Successful Homeschool Mom

Christian Homeschooling Moms

  • Blog
  • A Confident Mom
  • A Motivated Student
  • A Thriving Marriage
  • An Organized Life
  • A Successful Business
You are here: Home / Archives for Blog

November 9, 2020 by: Susan Scott

Is Homeschooling Right for My Family?

Homeschooling is not for everyone. That may sound funny coming from The Successful Homeschool Mom but the reality is I’ve seen too many families get into homeschooling simply because they thought they should rather than coming to a rational, informed choice about what is best for their family and their kids.

Thankfully today there are so many options and varieties of ways to educate a child, you are no longer stuck between the stereotypical mom at home, wearing a dress, making her own bread, sitting with her 9 children all happily engaged in creative projects that mom designed or public school.

Today’s educational environment is like a buffet with something for every family.

But how do I figure it all out?

There are two main components

1 –What is your Why behind home education? Decide for yourself what a good education should look like based on your individual family lifestyle, goals, values and the best interest of each child.

2 – Research all the various options available.

1 What is your why?

If you don’t have a strong “why” behind your decision to take charge of your child’s education rather than leave it up to the public school, you will bail out when things get tough. I’m not being mean, just sharing what I have experienced over and over after 25 years of helping homeschooling families.

Think through what a good education actually means to you. Does a well-educated child:

Have a lot of facts in their head?
Knows how to learn for them self?
Gets straight A’s?
Has experienced as much of the real world as possible?
Is equipped to navigate adulthood, with financial skills, some car repair knowledge, general life skills, and a willingness to be a contributing member of the community?
Attends Ivy League college and gets into a professional, high paying career?

All of those and more are perfectly valid answers. What is most important to your family?

Why is home education the best choice for the needs of your family?

Answer that question, based on the values you hold most dear, and you’ll have a compelling “why” strong enough to keep you going when things get hard (and they will, no matter which option your chose. If you have a compelling reason why you are doing it, you’ll have the motivation you need to work through the hard times)

Perhaps your child is academically gifted and isn’t being challenged in school. There are several classical education based curriculums that are very rigorous. They don’t necessarily follow traditional grade levels so your child could move through the work at their own pace.

Maybe your child is not strong in academics but is very interested in the arts, or computers, or taking apart motors, or building things, or any one of a hundred other options. There are curriculums which teach kids to master the basics in just 4 hours a day, leaving time to pursue other interests.

If your child is a struggling learner and text books are not working for them, I strongly recommend you read the work of Dr. Howard Gardner on the topic of Multiple Intelligences which explains the 8 different ways people can be smart. Only one of those types excels at traditional school work.

Take into consideration your child’s unique “bent” What are their strengths, weaknesses, interests, and potential? Is college the one and only answer? Could they be destined for a hands-on career that doesn’t require a college education? Is advanced academics going to nurture an exceptional mind, or if they are they more of a creative innovator, will “boring” text books crush their innate love of learning?

Homeschooling can be the best answer for any child who is not getting their needs met in the public school. This applies to kids on both ends of the academic spectrum as well as kids with unique physical, mental or emotional needs.

The practical reality is public schools, by their very nature, have to be predominately one-size-fits-all. There is not enough staff, space, or money to craft a customized education that is truly unique for each child. The school system does the best it can with the limited resources they have, but if your child is gifted, or struggling, they are outside of the norm and will likely not get the kinds of opportunities you can provide at home.

However, there are times and seasons when public school can be the right answer.

  • When mom and dad are in deep disagreement about homeschooling
  • When a single parent is working 2 jobs, going to school themselves and has young children who cannot work independently
  • When life has handed you upheaval, chronic illness or trauma and there just isn’t the mental or physical bandwidth left to do much more than get through the day
  • When a child has an exceptional ability or challenge that IS being well served by the school district
  • When the parent is feeling forced to homeschool because someone else says it’s the right thing to do “if you truly care” about your kids. That is emotional manipulation and it will only burn you out and potential damage the relationship with your children.

2 What are the options?

 

Fully online curriculum, online live classes, curriculums that aim to help children learn to self-teach and ones where mom is fully involved in every aspect.

Programs that give you all the books and materials plus daily lesson plans. All mom has to do is open and go.

 100% free online complete programs for all ages and abilities with support groups to help.

Millions of free lesson plans and printable worksheets.

Virtual schools, with tutors so you can pick and choose the subjects that meet your child’s interests while teaching other classes yourself.

Isn’t homeschooling for religious fanatics who want to indoctrinate their children and keep them from the real world?

It’s a fact of life with today’s hyper intrusive media that the only homeschool stories we tend to see in the news are about the very few who abuse, neglect or brainwash their children. Bad news, scandal and outrage sells. Happy stories of success don’t attract attention. Consequently there are a lot of misconceptions about homeschooling.

Just like in the public school, there are parents who treat their child in ways society deems despicable and immoral. The fact that some of those parent hid behind the label of homeschooling doesn’t not mean homeschooling is the problem.

Loving, engaged parents care deeply about their children’s future and will choose the best educational options for that child and for the needs of the family. For some that means public school, for some that means home education, and for others it is a hybrid of both.

To get help customizing an educational path that works for your family, contact me for a free consultation

August 18, 2017 by: Susan Scott

You Can Know God’s Will

Know God's Will

We were “created in Christ for the good works which God prepared ahead of time so that we should walk in them,” Ephesians 2:10. I don’t know about you, but that verse has haunted me for years. What good works? What, exactly, should I be doing? How do I know it’s the right thing? What if I do the wrong thing? It can be absolutely paralyzing to spend your days worried that you are failing God by not doing the good works He has prepared for you. [Read more…]

August 10, 2017 by: Susan Scott

The Ultimate Custom DIY Homeschool Day Planner

How to create a free day planner that perfectly fits your unique needs.

DIY Homeschool planner
There are homeschool day planners everywhere. The choices are overwhelming. They all look so neat and tidy, holding promises of well organized, smoothly flowing days where nothing falls through the cracks. The problem is I always ended up trying to fit our life into someone else’s planner design and it never worked out quite as well as the promises. [Read more…]

July 28, 2017 by: Susan Scott

5 Quick Ways to Boost Your Mood

So, you just got hit by a troll on social media. You had a fight with your spouse. Your kids have been uncooperative all day and your lesson plans are in a shambles. You feel like a total loser who simply can’t handle life. You know you’re in a pit.
You have a choice – stay there or get out. [Read more…]

July 25, 2017 by: Susan Scott

Kids Need to Play

building kids intelligence

Your mother-in-law is pressuring you to prove homeschooling works. Or you see kids in the homeschool co-op who are doing high school level work at 10 years old and feel like your kids are not measuring up. Yet in your heart of hearts, you know: kids need to play and explore. Somehow, all this advanced book learning seems shallow and robot-like. You want to nurture every aspect of your child’s potential but sometimes you feel pressured to prove you’re doing a good job homeschooling by making sure the kids are scoring above grade level on standardized tests.
Trust your instincts, mom. [Read more…]

June 10, 2016 by: Susan Scott

I’m Burnt out with Planning!

homeschool advice

I am burnt out on planning. I find myself having to re-plan all the time. Meals, play dates, lessons, next year’s lessons, activities, chores. You get the picture. I get so overwhelmed by decisions! How do you cope with this or minimize having to keep making new lists, rules, incentives all the time as the kids needs change?

Sara [Read more…]

May 22, 2016 by: Susan Scott

Help for Angry Mommas

how to feel happy again

 

“Take up my yoke upon you and learn of me. I am gentle and humble of heart and you will find rest for your soul.” Matthew 11:29

Yeah, no. There is no way I wanted to be gentle and humble after that phone call.  [Read more…]

May 21, 2016 by: Susan Scott

What is the best homeschool curriculum for 4 year olds?

homeschool adviceI love this question! I love the enthusiasm and devotion of a mom who wants to inspire her child’s love of learning.
The best part is homeschooling kids under the ages of 7-8 is inexpensive, easy, and fun.

Don’t make this common mistake

[Read more…]

May 19, 2016 by: Susan Scott

Personality Type Test

This is a short and simple personality test meant to give you a general idea of your style. One of the pitfalls to personality tests is the tendency to want an absolutely clear, complete picture of ourselves. This is not possible nor necessarily desirable. Who we are at work and how we respond to situations may be very different from how we act at home. [Read more…]

May 18, 2016 by: Susan Scott

9 Parenting Hacks to Raise Cooperative Kids

this post contains affiliate links

You can raise kids who are cooperative, fun, respectful and obedient without fear of turning them into repressed robots.
raisingCooperativeKids

1. Respect them Respect their God-given individuality, their interests, their gifts. They may not be like you. They may not perform the way you want them to. They may not like the things you like. They are not meant to be mini-me’s.

2. Affirm their worth and dignity. They need to know they are valued. Listen to what they have to say, give them your full and undivided attention. Ask questions about what is important to them. This is a sure way to build a stronger, more respectful and cooperative relationship. [Read more…]

Next Page »

Join me!

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

About Susan Scott


Child of God, author, counselor, educator, homeschool mom. Questions everything. Rejoicing in weakness.

Free eBook

Recent Posts

  • Is Homeschooling Right for My Family?
  • You Can Know God’s Will
  • The Ultimate Custom DIY Homeschool Day Planner
  • 5 Quick Ways to Boost Your Mood
  • Kids Need to Play

My Latest Book

Archives

  • November 2020
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015

Tags

advice anxiety best homeschool curriculum Boy Scouts of America delayed academics getting started homeschool advice homeschool curriculum Homeschool Encouragement homeschool parenting help homeschool parenting tips homeschool planning homeschool socialization homeschool tips Learning styles learning to love yourself multiple intelligences self doubt and homeschool self doubt and homeschooling spiritual gifts staying motivated teaching personality types unit studies WAHM homeschooling

© 2023 · Fun Genesis WordPress Theme by, Pretty Darn Cute Design