chose it because we love our kids, we wanted to provide them with a customized learning experience, and we wanted to do life as a family to the fullest.
10.Homeschooling is a marathon not a sprint.
There are good days and bad days.
I’ve learned to keep it as simple as possible and strive for consistency, not perfection.
There will be bad days but I’ve learned that my success isn’t defined by the bad days.
For me, failure isn’t having a bad day. It is not picking myself up and trying again.
I would love to hear about your homeschooling journey. Are you new to homeschooling and looking for support and a community of homeschool parents to walk beside you? I have a huge heart for new homeschoolers and would love to help you find the community and resources you need to thrive.
Please reach out to me via email or in the comments below. Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.