Homeschooling Multiple Children

Each season of homeschooling over the past 4 years has brought it’s own challenges(which means things that make me cry or growl or question my sanity).

In the beginning it was wiping out the only idea of school that I brought from my own childhood, and drawing in a new sketch where learning happened all the time and related to every day life.  It was growing in confidence in a decision that was singularly different that anyone in our church or community.  Then it was believing that I cared more than any school teacher could care about my child’s heart, education and spiritual life, and I could know her better than anyone as well.  Even those triumphs over doubt didn’t show me which curriculum would work best, so we keep going by trial and error.  Knowing we were choosing the right path didn’t show me how to homeschool with toddlers and babies and dishes and my own desires.

As we head into the second half of our school year, baby Sparkles is now mobile and responsibilities even more divided, I don’t wonder if I should be homeschooling.  I’m only seeking a few tips to keep us open and fresh, excited and flexible, and to keep the growling and crying to a minimal.

Last night in preparation for a day of planning and prayer, I googled “homeschooling multiple children”. The first post I found was this one.  Instead of being a how-to list of ideas that sound good in a blog post but aren’t actually helpful, it’s a portrait of a morning when nothing went as planned.  I was cracking up! And I think I needed that, because I really need the gift of being able to laugh every day, more than I need ideas that worked for one family but won’t fit mine.

However, if I come up with any good tips I’ll surely pass them along for what they’re worth.  Tip #1: Laugh instead of cry, start with this link.