Comments on: Reader Question: What Characteristics Do Homeschooling Parents Need?

By: Joelle

Joelle — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 23:46:54 +0000

I’ll definitely say determination, patience and perseverance. When it comes to homeschooling, it comes down to a choice and a decision. If you decide to do it, you better know why, and determine to stick to it for as long as you think you need to do. Then, in the midst of it all, you need day by day patience and perseverance, with eyes fixed on the goal and not the immediate.

By: Stacy

Stacy — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 19:10:50 +0000

I don’t think there is just one Characteristic that a person needs to possess in order to succeed in homeschooling. One that comes to mind, but not necessarily a characteristic , is to have a calling to do it. If I did not feel a calling when those rough times come along I might be more willing to throw in the towel.

I think one needs to have a teachable spirit. You need to be willing to learn along side your children and if you don’t know be willing to say so and also research and learn right along side of them.

You need to be flexible. During this first year of homeschooling I have had to practice this. There have been a few times where something just isn’t working, if that flexibility had not been there I would have wanted to keep going with what I wanted, instead of researching what might be best for my child. Something might work for one, but it might not work for another.

And a person must have love in their life. For me this means love for my Lord to be obedient to Him. To use His example of love and then show that to my family. To lovingly discipline my children, loving them teach them and lovingly serve them. If the love is there, everything else will fall into place. The calling, the teachable spirit and the flexibility, because underneath all of those is love.

By: Pebblekeeper ~Angie

Pebblekeeper ~Angie — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 18:06:21 +0000

I agree with Jennifer – The ability to say “I Don’t Know”, without shame or guilt or fear. So many ways to look things up. Your passion to learn new things, will spark their curiosity and joy of learning. Simple questions that you “think” you may understand, see if you can articulate the answer clearly, if not, there is a new layer of learning to be done. Describe Weather, Waves, Trees, Fractions, Sentence structure? The ability to be a stand along student, and not an overbearing orator of facts.

Many folks think that they can’t teach their kids because they were not good at school – I think this takes the pressure off. We went to public school and we do not now know exactly were Teran or Hamburg are located – but we can learn together – and enjoy it more – with our kiddos. :)

By: Mama Steff

Mama Steff — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 17:01:45 +0000

I LOVE Nicki’s response. Keep in mind, too, that there are times you will not LIKE your children at home, and there are times they will not LIKE you – so LOVE is definitely important to get through those tough times!

I would add – an interest in learning, growing, and some flexibility. You need to be willing to start down one path and realize it isn’t working for you or for that student and be able to try something else until it works. You need to be interested in what you are teaching or your kids are learning. You need to be willing to change math courses, or to switch your weekly idea of what you think you need to do in order to meet your family’s needs.

Great answer Nicki!!!
Mama Steff´s last blog ..We are on a quest

By: Liz

Liz — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 16:42:07 +0000

A homeschool parent must have perseverance. This is not a job for the fainthearted or flitting. We cannot choose to homeschool one day and then toss them back into the school system the next only to bring them home again when we have the notion. Having a philosophy of education and a list of reasons why we’re on this road this helps remind us of our goals and priorities. Many homeschoolers abandon the task when the kids get to junior or senior high school. These are probably just as important, if not more so, than the beginning years. Homeschooling effectively is a marathon, not a sprint, and we need perseverance to stay the course.
Liz´s last blog ..Onion Science

By: Nicki

Nicki — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 16:27:36 +0000

I think the one and only characteristic a parent needs to homeschool their children is LOVE. If you love your children, and want God’s best for them, you will have what it takes to teach them. There are so many different families who homeschool, and they all do it a little differently. Some are very textbook-oriented, some are more living-books-oriented, some are unschoolers, some stay up late, some get up at dawn, some grow all their food, some eat Froot Loops every morning, some are college grads, some are high school drop-outs, some are messy, some are neat, some are dads, some are moms, and some are single, but they all have the kids that God gave them, and that makes them perfect for the job. We love our own children far more than even the best public school teacher could, and that makes us the number one choice for them!

By: Jennifer S

Jennifer S — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 15:56:55 +0000

I was told at the beginning of my homeschool journey that the only quality that a parent needs to homeschool their kid(s) is to be willing to learn right along with your child. I am halfway through year #2 and I would agree with that. A parent needs to learn how to interact with each child differently, we need to learn when to take a day off and when to stay the course, we need to re-learn so much of what we did not retain in our own schooling years, we need to learn to ask for help when things aren’t going well. We need to learn to tell the child “I don’t know how to do that math problem – lets go look it up together”, we need to learn that school takes place every minute of every day and not just when we are doing our workbooks. I need to continue to learn that the most important thing about homeschooling is NOT whether we get an assignment done or a concept learned, but that I am training my chilodren to be loving, intelligent, responsible human beings who will have an impact on their world.

I have LOVED learning with my kids – this homeschool journey is the BEST thing God has ever had me do.

Jennifer

By: Sharon

Sharon — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 14:07:39 +0000

Love. Humility. An obedient and teachable spirit. But don’t worry. If you don’t have these in full, if you are determined and if God is your constant source, you will have plenty of opportunities to grow in these areas. I only started homeschooling a year and a half ago. My children are 13, 15, and 21. I feel like I have finally learned what it really means to mother my children this past year through all the lessons I’ve learned. I LOVE that I can say with confidence I am a better mom today than I was a year and a half ago. I only just now am beginning to classify myself as a “kind of have it figured out and am probably a fairly decent homeschooling mom.”

I guess you could add persistence and determination to that list. Those are very helpful traits.