My Biggest Fear about Homeschooling & What I Intend to Do About It

Photo credit: Elizabeth Albert

This past week I made the executive decision not to send our oldest daughter to preschool or another Mother's Day Out program. Instead, I conceded to something I've been (and still am) reluctant to do: homeschool her. 

My biggest fear about homeschooling isn't that I'm not qualified (I used to teach) or that my kids won't be socialized (Not a concern). It isn't that we can't afford it (Homeschooling is much cheaper than preschool) or that I'll be overwhelmed (I will be).  

No, my biggest fear is that I will never have another minute all to myself ever again. 

Selfish. 

I know.

I love my kids. But I also look forward to the peace and quiet that I have those two days a week when the older two are away, when it's just me and the baby, to piddle, mop floors, go shopping, read a book, and simply exist without noise.

And yet I know that to homeschool is to give my child the academic support she needs, the guidance she craves, and the one-on-one shepherding I'm called to administer. 

More importantly, I believe God is leading me to homeschool even as I'm railing against it.

Photo credit: vastateparksstaff

 

Because I know right now I'm going to need some downtime if I'm going to homeschool, here are 10 steps I'm taking to succeed.

1. Take baby steps. If I'm going to do this, I need to start out small. I've tried to work with my oldest with the toddler at home, and it's just too stressful for me: busy bags, work boxes or not. That means keeping my toddler in Mother's Day Out two days a week. Eventually, I hope to homeschool all three kids, but for now I need to take it slow.

2. Enlist help. I'm blessed to have wonderful parents and in-laws who are always willing to help out at a moment's notice. I need to let them, especially when I need a break or just to run to the grocery store without three kids in tow. 

3. Plan downtime during the day. Del from Devote & Seek mentioned on Facebook that she plans downtime each day by taking breaks and not dragging out the school day longer than necessary. That sounds like good advice to me. I'm thinking that we will have some morning quiet time after lessons and before lunch for both of us to relax and unwind, and the rest of the day will be spent reading and playing.

4. Have fun! I have to remember my daughter is only 4, not 14. She doesn't need hours of drills and worksheets; she needs short, fun, hands-on activities that engage and inspire her to want to learn and plenty of good books to read.

5. Seek my husband's help. When I inevitably get frustrated, I will need to let my husband know before I blow up so he can lend a hand or give me an "escape." Fortunately for me, he's pretty adept at juggling three kids while Mama's away.

6. Go to the gym. Our gym has excellent child care, so I can work out (or take a shower, nap, read a book) while the kids are supervised and playing. For days when I need a breather, the gym will be the place we go.

7. Institute daily quiet time/nap time & blanket time/room time. Our girls still nap in the afternoons, so that's a good 2 hour chunk of time when I can unwind, drink a cup of tea, and relax in quiet. But even on days when no one sleeps, we will still have quiet time because we all need it! We also have blanket time most afternoons where the girls sit quietly on their blankets and play while I cook, clean, or whatever. Soon, I plan to transition from blanket to room time with the older girls.

8. Get a babysitter. This may never happen because (1) I have great family and (2) I'm cheap, but knowing that I have the option is key to my sanity. 

9. Go outside. I've found that being stuck inside these 4 walls all day can really enervate me. By taking a few minutes to play outside gives the kids and me fresh air to breathe and space to run. Some days we may just need to take a trip outdoors.

10. Pray!  I have already started to pray for my heart towards my children: for gentleness and compassion, for patience and mercy in dealing with them as we embark on the homeschooling endeavor. I also pray that God will show me if this is no longer the path He wants me to take and what He wants me to do instead.

I believe that if God wills for something to happen, He will make a way. Of course that will inevitably involve some serious refining in me, so I'm praying earnestly now that He will gently ease me into my new situation.

What about you? How do you find downtime as a homeschooling or non-homeschooling Mom? Any tips for me?

Praying God's blessings on you,

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