Latest / 5–Minute Parenting: Tips to Help You Raise Competent, Godly Kids. / Tips to Help You Succeed in Your Homeschooling Journey

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Tips to Help You Succeed in Your Homeschooling Journey · 5–Minute Parenting: Tips to Help You Raise Competent, Godly Kids.

• 0:34
  SPEAKER_01: Welcome to another episode of Five Minute Parenting.
• 0:38
  SPEAKER_01: Today we have a special guest on our podcast.
• 0:41
  SPEAKER_01: Chris Cox is a veteran homeschool mom with a Bachelor of Science in Social Work and 17 plus years of experience in home educating their four children.
• 0:53
  SPEAKER_01: She also has 10 years' experience as a homeschool consultant, blogger, writer, and speaker.
• 1:00
  SPEAKER_01: And Chris has a passion for helping parents succeed in this incredible journey called homeschooling.
• 1:07
  SPEAKER_01: So we welcome Chris.
• 1:08
  SPEAKER_01: This is her part two session.
• 1:11
  SPEAKER_01: If you missed last week's session, where she introduces the benefits of homeschooling, I suggest you go back and listen to those.
• 1:19
  SPEAKER_01: So today she's going to talk about tips for helping you succeed in your homeschool journey.
• 1:26
  SPEAKER_01: So welcome, Chris.
• 1:27
  SPEAKER_01: Glad to have you again.
• 1:29
  SPEAKER_00: Hi, Sandra.
• 1:30
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you.
• 1:30
  SPEAKER_00: It's a pleasure to be with you again.
• 1:32
  SPEAKER_00: I'm excited to be able to share some tips about homeschooling.
• 1:35
  SPEAKER_00: When I first started, I thought that I was supposed to just imitate what the public school did, but do it in my home.
• 1:41
  SPEAKER_00: And I found myself becoming very overwhelmed and discouraged.
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_00: And so I have put together some things that I learned in my first few years and throughout the years of homeschooling that really made a difference because as a family, we're not the same as a big classroom with uh 20 some kids or more.
• 2:01
  SPEAKER_00: And so we do things differently as homeschoolers.
• 2:04
  SPEAKER_00: And one of the biggest things that I learned was that we shouldn't imitate the public school.
• 2:09
  SPEAKER_00: I shouldn't say that's one of the biggest things, but one of the that was a big thing that I learned the first year.
• 2:13
  SPEAKER_00: I got I got very burned out and even sick with mono.
• 2:17
  SPEAKER_00: So I I had little ones in my home as well as a toddler, I mean a preschooler and a first grader.
• 2:24
  SPEAKER_00: So I had two other kids that were uh three and one.
• 2:27
  SPEAKER_00: You were busy.
• 2:29
  SPEAKER_00: So it was busy, and I realized that it was way too much to try to do school like the public school did.
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_00: So we one of the big things that I found was important to remember is that discipleship is really what we need to make our first priority, really teaching our kids about the Lord and helping them grow in their faith and developing godly character with them and just buying faith-based curriculum that would help us do that as well.
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_01: And there's so much good curriculum outright out there right now.
• 2:59
  SPEAKER_01: It's amazing.
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, I agree.
• 3:01
  SPEAKER_00: And so if you make this your first priority, you'll find that a lot of other things fall into place.
• 3:07
  SPEAKER_00: And that, I believe, like starting your day with a Bible study or just a short devotional, whatever you want to make the time for, however old your kids are and what they can, you know, handle as far as time.
• 3:18
  SPEAKER_00: But and then in prayer and just seeking the Lord together as a family and then incorporating your faith throughout the day in the studies that you do and curriculum that you have is really a great way to make things succeed a lot more because God is involved and and that's really the uh important.
• 3:36
  SPEAKER_00: I yeah, that's really key.
• 3:38
  SPEAKER_01: And it's such a better opportunity to do that if you have your children there instead of what eight hours or seven hours in the public school.
• 3:48
  SPEAKER_00: Right, I agree.
• 3:50
  SPEAKER_00: And another thing, as I said, not imitating the public school, but rather making homeschooling more than just an educational method.
• 3:57
  SPEAKER_00: It's like making it more of a lifestyle of learning is really important as well, where you're just enjoying learning together throughout the day.
• 4:05
  SPEAKER_00: And certainly you'll have some concentrated school time that you're intentionally teaching your kids reading and writing and math and science and history and so on, but just enjoying learning together.
• 4:17
  SPEAKER_00: There's so many learning opportunities that we have as parents.
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_00: And as we just watch for them, I mean, our our vacations can become extended field trips and we can buy Christmas presents that are a little bit educational as well, you know.
• 4:31
  SPEAKER_00: So we just enjoy learning throughout the day and even into the evening.
• 4:35
  SPEAKER_00: And um, and I think that just takes some of the stress off as well.
• 4:41
  SPEAKER_00: I think it also helps to instill a love for learning in our children as we just live live life and learn together.
• 4:49
  SPEAKER_00: And we are if we're excited about learning, our kids will catch that and be excited as well.
• 4:55
  SPEAKER_00: And um, so not just sitting, filling in textbooks or reading or reading textbooks or filling in workbooks, but taking time to go on nature walks and um do go on field trips and play board games that are educational or even just board games that teach strategy and um playing uh um games and like I said, or singing songs for memory work and all kinds of things like that.
• 5:23
  SPEAKER_00: There's so many different options besides just sitting and filling in workbooks.
• 5:28
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and you can really zero in.
• 5:30
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, kids can, you know, they can develop their own interests, they can pick subjects that they're really interested in, and and you kind of learn what they're, you know, I think you've said before their learning style, and you can adjust teaching to that, and they can get excited about learning because they can pick some things and ways that they can learn the best.
• 5:51
  SPEAKER_01: So that's real exciting.
• 5:53
  SPEAKER_00: It is.
• 5:53
  SPEAKER_00: In fact, there's something called delight-directed learning that's such a great thing to incorporate in your homeschool days.
• 5:59
  SPEAKER_00: This is basically just means you look for what your child delights in and or is interested in, really interested in, and let them learn about that, providing the resources to do so and that builds a love for learning in your children too.
• 6:13
  SPEAKER_00: And and as they become teenagers, this can even lead to a career for them because they they just really can dig in deep and learn more about that topic.
• 6:23
  SPEAKER_00: And I've seen a lot of homeschool kids go into careers that they just enjoyed learning about in their high school years and even in the younger years, the delight-directed learning opportunities that they had.
• 6:38
  SPEAKER_00: So yeah, I think I love that homeschooling can really develop a love for learning.
• 6:43
  SPEAKER_00: And one of my boys, I I wanted my kids to be lifelong learners, and one of my boys said uh he as an adult he went to the library sometimes and he would just speed read through books on topics he was interested in.
• 6:56
  SPEAKER_00: And I said, Really, you do that?
• 6:57
  SPEAKER_00: And he said, Well, you told me you wanted me to be a lifelong learner, and I am.
• 7:02
  SPEAKER_00: So I thought that was fun.
• 7:05
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_00: Another thing I think that's really uh important for developing um lifelong learners is to work together as a team in educating your children as they see mom and dad valuing education, uh, they're gonna want to learn more as well.
• 7:22
  SPEAKER_00: Boys need their dads to be excited about learning too.
• 7:26
  SPEAKER_00: And it's really too big a job to do all by yourself, honestly.
• 7:30
  SPEAKER_00: So there's a lot of ways you can work together as a team.
• 7:34
  SPEAKER_00: Um, maybe dad will help teach a class in a topic that he's super interested in on the weekend or in the on an evening or whenever he's off work.
• 7:43
  SPEAKER_00: And um, there's just ways to incorporate, I mean, having you work together, there's strengths and weaknesses in both mom and dad.
• 7:51
  SPEAKER_00: And so it you can build on work together and and really build a quality education for your kids if you work together as a team.
• 8:01
  SPEAKER_01: That's that's so great.
• 8:02
  SPEAKER_01: I remember the year I homeschooled my daughter.
• 8:05
  SPEAKER_01: My husband's schedule was pretty flexible because he worked from home.
• 8:10
  SPEAKER_01: So it was so much fun.
• 8:11
  SPEAKER_01: We took a lot of historical uh field trips, and you know, she, you know, my daughter just learned so much and we enjoyed being together as a family, and then she could write an essay about what she learned, or she could do other things.
• 8:27
  SPEAKER_01: So just that part of being a family together, yes, learning was really, really special.
• 8:35
  SPEAKER_00: It really does develop lifelong relationships with your kids too.
• 8:39
  SPEAKER_00: My kids still enjoy getting together and um, in fact, instigate it and get together on their own without us.
• 8:45
  SPEAKER_00: My husband and my there sometimes too.
• 8:47
  SPEAKER_00: They just are good friends, which I love.
• 8:50
  SPEAKER_00: And um, yeah, I think the stress of trying to teach all by yourself is difficult.
• 8:55
  SPEAKER_00: So if if there are any single parents out there listening, I would encourage you to find a support person that can come alongside you, whether it's one of your parents or like the children's grandparents or a friend that just can give you support.
• 9:09
  SPEAKER_00: And in fact, that's another really important tip I want to share is that you really need support when you're homeschooling.
• 9:16
  SPEAKER_00: I would say from your spouse, first of all, and your family, but also from friends who other other friends who homeschool.
• 9:24
  SPEAKER_00: Um, maybe you want to be involved in a in a support group, or there are cooperative opportunities where families come together and teach classes to their children together.
• 9:37
  SPEAKER_00: Like Fayette is kind of challenging sometimes if you only have a few kids.
• 9:40
  SPEAKER_00: So going to a co-op is really beneficial.
• 9:43
  SPEAKER_00: You can have a nice Fayette class, plus the moms get to talk or the moms and dads in uh as other moms are helping and that sort of thing.
• 9:52
  SPEAKER_00: So there's lots of opportunity to get support for the kids and the parents through cooperatives, and there are homeschool state groups too in every state.
• 10:03
  SPEAKER_00: If you go to hslda.org, that's homeschool legal defense association.org, you can find the different state support groups.
• 10:11
  SPEAKER_00: And there's usually conferences in almost every state for homeschoolers.
• 10:16
  SPEAKER_00: Another great way to get education and support as you're homeschooling is to just go to one of those conferences.
• 10:24
  SPEAKER_01: Those are great.
• 10:25
  SPEAKER_01: I've not been to one because when I was homeschooling, I didn't really know too much about it, but it's so important.
• 10:32
  SPEAKER_01: And um, when I was homeschooling, you know, moms also need a break.
• 10:37
  SPEAKER_01: If you're with your kids constantly, oh, it was just wonderful.
• 10:41
  SPEAKER_01: We had a co-op group and the moms took a day that you know they would be in charge of.
• 10:47
  SPEAKER_01: I don't think we had four or five in the group.
• 10:49
  SPEAKER_01: And which is nice, you have to take care of yourself too, while you're taking care of your kids.
• 10:54
  SPEAKER_00: So that is such an important point.
• 10:56
  SPEAKER_00: I'm glad you mentioned it because I I think we do have to remember to take care of ourselves.
• 11:00
  SPEAKER_00: We can give so much that we're just drained dry and we and then we're no good to anyone.
• 11:07
  SPEAKER_00: So it's important that we get, and that's where a spouse can come in too and and give you breaks as well.
• 11:14
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, yes.
• 11:15
  SPEAKER_00: Another really key tip for succeeding in your homeschool journey, and this is really the most important one, is I don't know how anyone can homeschool without the Lord.
• 11:24
  SPEAKER_00: We have to depend on him for help and guidance, it's just essential.
• 11:28
  SPEAKER_00: He guides and gives direction as we seek him on a day-to-day basis.
• 11:32
  SPEAKER_00: And I can't imagine trying to homeschool without the Lord and the strength that he gives you to do so.
• 11:39
  SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
• 11:41
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, thank you so much.
• 11:43
  SPEAKER_01: These tips were just great.
• 11:45
  SPEAKER_01: And I encourage the listeners today to go to the notes section because there's so much um so many resources there that Chris has listed.
• 11:55
  SPEAKER_01: And she's the author of three different books.
• 11:58
  SPEAKER_01: She also gives workshops and speaks and does one-on-one counseling about homeschooling.
• 12:05
  SPEAKER_01: So if you would like to learn more or have questions about homeschooling, I'm sure she would love for you to contact her.
• 12:13
  SPEAKER_01: And that information is in the notes.
• 12:15
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, thank you.
• 12:17
  SPEAKER_00: Sandra, I would love to be able to help.
• 12:18
  SPEAKER_00: And I do have a page on my website on how to get started with homeschooling as well, if that's if it if the Lord is leading you in that direction.
• 12:26
  SPEAKER_01: That's great.
• 12:27
  SPEAKER_01: And thanks again for being our guest, Chris.
• 12:30
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you for having me.
• 12:31
  SPEAKER_00: It's been a pleasure.