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While I’ve been homeschooling for a few years, there are a few crazy things that I learned as a homeschooling mama.

Homeschooling takes less time

When I first started homeschooling I thought I would have to homeschool five days a week, all day long.

I was stunned to learn that school at home takes much less time. Of course that makes sense now because I only have two “students” as opposed to a class of twenty-five!

You don’t have to know it all

This was a shocker for me. I thought that parents who homeschool their children should be knowledgeable in multiple subject areas. I now realize that isn’t the case.

In fact, what “brick and mortar” school teacher “knows” everything? We all have strengths and weaknesses. The beauty of homeschooling is that we get the wonderful opportunity to learn with our children. In fact, I find that the BEST learning occurs when my children and I are exploring a subject together.

Learning is everywhere

My former career as an early childhood professional helped me see learning in the everyday things. Being a homeschooling parent taught me that opportunities to learn constantly surround us. There have been countless times when I’ve done a lesson with my children, only to have that lesson echoed in everyday explorations.

For instance, we were recently doing the SQUILT composer study on Mozart, when my daughter asked about what’s inside a piano. Would you believe that in all the years I’ve had a piano in our home, I’ve never popped it open to show my children the inner workings?!

It was one of the best “lessons” ever. They tapped the keys and saw the hammers hitting the strings. It was captivating!

Learning is as unique as the student

I remember when I was working, my employers would encourage the staff to take personality tests. Often these tests would indicate what type of learner you are. Even though I knew there were different learning styles, homeschooling my children taught me how diverse learning can be!

My children’s learning styles are so different! For instance, my oldest daughter learns by reading. She also learns best when she can work in silence. My youngest daughter is almost exactly opposite. She learns by listening (although she never looks attentive while listening). She doodles, plays, and runs around while being taught. It actually used to frustrate me because I thought she wasn’t paying attention. However, she quickly proved that she was absorbing everything she heard… she just couldn’t sit still while learning.

You’re more resourceful than you thought

I was stunned at how things I formerly took for granted suddenly became golden nuggets of learning. The grandfather who’s a gardening guru became our greatest asset when studying plants for science. The cans, paper towel tubes, and egg cartons that previously filled our recycling bags suddenly became artistic creations or the key element needed for an experiment.

As a homeschooler, you become a master of the Google search and you accumulate hundreds of free or inexpensive online homeschool resources. You can literally make something from nothing!

Reflect:

Yes, there are several crazy things you learn from being a homeschooler. Would you add anything to this list?



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Jennifer Bly
Jennifer Bly
Author of My Kitchen, My Classroom: An Introduction to Homeschool and creator of The Deliberate Mom. Jennifer writes about parenting, homeschooling, her faith, and life with her husband and two girls. Jennifer has a Bachelor of Applied Human Service Administration Degree with a specialization in Early Learning in Child Care.

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