Homeschooling how and why
Here is our homeschool start
It all started with me thinking it was too unpractical to have creative work in the kitchen, all the things had to be taken back and forth, and I loved the idea of creating a creative room, which then also became a homeschool room. We had fun counting, saying and writing letters, Bible stories, colors, animals, etc.
The dream of homeschooling
Would I be able to homeschool?
But then came the dream of homeschooling, as we got closer to it becoming a reality, I didn’t know how homeschooling would be possible and I didn’t feel qualified for it either, so we found a school we liked and our oldest started there in kindergarten, after some time, I started to feel a sense of unease.
Our third youngest was barely a year old, everyday life as we knew it, free to go on trips etc. became regular drop-off and pick-up times, it turned everyday life upside down for us, and we also think it changed our oldest’s language and manner negatively.
A place i use to take our children for playtime, I had met another lady and her children, who are now our really good friends, they homeschooled, but after hearing that she was a qualified teacher, I thought that I probably wasn’t qualified for it, and that must be why she could homeschool.
Our second oldest was next to start school, my husband and I had a chat and agreed that I should see how the Mom we knew was homeschooling and from there decide if we should try it ourselves.
I was allowed to come visit and see how they homeschooled, I was so excited and surprised, everything that I had gone through and thought so differently about was not really like that at all.
We decided to take our boy out of school about 2 weeks after making the decision to homeschool and so we started. Since our teaching is in English and our children had not learned English yet, it required me to translate from English to Danish, the first year, but it took about 3-4 months to understand the basics for them, children really learn quickly.
Ideas for how to start homeschooling
Before school starts
- Musical instruments
- Modeling wax, possibly homemade.
- Free events or similar.
- Museums
- Annual passes to the zoo, playland or other activities.
- Baking, picnics, cooking, food from nature
- Things from nature.
- Things in the garden, picnic trips
- The library – also sometimes has events
- A farm near you or a bee farm
- Beads
- Puzzles
- Creamy, coloring books, paint, colors, glue, rock.
- What can float and not play
- How do fruits taste, sour or sweet?
- Puppet theater
- Reading books
- Cycling
- A vegetable or a fruit play
- Building blocks
- Games
- Cards with pictures of animals, numbers or letters
- Guess an animal play?
- Magnetic toys that can be used to build shapes.
- Draw on the board
- Working with the Garden
- Masks, Hats, costumes, etc.
School is not only books, its what your hear, see, touch and so on, remember that even your facial expressions are a school to kids, they learn how to read your mood and feelings, they are on a constant journey of learning, tasting and working with their hands.
When you wash clothes, they learn, when you make food, they learn, when you talk to a friend, they learn, when you go in the garden, they learn, when you fix the car, they learn, you are a constant teacher on the move 🙂
We are all homeschooled and learn, everyday fo the rest of our life!
So what is school for you!
What are you teaching and learning?
Starting homeschool should be fun!
A little about our homeschooling beginnings, before we knew it would become a reality
It should be fun to start homeschooling, just having to sit still on a chair for 5 minutes as a 2-year-old can be difficult.
So that you don’t get tired of homeschooling or think it can be hard to get the children started on something, create some routines. Routines at home are incredibly important, it makes happier and easier children, I can feel a big difference in all of us if we don’t set some weekly homeschool routines.
Our homeschool routines are being changed often, because of new borns and kids getting older.
At the beginning there wasn’t much on the program, when the kids were little, but just a little goes a long way, so the children have an idea of what’s going to happen, I myself also feel more encouraged from it, so we don’t feel like we a have Saturday every day and the children get up late.
If it gets to late then the children would rather play or feel unprepared, its seems harder to focus. On the other hand, if they know what’s going to happen, and we follow the homeschool plan then when playtime arrives they simply play better when finished school, its like they have waited for recess to come and cant wait for a good palytime. They seem more creative and balanced.
I also think, that it fills their cup of Parent time, they need the attention and love, which I think is a wonderful blessing by homeschooling.
Homeschool routines
A good weekly schedule
Depending on how old they are when you start, I think I can notice a big difference between my 3 boys when and how long we can do things, children are not the same and how long they can concentrate is and can be very different. You can notice a big difference from when they are 3 years old or 4 years old. And when you can demand a little more from them.
No pressure, we have to have fun, gradually they get more and more understanding of what is going to happen and want to learn, sometimes you also have to show the way forward, you are in homeschool to learn, so you get some good habits, this applies to both how to sit in the chair or to be quiet when told, etc.
You can also make a weekly homeschool plan, for example we had one day a week where we would go on a trip, or to a playroom place, where we meet other families. I only did that with my 3 boys, when we had our 4 th child, I choose to do things differently.
Why should we Homeschool?
The impact we have on our kids, which then also is the world they live in, is greater then you think, you have a gift and opportunity to give them the best you can think off, while creating mini images of what they learn.
I use to think that I had to check out and follow everything the danish schools were teaching, but I was so disagreeing with the curriculum! So I decided to ask God, my greatest teacher; Daddy what do you think we as a family should homeschool?
I was surprised at the answer, cause it soundet so different then what I had imagined a school day would look like.
Teach them my word, that is wisdom! not the visdom of this world, but godly wisdom.
Yes we also have math and other subjects, but our main focus is biblebased reading and writing.
We espeicially love bibleproject for the older kids, we use it everyday. their bible classrooms and videos are a huge blessing!
Being a stay at home Mom and homeschooling should be because you love your children, not because you feel qualified or even have the biggest desire to homeschool. Trust me, there are so many other things that seem more interesting at times. But just not as rewarding!
Some call it a “work-at-home” mom. There are good challenges, here I am trained to be a leader, to be able to organize, my character is put to the test, oh dear patience, love and self-discipline! it is homeschool for Mommy also!
I call it the best bible school ever! I have been through so many ups and downs, and vene though many can see it as a simple task, or even your own children, thinks life is so easy for you, it can feel so self sacrifial.
You also go on a bit of a self-denial trip, where you have to be careful not to hurt yourself or the people around you. What helps me, are the moments I spend time with God, he gives me perspective or a good sermon and my gratitude becomes great for the gift it is to be allowed to be a “work-at-home” Mom.
I can so recommend to get up earlier then the kids, 5:30 to have time with God, pray for the kids and everything else that you think is important for you. That is a total game changer for me, and I wish I had done it sooner.
I also want to say, that I have been so challenged on waking up earlier, with a new born waking up several times at night, but just dont give up, start again later, you got this!
