Hey, Donna!

When we decided to start this homeschool journey I had a lot of preconceptions. I expected to have to spend hours each day teaching my kindergartner. I prepared myself for the backlash that I would receive from friends and family. I imagined piles of books and curriculum and following a strict schedule.

As time goes by and I continue to prepare for our first year as homeschool parents.  Many wise woman have shared their thoughts, advice and concerns with me.  I’ve taken each comment into consideration.  I appreciate their advice, I hope they continue to share their wisdom with me!  I’ve spent lots of time praying about their concerns.  What I know for certain now is that:

• Every Homeschool family functions differently.
• Every Homeschool Mom has a different style of teaching.
• Homeschooling is not a cookie cutter job.

I’ve been encouraged to avoid curriculum, to focus on reading, hands-on-learning, allowing my kindergartner to have fun and experience education in a non-structured manner. This advice is great!  Unfortunately it is not for me.  I’ve prayed, considered and discussed this with my husband and I know myself pretty well.

I, the teacher, need structure.

The homeschool mom down the street may not need step-by-step instructions. I do. I NEED curriculum so I have boundaries, goals and direction. That is just my personality.  I’m learning that all homeschool families need to do what fits their family best.  As a work at home mom I need to have clear boundaries on my time.  My clients need to know that I’m doing their work.  My family, my #1 priority, needs to know that I’m making time for homeschooling, homemaking, and family time.

Some things that I took into consideration when deciding about a curriculum for this coming year were:

Faith - A faith based curriculum is key.  That is why we are homeschooling, so we can disciple our children and give them a strong foundation.

Family – How will this curriculum fit into our family?  Is it a good fit?  We travel out of state several times a year, is the curriculum easy to transport so we can bring it with us?

Cost – Like most families the cost of the curriculum is a factor for us.  We needed to find a curriculum that we can afford.  We want to have money left over to add in extra curricular activities for our children like music, art or dance lessons.

Prep time – I work from home and it is important to me to be sure that I continue to give my clients excellent assistance.  I don’t want to spend hours each week preparing materials for the upcoming week.  It just won’t work for us right now.  I need a curriculum that I can pull out and jump right in!

Fun –  Especially because this is our first year homeschooling I want it to be a fun year.  I want our daughter to fall in love with learning.  I want to create memories as a family and foster an environment of fun and learning in our home.

Teaching style – Like I mentioned above, I know what I need as a teacher, and that is structure.  I need a program that will give me instructions, deadlines and goals to meet.

Are you considering homeschooling next year?  Are you overwhelmed?  I know the feeling, just remember that although you will receive heaps of advice, you need to make decisions that best fit your family.

Me, I’m a curriculum girl.  I need a little bit of hand-holding, I need accountability.  You?  You  may be an “un-schooler”, you may love the Classical model and spend hours each day teaching.  See, were all different, and that’s the beauty of homeschooling – we have the opportunity to choose what is best for our family!

How did you decide if curriculum is right for you?  Do you follow a more relaxed method of homeschool for your young learners. I would love to hear what influenced your decision!  Share your thoughts in the comments below!  Like I said above I hope my dear homeschooling friends will continue to share their bits of knowledge with me even if I don’t decide to do the same. I love hearing your tips!

Image Credit: Albertogp123

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