Homeschooling with Dr. B

As a homeschooling teacher, it is important to unlearn the idea that learning should always be fun! Learning can be painful because it takes us out of our comfort zone. So we really need to teach our kids to embrace both the discomfort and excitement of learning. And as challenging as it is, we need to prepare our kids to pivot on a dime, to be able to change directions. The key here is to teach our kiddos to become lifetime learners.

Are educational standards good or bad? We know from countless studies that they are often not met successfully in conventional educational settings. Should we have standards in our homeschool room? I believe that homeschooling families should set standards for themselves. Ultimately, all that matters is that we prepare them for their future.

One of the biggest challenges for homeschoolers is that we often want to start with a big vision of what homeschooling will be. But in reality, we shouldn't expect our vision to materialize instantly. You have to give both yourself and your children time to adjust. I have found that the slower we start, the better our year will be! So we take our time to settle into a routine. It set's us up for success!

As a homeschooling family, we firmly believe that practice makes perfect. While understanding a new skill is important, we have to practice to retain to keep all of our skills current. Practice is essential to the learning process because it can turn a skill into a habit. A good habit can prepare our kids to face any challenge. I really want to help my kids be the best version of themselves and to do that, I have to teach skills that will make their lives easier now and in the future.

I recently read that the more we rescue our children, the more we make them feel helpless because they never learn from their failures by developing problem-solving skills. Our children should not fear failure because it teaches them what they're good at, not good at, and gives them ownership over their actions in their future. So don't be afraid to give your kiddo a bad grade if they earned it. But talk to them about how to improve it. Through this process, they will not only learn academically but also develop problem-solving skills.

Testing is supposed to serve as a metric for learning to show us where the student is and where they need to be. However, the emphasis should be on learning, not teaching to a test. I never taught to the test and have kept testing to a minimum but have my children do formal year-end-testing. My kids test very well, year after year, typically above grade level. Ultimately the choice is yours and should be based on your family's goals!

Our family made the commitment to homeschool, and we made it work. How can you make it work for your family? First, don't obsess. If you want to homeschool, just do it. Don't waste your time doubting yourself. Second, be disciplined and focus on your homeschool choice. Other people don't get to criticize you. Third, encourage perseverance and turn your obstacles into opportunities. Lastly, you have to give it your best shot!

One of the biggest challenges, when we're teaching our kiddos, is motivating them. As homeschooling families, we can choose the approach in which to teach our children. When we focus on their strengths rather than on their weaknesses, our homeschoolers feel more confident and have an easier time meeting their educational challenges. When we believe in them, they believe in themselves, and they can truly do anything.

A lot of moms struggle with organization, but it has never been a problem for me. During my high school years, I learned to organize myself and find it's key to staying on top of a homeschool mom's busy schedule. Additionally, as full-time moms, teachers, principals, janitors, wives, chauffeurs, we have a lot of stuff going on, we feel guilty about taking time off for ourselves. But it's also essential to recharge, embrace the chaos to find a way to stay on top of things.

For most homeschooling parents, being a parent and a teacher is a real challenge. People say, "You're always a parent when you're homeschooling." While there's no question about this, we also have to remember that just because you're a mom, doesn't mean that your kids get whatever they want. As parents, it's our responsibility to set boundaries for our children. Boundaries that will help keep us on track of our expectations that would, in turn, help them set up their goals and meet those goals.