My homeschool vision has changed so much since I first began six years ago. When I first started homeschooling my oldest son, it was all about academics and how much I could get him to learn in a year. It quickly became apparent that both of us were worn down by this idea. I felt like a failure if my homeschool didn’t look like the public school.
Since then, my vision has evolved. I’ve become more laid back in the actual academics part of homeschooling and let learning happen naturally through curiosity and books. We do some formal learning for math and language arts, but most of our learning happens while life happens.
Having a homeschool vision can be very helpful. It doesn’t have to be complicated or sound like a public school. Our vision for our homeschool is simple: make learning delightful and fun. I want my children to have a love for learning. Sure there will be days that they complain or we all feel a little grumpy. But, I want them to look back on their education and have fond memories of learning about things they really love.
Your homeschool vision can change and evolve as you learn how your children like to learn. For instance, some people have children who are very focused on academics. They thrive on completing workbooks and curriculum. That’s okay. That works for their family. Some people may have children who do not do well with written work and do better with manipulatives and hands-on activities.
Think about what you want your homeschool to look like. Then, think about your children and how they learn best. If they don’t match up then adjust your vision and help your children to learn in a way that they will thrive and have a lifelong love for learning. I never want to stop learning. As an adult, I have enjoyed homeschooling my children because I have learned a ton as well. Some stuff I already knew but forgot. Some stuff I never knew.
Lastly, give yourself and your homeschool lots of grace. I need to remind myself of this daily. I mess up. My kids mess up. A curriculum or book turns out to be the opposite of what we thought. We adjust and move on. I don’t switch curriculum books in the middle of a semester. We push through and I try to find out what about that particular book doesn’t work and we look for something new. I don’t buy expensive stuff so we can afford to purchase a new $25 math book if something is an absolute disaster. I keep it simple and it has worked so far.
So, think about what you want your homeschool vision to be and adjust according to your children and their learning capabilities. Don’t forget to have fun and not stress out about what they will learn. They will learn much more than any public school student (not putting them down, just referencing my own public school education). You have 24 hours every day to learn and create and educate. Do it with a vision that gives you what you need to teach your children every day.
