Relax Mom! You got this! I received some priceless advice when I began homeschooling my now 18-year-old when she was five. If you are new to the homeschooling world or a seasoned veteran, I hope you find this sage advice helpful!
- Don’t buy an expensive curriculum for a kindergartener or a 1st grader. There will be plenty of time later to drop copious amounts of money on curriculum. Trust me. Eventually, you will dread hitting the “Buy” button on the shopping cart. Enjoy these inexpensive days now. For much of preschool and kindergarten, cheap workbooks for the basics are more than enough. Or skip the workbooks and create your own methods for those early learning topics. All of humanity until the last sixty years was well educated without the fancy, latest curriculum.
- Social Studies, geography, science, health and art can be so fun at this age! Do not stress over following a certain curriculum. When my children were this age and they were interested in a topic, we studied it! Lapbooks can be a relaxed way to study electives. My oldest was very interested in sharks so we learned all we could about sharks. Because I encouraged them to pursue their interests, when she was in high school she became very fascinated with John F. Kennedy. She dove into what life was like during the Kennedy Administration. I was so glad I had been less structured in those early years to encourage this passion for learning.
- Do not stress and do not do a lot of work for topics they will barely remember five years later. We did an in-depth unit study on Russia when my oldest two were 7 and 9. Five years later they remembered very little about it. Keep it simple! This is a marathon and not a sprint.
- Use lots of repetition for learning. Think back to what you remember from elementary school. We can all spout off the ABC song pretty easily because it was repeated to us so often and it was catchy. That is how the youngest learners retain information. Use catchy songs or action in some way to help them remember that foundational information. My oldest had some learning struggles but she memorized the presidents and could spout them off in less than eleven seconds because of repetition.
- If your child struggles with learning, adapt and adapt and adapt some more. Seek resources and try what you think will fit your budget and time. Don’t be afraid to find what works for them even if it is outside the norm. Help them where they are weak, but capitalize on their strengths. We have tried many different methods for learning struggles but have found supplementation using saffron extract to be our most reliable. Amare Global offers a kid-friendly formula that is effective for supporting focus and execution.
Keep it light and do not take yourself too seriously. Endurance in the homeschool world requires a different mindset. It is very difficult but so worth it!
Kathy Davis is a mom of four who began her homeschool journey in 2006 when her oldest started pre-school. In May 2021, she graduated her oldest. She is passionate about helping moms stay the homeschooling course while not losing themselves in the process. She mentors burn-out moms and helps them not only survive but thrive!
In April 2020, she launched kathyjilldavis.com and started working with Amare Global to offer practical support, solutions, and community for moms who don’t want to lose their dreams and passions during motherhood. Feel free to email her HERE. To try Kid’s Mood by Amare Global for a discounted price CLICK HERE. Kid’s Mood is an all-natural supplement the provides significant benefits for mood, stress resilience, cognitive performance, calmness, focus and positivity in both kids and adults. It contains a premium saffron extract in a kid-friendly form.
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