Good question! For every season it looks different.
Homeschooling changes as kids grow. Here is how our homeschooling world changed over time:
Elmo
Board books
Play food
Cherrios
Playdough
Magnetic Letters
Wooden Blocks
Storybooks
Crayons
Counting
Safety Scissors
Legos
Chores
Bible Stories
Nature Walks
Library Trips
Addition Flash Cards
Puzzles
Worksheets
Skits
Zoo Visits
First Readers
Blanket forts
Making Mac n Cheese
Museum Visits
Chapter Books
Science Videos
Music Lessons
Glue Sticks
Craft Foam
Crochet hooks
Unit Studies
Typing Games
Missionary Biographies
Scripture Memory
Chapter Books
C.S. Lewis
Rocket Ships
Bible Study
Paints and Paper
Volunteering
Multiplication Tables
Timelines
Science projects
Baseball
Menu Planning
Gardening
Co-Op
Babystiting
Theater
Soccer
On-line Classes
Creative Writing
Mission Trips
Sign Language
Internships
Travel
Algebra
Government Study
College Classes
Graduation
As you can see, Homeschooling has changed over time. I’ve graduated two kids from homeschool and my third is a high school Senior … but with a 1-year-old we’re starting on the same path again.
Elmo
Board books
Play food
Cherrios
Playdough
Magnetic Letters
Wooden Blocks …
You get the picture!
Went I think back over my 17 years of homeschooling joys I don’t think about my favorite curriculum or my to-do lists. I think about my children growing and changing and us enjoying learning together.
My adult kids love to learn, and I think that’s the greatest gift I gave them as a homeschooling mom.
Homeschooling isn’t about what you “do.” It’s about the path of learning to love life … and living a life that loves learning!! If you do that you can succeed as a homeschooling parent!
That’s great advice, Tricia. So many families get bogged down in the academics that they forget about the path of learning to love and love to learn! I hope my children have a love of learning when they are adults, and not just things that they will be expected to know, but those things they are curious about as well.
Thank you, Anne! My kids still LOVE to learn and it’s made a huge difference in their lives!
Tricia I am in my 2nd year of homeschooling, I have a 6 year old daughter and a 13 year old son. They love homeschooling but it is difficult at times. Any good books that you would recommend reading and any suggestions when those not so great days at homeschooling arise?
Thanks Tricia.
God Bless,
Lillian
Great post, Tricia! We have full time homeschooled and now part-time homeschool, which means my kids go to a private school 2 days a week. I was thinking this summer, as I had to yank a book out of my son’s hands, that the one thing I did right–teaching them to love learning and reading–was a good thing. 🙂 What a blessing homeschooling has been to our family.
I appreciate this post Tricia! I am contemplating homeschooling my girls. They are 12 and 8. This would be a new adventure for us. It’s a bit overwhelming to say the least! I am currently in research mode and while choosing cirriculum and fundamentals is important your post has reminded me of the true focus. Thanks so much!
Yes, so right, Tricia! I actually just blogged about this same thing–in the end, I want my children to retain their love of learning. It is a fine balance, knowing when to push and when to pull back a little. The great thing is that we can tailor our childrens education as they grow, emphasizing their strengths and building up their weaknesses.