New Homeschooler Jitters

The first year of homeschooling is such an adventure!  It’s hard to balance school stuff that matters (like reading, writing, and math) against the school stuff that simply isn’t necessary when you are homeschooling (desks, tests, and watching the clock.)

Even if you know you are supposed to be homeschooling, it can still be pretty intimidating.  If you need a boost of encouragement, watch my video on “How do you know you can homeschool high school?”

First of all, feeling insecure and afraid is how moms have been feeling through all the ages, particularly when starting a new stage – ANY new stage.  I’m guessing that is how you felt when you brought home your newborn, right?  However, there are some curriculum choices that can make you feel MORE inadequate and scared than necessary.  Curriculum that is originally intended for a school setting will assume that the teacher knows the material.  Curriculum originally intended for a homeschool will assume that the parent knows nothing about the subject.  You are more likely to feel inadequate when you use curriculum intended for a school setting.  Here is my article about other ideas for choosing curriculum:
10 No-Fail Strategies for Choosing High School Curriculum.

When you are in a school, everything is separated by age groups.  When you are homeschooling, you can recognized that grade levels don’t matter, it’s the LEARNING that matters.  You may be able to group the kids together in many or most of their subjects.  As long as they are learning, then that’s the thing that matters.  You can use a curriculum that is intended for multiple ages, like Sonlight or Tapestry of Grace, etc.  Or you can just use a regular curriculum each one of them has not yet been exposed to.  So for example, they may all do chemistry this year together.  I did all of our schoolwork together, except for math, all the way through high school, even though my children are over two years apart.

What curriculum you decide on doesn’t really matter, because it’s more about the fit between your curriculum and your children.  You just want to choose a curriculum that is a good fit for you.  On the other hand, if it is NOT a good fit for you, then it’s best to make a curriculum change.  That’s the benefit of homeschooling – you can change when things aren’t working.

There are a million ways to save money when homeschooling.  On the other hand, I think a first year homeschoolers would do best by investing in their ability to succeed.  That’s why I often suggest Sonlight for beginners.  It’s a little bit more expensive, but it can really help your first, most critical year, be successful.

I have a lot of homeschooling beginners on my Gold Care Club.  They call me every week and talk for 20 minutes as part of their membership, and it can really help to get rid of those nagging worries, and feel confident.  Here is more information if you are interested.

Learn how to save money homeschooling with my free Special Report: “7 Secrets to Homeschooling Through a Financial Storm.”