Listen to “CHM100:Am I Doing Enough in My Homeschool?” on Spreaker.

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Do you ever come to a point in your homeschooling where you wonder if you’re doing enough?  No matter how many years you’ve been on this home education journey, there are bound to be moments that you’re not sure if you’ve done everything you need to for your kids, or crossed everything off your list.

I think homeschooling moms are probably the worst at giving ourselves the freedom and grace to accept that our kids are doing just fine, everything is okay, and we’re doing a good job.  Also, it’s easy to sometimes forget that it’s really not always about what we parents are doing, but sometimes it’s about stepping back to see what our kids are doing: what they’re learning and how they’re thriving- with or without us.

A few podcasts back I talked about having a simple homeschool. I realize how important it is to simplify our homeschooling processes so that I don’t get overwhelmed (like with curriculum choices) with what I’m not doing or what I think I should be doing.

In this podcast, I’ve narrowed down a few questions I think will be beneficial to homeschool moms when asking themselves “Am I doing enough?”

Are you covering the basic subjects?

When I first started homeschooling I was head over heels with all of the options for subjects we could possibly cover.  Everything from cartooning and animation, photography, web design and tech, to violin and piano, and other micro-subjects in between- I couldn’t wait to explore these topics with my kids.

What I found was that in addition to covering the basics- reading, writing and arithmetic- I was trying to shove all the subjects into a school day.  Unfortunately, when reality hit I realized that there just wasn’t enough time in the day to get it all done. I shouldn’t have been asking myself “Am I doing enough in my homeschool?”, but rather, “Am I doing too much?”

I’ve found that interest-based learning is phenomenal when it’s child-led and after our core basics are covered for the day.  It sure saved me a lot of stress to begin focusing on making sure the basics are covered.

The “fun” subjects get covered as we get to them.  We relax into them and we certainly don’t cram them all into a day.

Do your kids get it?

As for the core subjects, we’ve begun using a lot of simple workbooks by Evan Moore and Spectrum.  It has simplified our homeschool for my now 4th-grader when it comes to language arts.  For math we have chosen a hybrid approach, combining two different math curriculums, but certainly are far more systematic than we used to be.  I also try to be a lot more organized as we work through our science text.

My main concern is do my kids get it?  Do they understand what they’re learning?  I ask myself this question as I check in on my high schooler to be sure she is grasping the content for Biology (using Currclick).  I keep this question at the forefront of my mind when I’m working through multiplication drills with my 9-year-old.

If they get it, it’s good enough.  You’ve done enough, and you can move on.

Do your kids have down time?

In homeschooling, if we’re not careful we can pack in too much in a day or a week.  Too much of anything is not a good thing- whether it’s extracurricular activities or academics.

Ask yourself if your kids have enough downtime.  Do they have time to daydream and do absolutely nothing?  Being bored sometimes is okay.  Having time to explore their interests is even better.

If your kids have enough time to think, peruse, and empty their minds, or even pursue their passions, you have done enough as a homeschool parent.

Are you sharing your passion with your kids?

I think one of the biggest mistakes we can make as homeschool parents is to neglect to share our own personal passions with our children.  Kids need to know that we’re real people too- and not just parents. We have goals in life, desires, passions, hobbies, interests…and to share these freely with our children helps to cultivate them and show them the reality of adulthood.

Do you laugh together?

Having a good time with our families is of utmost importance.  If you can sit back and relax and learn to enjoy time with your kids, life is good.

Help me celebrate this 100th episode of Christian Homeschool Moms Podcast!

I’m offering a giveaway to celebrate 100 episodes of the CHM Podcast.  This is so exciting for me.  I have been podcasting here for 5 years (since 2012), and I would love to show my appreciation to you, homeschooling moms.  I also just want to share a piece of my life and where I am today in my transition to a mompreneur coach.

I’m offering a 20-minute free coaching session for future mompreneurs. Enter today!

Have fun!

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