Homeschooling....no fooling!

I have a very high opinion of homesteaders, as a whole. I consider them brave, creative and intelligent people who have a drive for what they believe in like no others. My husband and I took to this like flies to honey. We dove in, while apprehensive, with gusto and were confident in our abilities. But, I must confess, my introduction into homeschooling was not the same. While I had definite ideas of WHY I wanted to homeschool, I had no definite ideas of HOW I was going to homeschool. Things have changed and I have found my stride but I thought it would be good to show the process I went through. If anyone else is thinking about homeschooling but is not sure about this whole idea, join the group. I was there, did that, bought the T-shirt. But I made it work for me and you can too.

First, I must confess....I was absolutely terrified of my two little guys! No kidding. The thought of trying to teach them and handle all the behavior issues that come with autism gave me nightmares. Don't let those two cute little faces fool you. They needed much more than just a curriculum based teacher and I had no idea if I was up to the task. It took me several weeks to even think about how to approach it.

Next, the big question.......what homeschooling philosophy would I follow?  Would I choose Unit Studies or a Standard Curriculum Base? Would I be a rigid scheduler or be more of an un-schooler? What would be my approach? I finally figured something out! That I was confused. :)  And for all my determination I almost tossed the whole idea right there. It took me so long to realize that you don't need to follow one philosophy, you can use ideas from them all. If I am forced to give my style a name it would be "eclectic". I use a basic curriculum as a foundation but add all sorts of other reading and projects. And, yes, I do discard anything that I do not feel is necessary for them.

And finally, the ultimate challenge. Staying the course. What to do when they do not want to do any work and you truly could use a day off too? Do you give in or push forward? Understandably, dealing with their unique disabilities often answers this question for me. However, I do push just not always in the same direction. If we are working on something that just isn't up to their standards of fun, well, I move on to something else. I worry less now about how MUCH we learn in one day and understand that, no matter what, they learn SOMETHING everyday.

So, to summarize, I love homeschooling them. Yup, that's it. And that's what will do it for you too. If you truly desire to homeschool then you will do it. You will learn not to get caught up in all the technicalities and know that what you are doing is the best thing for them. You will learn to accept the "Are you sure about this?" from well meaning people with a smile and grace. You will learn what works and what doesn't and know steer clear of it. You will also learn.....the "LOOK". Yup, all the homeschoolers out there are now shaking their heads. The look....when the idea that you were trying to teach them actually gets through and hits home. When they understand a concept that you have been trying to get them to understand. And let me tell you, there is no greater joy. And it will reinforce exactly why you started this crazy roller coaster ride of homeschooling.