Let Them Be Little – Mentoring Moms
One of the most common questions we hear new homeschool moms ask on our Facebook Page and in our Facebook Group is about choosing a Kindergarten Curriculum. Maybe this question is so common because it is where their children are, age-wise, when our moms are starting to homeschool. Most of us were not homeschooled. We were part of the public school (or at least the “traditional” school) system. Therefore, it is natural for us to be seeking a “curriculum” for Kindergarten. I am amazed at the number of times the question has been addressed by our team of writers, and how consistent their answers are. So what do they suggest? In a nutshell ….
Let them Be Little… Just a Little Longer
There’s no rush. One of the luxuries of homeschooling is that you get to set the pace. We encourage you to let your children experience being innocent. And spontaneous. And curious. And fun. To be little… just a little longer. And maybe even be more childlike ourselves!
That does not mean don’t teach! But try to keep it simple. Remember that your homeschool probably won’t look like what we experienced in traditional school. When we discussed this question on our Mentoring Moms Show this week, Heidi Ciravola from Starts at Eight and Durenda Wilson from Simple Nourishing Home both encouraged mamas to take it easy on themselves and their homeschools. Here are some of the resources we referenced during the Show.
What to Do for Homeschool Kindergarten
The Case Against Full Day Kindergarten – Part One
The Case Against Full Day Kindergarten – Part Two
Deschool
Another topic moms ask us about all the time is how to break free from the traditional school mindset. If you have just brought your children home from public school of if you really are having a hard time figuring out how to homeschool without it looking like traditional school, you might want to consider deschooling. If you are not familiar with this term, dictionary.com’s definition is:
deschool /ˌdiːˈskuːl/ verb. to separate education from the institution of school and operate through the pupil’s life experience as opposed to a set curriculum
So deschooling is essentially following your child(ren)’s interests. This may take some time. Like months. The goal being to reconnect and figure out what they want to learn, do, be and see. And to figure out how they learn. Lisa Pennington from The Pennington Point wrote a series of articles 31 Everyday Ways to Connect with Your Child. These were not written from a deschooling perspective, but they capture the essence of what deschooling is… reconnecting with your children.
Are you Setting yourself up for the Comparison Trap?
Finally, this is not a topic many moms talk about, but it is so common we need to talk about it. When we first start homeschooling, it is natural for us to want confirmation that we are doing this homeschool thing “right”. So, we tend to look to see how others are homeschooling. What curriculum they are using. What are other children learning and when? And that is fine. However, we urge you to be cautious. If reading these articles lead you to start feeling negative about your own homeschool, then you may be falling into the comparison trap. And it is a trap!
“… comparison only produces discontent. And discontent can create anxiety. And, yep, you guessed it anxiety can lead to overwhelm.”
Remember this truth. You are enough. As a matter of fact, you are more than enough… you are actually the perfect teacher for your children!!
Why? Because NOBODY loves them more than you do. NOBODY cares more about their success than you do. So NOBODY is better suited to be their teacher than you!
If you would like to watch the September 23rd Mentoring Moms show to hear these topics and the other items we discussed, you can find the full video below.
While you are there, be sure to subscribe to our Youtube Channel, We hope our Mentoring Moms Show is a blessing to you and your homeschool!