How-to start homeschooling is the #1 question all new homeschool mamas have.
Some spend months researching and learning everything they can (ME).
Others jump right in head first living by the mantra sink or swim.
No matter which type of mama you are everyone has made one of these mistakes at least once.
Or even if you have been homeschooling for years you can still find yourself making these 3 common mistakes.
But they can be easily fixed and you will learn how today.
Mistake #1: Not Being Willing to Change
Unwillingness to change is a mistake we all have made and still struggle with when we think we have it all figured out.
When you try something and it does not work, try again. Feel free to try a few more times.
If you try…I mean TRULY try…and you are not finding any type of success or significant progress to reflect your efforts it may be time to make a change.
If you were trying to use textbooks and workbooks as the main source of teaching for your student and they were an audio learner you wouldn’t be making an impact. No matter what textbook you purchased or which reading strategies you tried to use it wouldn’t make a significant difference.
You may get small changes, but you might actually think they were struggling to grasp reading comprehension.
What really needs to happen is you need to change your approach. It doesn’t always mean abandoning everything you have tried so far, just tweaking it.
Try adding several learning styles to your curriculum delivery instead of just one.
And yes if it comes to it scrap something entirely if it isn’t working.
If you bought a $1,500 all-in-one curriculum bundle of textbooks, books, and other material and your student is hating every moment of it even when you have tried to make some changes.
Sorry to tell you mama you may have to move on.
The biggest key to homeschool success is you and your children being happy. Yes, they need to learn. However, you have to learn too and unhappy students aren’t going to succeed the way a positive and encouraged student will.
The FIX:
Take a step back from the current issue or difficulty you are trying to get past it.
Think about if you really tried to make adjustments to solve the issue.
Be honest with yourself during this time. If you answer yes you have really tried to fix it…make a real change.
That change can be scrapping a curriculum, changing themes midweek, or even major homeschool changes beyond that.
Mistake #2: Comparing Your Homeschool Journey to Others
No matter how much people want to admit it we compare ourselves to others all the time. From the houses we live in, the cars we job, or even how beautiful we are.
We may like to say that as adults we do not succumb to ‘peer pressure’ but we all still have that desire to fit in and be with the crowd. We usually just handle it a little better or more responsibly.
And while that is just human nature you cannot allow that to happen when you homeschool.
Just like personalities and growth our journey is not the same as anyone else’s. How your homeschool prospers and even when it struggles shouldn’t match up next to anyone.
There is no GOLDEN FORMULA that you can plug in and drive your homeschool on cruise control.
Realistically, you will have to try different things and see what works. You may start with something and it works incredibly. That’s awesome!
But you may also try something and it never works even if you tried with all your might. Your favorite blogger may have recommended some product that has worked wonders in their homeschool and your student is just not taking to it.
It happens.
All you can do is be willing to learn what works for your family and apply that knowledge to the best solution.
Struggling to understand how your student learns or even what your teaching style is “The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling for Beginners Full Edition” PDF guide is exactly what you need to fix that.
Not only does it breakdown the teaching styles and learning styles, but you also receive several resources that will have your homeschool thriving including access to my Arctic Unit Study.
Knowing your teaching style or your child’s learning style helps you make better decisions toward their learning that will prevent you from trying to copy and paste another mamas homeschool.
THE FIX:
Since there is no one set solution for anyone realizing that your homeschool journey is different than someone else’s is the most critical trait you have to master as a homeschooler.
Once you understand that your biggest challenge is educating yourself on ways to improve your own homeschool.
You need to experience a little trial and error. Make a few mistakes and then correct them.
And ultimately knowing that you can share your struggles and your successes with others and not have to compare their stories to yours.
Mistake #3: Trying to Make Homeschool- ‘Public School At Home’
This mistake is all too common because most people see homeschool as portrayed on television like a small, personal classroom setting or relate teaching to what is generally the traditional style.
Traditionally, a student’s day is broken down into several subjects within a block schedule of 45-60 minute intervals with a break for lunch and maybe recess. With homework throughout the week to reiterate what has been learned.
Real-life at home doesn’t work that way and many students do not learn that way.
Realistically by the time you get into a subject it is now time to move on or go to the next class.
Most children can do ok in this environment, but a lot of learning and teaching is done separately outside of the classroom.
In class they teach the “lesson” and give the assignment to go over the concept again, then it is up to the child to now go over homework and keep repeating the processes to show their skill set on a test.
This can work for some children immediately and some children can thrive in this setting as time progresses.
Trying to force 5-7 subjects into a day over a six to eight hour day will lead to burnout, fatigue, and unfortunately frustration (usually resulting in the end of the homeschool journey).
THE FIX:
Stepping away from the traditional school methods allows you the freedom to not always fit every subject into a day.
One day you can do crafts, math, and history. Another day music, reading, and science.
It can still be even more broken down than that and even add in other things like a language or fine motor activities.
The biggest advantage of a structural change is that you can actually take time to work on what your student enjoys or areas where they may be struggling.
Learning gets to be more hands-on and tailored to your child.
You can still teach everything they need to learn without having long days sitting at a desk or a table alternating between subject after subject without diving into its substance.
Ideally:
You know you want to start homeschooling. You have done some research. You may have even bought a curriculum set.
You get started homeschooling and aren’t getting the results you wanted. I can tell you now 85% of the time it is because of one of the reasons listed above.
You read about someone getting started and how great it was and you didn’t realize the work it takes. Or you got started the wrong way, but you think that is how it has to be so you won’t make adjustments.
These 3 common mistakes are easily fixed if you are willing to take the action steps to achieve better results for your homeschool.
You can do this.
Want to Learn How to Create Lesson Plans in Under 3 Hours? Join my Hack Your Homeschool Curriculum Challenge!
This challenge is all about making lesson planning easy and FUN, right at your own pace over 3 days learn my strategy for creating lessons plans and create your own by the end of the challenge.
More Amazing Resources Are Here:
10 Essential Tools Every Homeschool Mom Needs: Looking to save some money? Take advantage of these discounts that help with everyday supplies and make sure you are practicing these 7 strategies to maximize your savings.
Homeschool Discounts Every Homeschooler Must Know: Who doesn’t like to save money? Homeschooling can get expensive take advantage of the specials, discounts, and everything else eligible to you as a homeschooler.
Last Updated on November 3, 2024 by Kierra