One thing I have found to be true – in parenting and homeschooling – is that you have to do what works for you. Trying to be a square peg fitting into a round hole is hard. Better to be the round peg. Or, being the square peg and finding the square hole.  Sometimes it might feel easier to try and change to fit in. But in that, perhaps, you are giving up something that can bring you joy, or a sense of completeness. Find your sized and shaped hole!

Sometimes it is obvious that you are going to do things differently. I am Australian, my husband is German, and we live in America (and our girls are all 3 nationalities and citizenship) – so there’s that 😉 You would think that it is obvious that I might do some things differently but we have had some funny experiences with that. Maybe it is not so obvious that you are going to do things differently. Because I, a trained teacher, chose to homeschool!! Shock! Almost horror! But I do what works for us! Our little Amergeralian family. 

So, when it comes to homeschool what do you do? DO WHAT WORKS FOR YOU

Whether it’s school-at-home or Montessori or a mix of many different things, you HAVE to do what works for you for homeschool to be successful and happy. 

Because here’s the thing – families all across the board are discovering that we don’t need to be a school fixated society anymore – by that, I mean that our children’s lives are defined by going to a brick and mortar school because that is the place they get their education, that is the place they get their socialization, that is the place they get to learn how to be functioning adults who work. 

There are so many different ways to homeschool. If we just go by the main labels or categories there are 10. But what if you take bits and pieces of different styles and mix it like a wonderful adrenal cocktail and make it your own? How many different types of homeschooling are there? 

The main thing to note is that there is not one way to homeschool. There is not one right way to homeschool. You do what works for you!

When we started out, it was more of a school-at-home style with a strong touch of my flair, but within 3 weeks I noticed that we needed to make a change. I really wrestled with that. While I don’t always like doing something just because “that’s the way we’ve always done it”, I actually struggle with change. We did a 180 and went from school-at-home to unschooling and then flourished!

So, how did we make this shift? How can you do what works for you?

DO WHAT WORKS FOR YOU – KEY PRINCIPLES

Here are the key things that you need to know in order to make it best work for you.

Know yourself.

I think that it is important to know ourselves and how we operate. I am not saying that we all need to be doing a Myers Briggs test, or discovering our enneagram type (though I personally love knowing these things) but I am saying that we need to know some triggers, what helps us feel in control, what are absolutes for us.

Do you need routine and structure? Does the house have to be clean and calm? How do you handle a mess? How do you handle noise? What do you need to be energized again, and what time do you need for that?

In knowing who I am and what I need, I have been able to meet my girls where they are at, and still be me. Did I do more compromising than I thought was possible for me? Yes! But ultimately I am happier and my girls are too. 

In knowing you, you can do what works for you.

Know your children.

What are their personalities? What are their learning styles? Are there any learning issues? What are their triggers?

Check out some of my posts on the learning styles:
Kinesthetic Learners Tips and Tricks
Visual Learners Tips and Tricks
Auditory Learners Tips and Tricks

When we know our children and how they are learning, we can tweak and make it work. It is so powerful when we can learn together in a way that brings harmony to our house. Does that maybe mean some compromises from us and them? Yes! Does that mean that you might be homeschooling slightly differently for each child? Also yes. (My mother sent my brothers and I to different schools and it was the best thing for us all – a great example of “Do what works for you.”)

Be willing to not do “the norm”

Definition: something that is usual, typical, or standard.

It can feel weird to be doing something that it feels like no one else is doing (this is also true of parenting) but remember this is based on you, and your children’s personalities and needs. But what is “the norm” anyhow? 

Maybe you homeschool in the evenings. Maybe you do a 3 day on, 3 day off cycle. Maybe Wednesday is a midweek break. It is up to you. 

You don’t have to have a designated and dedicated school area (but you can if you want!)

Your homeschooling doesn’t have to look anything like school at home. (But it can if you want.) And to the outside world you might look like a flock of gymnastic, nomadic, hippie wannabe homesteaders – but hey, if that is what you want, why not?

Give yourself permission to make changes.

Too often we stick to something because we feel we can’t change (like curriculum). Yes you can! Make that change! If you spent money on the curriculum, try to sell it and recoup at least part of it. Sticking to something that no one is happy with will not help. 

Too often we look at that itch to make a change and view it as failure. It is not. 

We have to be open to adjusting our approach based on our child’s progress, feedback, and evolving educational needs.

Be together as a family.

You don’t want to do anything that will be disunity or stress to your family. Also, you and your partner/husband/spouse need to be on the same page.

Involve your children in the discussions about their schooling. For many families, homeschooling is a way to be together. So be together in how you do it.

Can you follow a Charlotte Mason philosophy and still have a set routine and structure? Absolutely! Can you unschool for all subjects but math, and follow a curriculum for that? For sure. You have to do what works for you.

Next video will continue to look at this topic.