Tips for New Homeschoolers

There are many reasons why parents homeschool their children. They include dissatisfaction with local schools, safety, and the desire to cultivate their children’s talents. For Catholic parents, giving their children a faith-based education counts among the top motivations.

If you’re considering homeschooling your children, here are a few tips to get you started.

Make sure you’re up to the task.
Homeschooling is a beautiful vocation, but it’s a LOT of work! Don’t be deceived by those idyllic photos of a mom and her kids cuddled up on the couch with a book. Homeschooling presents many challenges, with disciplining children, fatigue, and tackling challenging subjects among them.

Do research to understand what you’ll be up against before committing to homeschooling.

It’s okay to hire tutors.
Some parents want to be the sole teachers of their children and that’s fine. But this desire doesn’t always go to plan. It’s perfectly fine to hire tutors for certain subjects. Maybe you’re a pro at literature, but horrible at math. Bringing in a tutor will be beneficial for you and your children.

Of course, hiring a tutor costs money. Thankfully, there are many self-guided resources available to homeschoolers, in all subjects.

Learn to accept the messiness of homeschooling.
By mess, we not only mean school supplies strewn around, but also the differences between your children. They won’t all progress at the same rate and they may have different learning styles. Homeschooling is a great way to think outside the box and find creative ways to meet your children’s educational needs in ways public schools couldn’t.

If you find that a traditional textbook isn’t working for one of your children, find fun hands-on projects, audiobooks, or games instead. Don’t limit yourself to a traditional learning mentality.

Your ultimate goal is to get your kids to heaven.
Make sure your children learn the skills they need to pursue their future careers or vocations, but never lose sight of the most important thing: how to get to heaven. Be sure to incorporate religious study and prayer time into your daily schedule.

At your final judgment, God’s not going to ask about your child’s SAT score or how many algebra problems they could solve. He’ll want to know whether you shared His message of love and salvation and taught them to develop a relationship with their heavenly Father.