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Secrets’of’aSuccessful’Homeschool’Mom€¦ ·...
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Secrets of a Successful Homeschool Mom
Great Homeschool Conventions – April 2013 Jamie Martin – SimpleHomeschool.net
Facebook question I asked online: “Anybody out there who has been homeschooling for 10 years or more? I'd be curious to know this: What do you wish someone would have told you before you started that you've had to find out the hard way? What could have made the journey easier if you'd known it from the beginning?” – find all responses (over 100) at http://lvsm.pl/VzPivO The definition of a successful homeschool mom or dad:
-‐ purpose-‐filled -‐ able to sustain long-‐term in this lifestyle, persevering -‐ confident in the One who has called us -‐ one who has nurtured, guarded, and kept our children’s hearts
Secrets of a Successful Homeschool Mom: 1. She realizes that homeschool doesn’t have to mean school at home. * Homeschooling is a lifestyle, not a regimen. Learning doesn’t have to be confined to certain hours or artificial boundaries.
* Sir Ken Robinson -‐ from his bestselling book The Element: "The fact is that given the challenges we face, education doesn't need to be reformed -‐-‐ it needs to be transformed. The key to this transformation is not to standardize education, but to personalize it, to build achievement on discovering the individual talents of each child, to put students in an environment where they want to learn and where they can naturally discover their true passions." 2. It’s not about the curriculum you buy; it’s about the atmosphere you create. * So easy to get consumed by the hunt for the perfect curriculum for our kids. * We’ll feel more relaxed as homeschooling parents when we realize that the atmosphere we create in our homes is just as important as any curriculum we bring into it.
* We want an atmosphere of inspiration. Inspiration demands a response. If we surround our kids with inspiration – in art, in books, in resources, in peace—we create the perfect conditions for learning to happen naturally.
* Follow the spirit, not the curriculum. 3. Discover the blend of educational philosophies that suits your family.
* If we are not doing school at home, what exactly are we doing? Finding out about educational philosophies helps us answer this question.
* Natural to assume that the way we were educated is the way it’s “done.” When you first realize the variety of options, it’s exciting!
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* Some of the philosophies: Charlotte Mason, Classical, Interest-‐led learning, Leadership Education, Montessori, Waldorf, etc. If you subscribe to my blog SimpleHomeschool.net and receive the free ebook based on this talk it has an overview of these in the Appendix so you can begin to make sense of them.
* The one caution I would give: Don’t box yourself in. It is perfectly acceptable to pull from a variety of philosophies. 4. Understand that it’s as much about your education as it is about theirs.
* We are mistaken if we believe that our job is to educate our child. You can force a child to sit somewhere, most traditional classrooms do, but you cannot and never will be able to force a child to learn.
* Charlotte Mason, an educational pioneer from 19th century England, said: "Self-‐education is the only possible education; the rest is mere veneer laid on the surface of a child's nature."
* When we’re able to let go of that false notion, we’ll discover what our job actually is: To create the right atmosphere and to educate ourselves. To make use of our unique passions and talents.
* Sometimes we’re tempted to look negatively at our passions as diligent homeschooling moms—thinking they take us away from our “work.” But what if these are actually gifts from God uniquely distributed to not only fuel us, but to meet the needs of our home? What if they are the inspiration that brings life to it all? This is part of the gift you bring as a guide and mentor to your children.
5. Burnout is inevitable, so plan for it.
* Moms need time away from our children in the same way that office workers need time away from the office—it’s not about not loving our families enough; it’s about the ability to maintain perspective and joy in all we’re doing.
* Some ideas: Quiet rest time when your children outgrow naps, a weekly sitter, a mother’s helper, a family member, or another mom to trade with.
* When we start to feel our burden getting heavier, that’s our signal that we need time away for reflection and for rest. 6. Bad days have purpose, too.
* Create a “bad day” routine -‐ a strategy that enables us to deal with the realities of life: sick kids, weather issues, pregnancies, illness * A typical homeschool morning might include: Breakfast, chores, math, reading, read-‐aloud, and so on. A “bad day” plan might include: Breakfast, tidying up but no chores, read-‐aloud, baking, watching a history documentary. Educational value and allows for stress-‐free learning to happen in the midst of a stressful time.
* Remember that you are the CEO of your home, the manager – listening to your intuition about what is best in any given day or moment is completely valid, and in fact is an essential part of your job.
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7. The most important thing you’ll ever do for the success of your homeschool is to build and nurture relationships.
* Education thrives when relationships are nurtured. * We have so much power as homeschooling parents, to nurture the relationships of those
we love most in ways that will help their learning explode and take off. * William Morris said, “Have nothing in your home that you do not know to be useful or
believe to be beautiful.” What if we extended this concept to our schedules as homeschool moms – it would go like this: “Have nothing in your day that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful?”
* If we measured our time by this standard, maybe there would be some things that wouldn’t measure up—some tasks and activities that would be dropped. Maybe that would leave time for what we need most of all—the nurturing and building of relationships.
Find out more about Jamie and how to download your free copy of Secrets of a Successful Homeschool Mom at simplehomeschool.net/books
Special Offer for Conference Attendees:
Receive 50% off the PDF versions of Jamie’s other books, Mindset for Moms and Steady Days.
Use code “greathomeschool” at checkout. Offer Ends April 30, 2013
simplehomeschool.net/books