We've Decided To Learn At Home: Breaking The News To Your Children

If I had to break the news to my kids that they were being taken out of public school to be taught at home, I would take them to a neat museum and tell them that we were going to learn in more creative and fun ways this coming year.  We spend some our school days at the library... some of them outside...some of them at the kitchen table...some of them in the church fellowship hall... and some of them just at the computer soaking in as many cool facts as we can.  The sky is the limit.  My mind thrives on creating new and exciting ways to learn.  It has become a way of life.  In fact "life" is the greatest teacher's aid available to us.

I would make it a celebration.  If you have read my story you know how hard it can be on a child, especially a teenager to leave their normal routine each day in order to “stay home and learn from mom”.  It’s important to understand what thoughts are going through your child’s mind. Every child is different.  If you have multiple children...each child's response will be different.  It’s also important to know that your child is probably not telling you “everything”.  Quality time during this transition should be your main priority, above planning and decision making.

While making the transition don’t get caught up in your own “new adventure” as a new teacher.  Be sure to focus on your child.  The scheduling and to do lists can wait.  After all, this IS all about your child and his/her learning success.  You will probably find that younger children will welcome the idea of learning at home with mom a lot quicker than your teenage son/daughter.  It will probably be a struggle to get your teenager to a place of peace with the idea.  On the other hand, they may be eager to leave school and start something new.  This is where prayer is powerful.  Know that in the beginning it can be overwhelming to get into a routine and find your niche in the teacher role to your children.  But time will make it the best decision you’ve ever made and the highlight of your life.

I remember, as a Junior High Student, feeling like I had lost everything when my mom told me I wasn’t going back to school.  It seems dramatic, but if you think about it...Your child wakes up at the break of dawn to get on the bus or hop in the car and spends the entire day in a certain environment with people they have known since Pre-K.  The unknown is scary to both you and your child.  But if you assure your child that you are willing to make this as smooth as possible in order for them to be successful and have fun in the process, it will help.  Tell them that there is no certain way to homeschool and you want to make it as fun as possible.  If he/she has friends that you are also really fond of, then let them know that you will do what you can to make sure that they still get together with their friends.  This all smooths out over time.  

The first year of homeschooling is no walk in the park for any age child.  It’s much like the first year of marriage.  You don’t really know what you are getting into until your living with that person that you thought you knew everything about.  So there will be some surprises along the way, but just like a marriage, in time, it is the most beautiful picture of love, and there is a bond that only gets stronger over the years.

Celebrate your/their accomplishments.  Tell your child that after the first week of learning at home you will make a cake and throw a party to celebrate your new life as a homeschool mom and their new life as an at home learner.  In public school, it is important to celebrate the accomplishments of students.  Point systems for reading books celebrate reading and encourage the child to keep reading.  You will find that these incentives are good for your child in your home school as well.  Its very important to celebrate everything. You can reward your children in so many creative ways.  Again, there are no limits!