Homeschooling the First Year: Four Months of Learning!

Our first semester as a homeschooling family is now behind us. And with the end of a semester comes a big ol’ sigh of relief – we made it!  We really, really did!  Everyone is still in one piece, the house is still standing, and the children even still like one another.  And – surprise! – I still like the children!

I often use the analogy of a first-time pregnant mommy when it comes to looking at the mindset of a first time homeschooling mommy. Revisit your first pregnancy with me – You’ve read all the books and critiqued all the mommies around you, and you’re certain that those moms with crying babies just have no idea what they’re doing.  You won’t have those same issues.  In no time, you’ll be the baby whisperer, able to interpret your angel’s even tiniest whimper.  Breastfeeding will be a whiz, the baby will be sleeping through the night in a matter of weeks, and you’ll never do “those” things.  You know – the ones you said you’d never do!

Then you have the first-time homeschooling mommies – the ones who have visions of the perfect school day dancing in their heads.  They’ve read all the books and critiqued all the mommies around them as well.  They’re pretty certain that this schooling thing is a lot easier than everyone makes it out to be.  They’re sure that adding in several extra subjects the first year won’t be a problem.  And that detailed schedule they’ve put together will be a breeze to keep up with.  A day off to take care of household chores?  Ha!  They won’t need that.  They’ll be able to school and still keep the house spotless.  Keeping their kids involved is still a priority as they’ve scheduled weekly art classes, Friday field trips, and several playdates a week.  In a nutshell – they’re going to rock this homeschooling gig.

Flickr Photo by Mark Brannan

Oh wait, you weren’t all as arrogant and naïve as I was?  Thankfully, it only took a few months for me to be put directly into my place!  Learning has been the key word in this house.  Learning for the kids, and learning for me.  So, what have I learned?

• It became apparent to me early on that my friend’s homeschools looked drastically different than mine. Then a couple months later it finally occurred to me that it was okay.  While we can still sit around and discuss our school days, our curriculum, and even the progress of our children, we can’t compare our days.  That’s the beauty of homeschooling – being able to school the way that fits your family the best!

• Keep it simple, Sally! You could’ve told me this a million times before the beginning of the year.  I still would’ve ignored you.  Oh how, I wish I would’ve listened though.  We’ve slowly weeded out and simplified some of our fluff classes this year.  It just took giving myself permission to keep things a little easier our first year.

• I still do love our detailed schedule. We aren’t slaves to it, but we do try to keep to it most of the day.  My personality type requires some sense of organization and for me organization comes in the form of scheduling.

• Housework?  What housework? My poor house has taken a beating through this homeschooling experience.  I had this grand plan of getting up early and getting things done, but I soon remembered that I really love my sleep.  Then I had other plans to do a lot of the chores during the hour my kids were having their quiet time.  I realized after about a month that in the one hour of quiet each day I’d much rather read or watch T.V. to regain my sanity.  I have grand plans to convince the husband I need a maid, but when that plan surely fails I guess I’ll have to relook at my cleaning schedule!

• We stayed very active outside of the house the first month or so. A neighbor friend of mine would come over daily for an hour of recess.  We worked in art, science classes, and afternoon sports.  We all burnt out completely.  I think for us one of the most wonderful aspects of homeschooling is the ability to be home.  There is nothing better than getting up in the morning and knowing you have absolutely nowhere to be.

• And, what do you know: I actually really love spending time with my children. Having them home each day actually is easier than having them home only in the evenings and weekends.  I don’t dread school breaks or count down the days until my next break.  I don’t go to sleep on Sunday night dreaming of Friday when hubby is off work again.  This was the best lesson I learned.  By having the kids home I’ve been able to enjoy them more.

As you can see, my expectations of how these last few months were going to be turned out to be completely wrong. I’ll gladly meet up with all the experienced homeschooling mommies that counseled me over the summer with my head hung low to hear the words, “I told you so!” I’ll be the first to admit I am as stubborn as can be, and learning the hard way is something I know well.

Now that I’m somewhat experienced, I’m looking forward to our next semester of homeschooling.  Somehow I’m thinking that having just a little bit of knowledge puts me in the area of dangerous – we’ll see!

Devon can be found trying to keep up with a personal blog over at Heart of the Home.

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