“I’m not Smart Enough to Homeschool My Child!”
Well…..maybe I haven’t heard these EXACT words come out of a parent’s mouth, but I have heard others like:
—”I was never good at math!”
—”I didn’t like to read either.”
—”I am NOT a teacher.”
Have you ever felt this way or talked to someone who felt this way?
I would encourage any parent in this scenario to look a little deeper into homeschooling and maybe even “try it on” for a while.
It might be a semester or even a summer that you give homeschooling a shot. However it goes during your trial, just know that it will evolve as you gather more resources and experience.
I’m here to let you know that if in any subject you feel inadequate (likely because of some subpar education experience you endured), you can easily remedy that in homeschooling.
Homeschooling resources are in ABUNDANCE!
Some of my friends use the same curriculum for math that my family uses, but many don’t. If they do use the same curriculum for math, they usually are using something different in one of the other subjects. There are so many options to choose from! Seriously, you would not believe it. You don’t have to order all your subjects’ curriculum from the same company. You can mix and match.
When shopping, I recommend that you watch some reviews online to see if it’s a good fit for you (Youtube and its competitors are a good place to start). And remember, you can ALWAYS change it out if it isn’t working. Usually, you can resell it as well!
Homeschool curriculum is set up to handhold parents in the teaching process.
Some homeschool materials come with a script for the parent to read, videos for the child (or parent) to watch, and even online platforms. In this way, a family has the ability to rewatch a lesson. Can you do that in public school? Of course not! You usually are playing detective to figure out what was taught and how it was taught.
To sum up, homeschool resources were written for parents—not “trained teachers.” Therefore, you needn’t worry about heavy educational jargon or popular educational buzzwords of the day.
Consider that you might TEACH YOURSELF as you teach your child!
That’s right! You’re an adult now. You learn all the time on your own—whether you watch a youtube video to see how to work on your kitchen sink or clothes dryer or whether you do research online when your child is ill and you’re trying to figure out home remedies.
It is completely possible (and often happens) that you will learn those concepts that you didn’t learn in school. This is a second chance to bring up your confidence in those areas. How frustrating when you feel like you cannot help your own child! It doesn’t have to be that way.
Enlist the help of others.
I’ve known parents to get help for their very young child if the parent was nervous about teaching the basics. Sometimes, it was just a parent meeting with me for a few tutoring sessions until they got their questions answered and “found their groove.”
For many parents, however, they will seek help for upper middle school and high school subjects. That might be a tutor or even a small group class taught by another homeschooling parent—-usually one who has had field experience and training in that particular subject area!
Don’t assume that every teacher your child will have in school will know or do better than you.
Getting a “good” teacher for your child can be like playing the lottery. There is no real strategy. Most people do not get to pick their child’s teachers nor do they usually know them on a personal level. Sometimes you get a teacher unfamiliar with the grade level material he/she is teaching. Sometimes you get a burnout teacher who refuses to go the extra mile to help your child. It happens. I’m not trying to disrespect honorable hard-working teachers out there when I say that. It’s just a fact of life as it is with any other profession. Not all doctors do a wonderful job. Not all plumbers do a wonderful job. You get the idea.
Be realistic and understand that you have a vested interest (more than anyone else) in your child truly learning—not just passing for a year. You will do whatever you can to help your child—even if it means backing up and reteaching things that are from a previous grade level. Teachers often are not given the time and freedom to do that as they used to back in the day. The pressure of standardized testing is immense!
You CAN homeschool. You might not homeschool like your friend at church, the gal on Youtube, or quite like you imagined it. But, you CAN prepare your child for life, which is what homeschooling is all about.
Check out my Survival Guide for the New Homeschool Family!
If you are needing assistance in teaching your child reading, be sure to check out the materials on The Parent Teacher Bridge store!
Don’t forget to find more material on The Parent Teacher Bridge YouTube channel!