If I Could Go Back to Our First Year of Homeschooling

I didn't really have a schedule

At the time, I was also working as a full-time university professor, so we homeschooled whenever I was free and whenever it was convenient for us.

There were days when we would spend almost the whole day on one subject, trying to finish everything at once.

I thought, "As long as we're learning, we're okay." 😅

And we were learning. But over the years, I learned that how we learn matters too.

What the years taught me

I discovered the beauty of:

• A simple weekly plan and daily rhythm
• Short lessons
• Variety
• Narration
• Living books
• Bible lessons
• Nature study
• Read-alouds
• Making connections between what a child is learning

I also learned that we have the freedom to choose materials that truly work for our children.

And now that I'm homeschooling my youngest, I find myself applying many of those lessons all over again, with a little more wisdom and a lot more grace. 🤍

Why I keep sharing

Sometimes the hardest part of homeschooling isn't teaching. It's wondering if you're doing it right when you don't have anyone to ask.

That's one of the reasons I want to keep sharing. Not because I've figured homeschooling all out, but because I remember what it felt like to be at the beginning.

If something I've learned through the years, or something I've created for my own daughter, can make another mom's homeschool journey a little easier, then I'm happy to share it.

Sometimes, we don't need someone to tell us exactly what to do. We just need someone to say, "I've been there too."

It's okay to learn as you go

And if you're just starting your homeschool journey, I hope you know that it's okay to learn as you go.

What is one thing you wish someone had told you when you first started homeschooling? 🤍