6 Tips to Start Homeschooling Without Overwhelm + A Recommended Resource!

The moving truck was full.

We were moving out-of-state for many reasons. One was a school opportunity for our oldest. She qualified for a private school scholarship in our new city.

You see, homeschooling in my mind was not an option.

It was all too overwhelming and well, I wasn’t a teacher anyway (false thinking I know now :) ). So this scholarship was a HUGE pro for me in the pro vs cons list.

Little did I know, God had different plans. He was about to place us in an apartment complex. One that had lots of seminary families, many of which homeschooled their children.

Looking back it’s a pretty funny. I can see how stubborn and set on not homeschooling our children I actually was.

But God. Always But God.

He knew just what I needed to open my eyes. He softened my heart to the fact that maybe He did want us to homeschool after all.

By the time we moved out-of-state, decided to homeschool (and not take that scholarship), I had approximately one month. One month to learn everything about homeschooling and to start from scratch – in a new city.

I had NO IDEA where to begin.

If you are here today reading this I am excited for you! Yes, even if you are overwhelmed – because I have help!

I am all about breaking things down to bite sized pieces. I want to show you the most important steps to take first to avoid overwhelm. Really, you can do this!

I’m also a tools and resources kind of girl. I want to share with you some help that I could only have dreamt of having back then!

So let’s dive in!

Why are you homeschooling?

Don’t breeze by this one! It’s OK if you simply have a nudge from God or if you really don’t know. When I finally decided to homeschool, I still didn’t know “why”.

I knew I wanted to win their heart and be their main influence in childhood, but then, that wasn’t enough. <That’s changed too, by the way!> When I softened up, I could tell God was putting it on my heart and placing things and people in my life to make it more clear. I had to go with it.

Our oldest in this story is now going into 6th grade. Last year was the first time I saw such a huge reason “why” He has wanted us to homeschool so far, besides the little “graces” He has given along the way.

That reason alone was big enough to cover these last 6 years.

If you do know your why, write it down and refer to it often!

Rules and not so fun stuff

A “necessary evil” is figuring out the homeschooling laws and regulations for your state. Depending on where you live, this may not be a big deal. But it also can be incredibly tricky. We have lived in two different states since we started homeschooling. One was super laid back and the other was, well, not so much.

You can find out more information by state here. I also highly recommend the HSLDA site for support with specific laws and legal help. You can also visit their overview by state page to see generally how strict your state’s laws are.

Determine your child’s learning style

This doesn’t have to be as scary as it sounds- see? (plus I have a resource for this later!). You really do know your child better than anyone else and you have been “teaching them” all along! Things to think about would be personality traits as well as their strengths and weaknesses.

Children are so different! Some of our kids are visual processors (learns best by seeing). We also have auditory processors (learns by listening) AND a kinesthetic processor who learns best by doing! Knowing your child’s learning style will help you with teaching and choosing curriculum for your kids.

Make a master schedule

At this point, I am not talking about your teaching schedule. I am referring to your daily schedule. This will likely change over time but the point is for you have a base to work from. If you already have a daily schedule in place then you just have to work in the blocks for homeschooling. Determine your big time blocks to keep things in place.

For example:

• Breakfast and chores
• Homeschooling
• Lunch
• Naps/Quiet Time
• Field Trip/Outdoor Play/Appts/Playdates
• Dinner/Evening Tidy Up
• Family Time
• Bedtime

Remember one of the huge blessings of homeschooling is being able to have a flexible schedule so you do what works best for you!

Choosing Curriculum

I’ll be honest, it can be completely overwhelming to choose a homeschool curriculum! Some of my homeschool Mom friends do really well with it, others struggle. This is why I put this last in our bite sized steps for how to start homeschooling. I really believe the previous steps help prepare you for choosing curriculum.

Being clear on your child’s learning style and having your basic family schedule in place are helpful steps! Then you can narrow in on what type of curriculum may work best for your family. Also, checking out Cathy Duffy Reviews can help you process thru curriculum ideas as well.

Find Homeschool Support

This is KEY! In the steps above, you have your basics. Your baby steps, by category, to get you started. But there is much more to dive into as you go. This is where support becomes so crucial.

Remember how I said God planted us right in the middle of a homeschooling community?

It was incredible, but I also know it’s pretty uncommon. I could ask them questions, learn tips and more.
But I still had to piece it all together into actionable steps, after I collected wisdom from others.

And most importantly learn how to carry it out it… eek!

Now I know how important a good foundation to homeschool really is.  This is why I’m so excited to tell you about a great resource that I wish I would have had back then. Actually, I have benefited from this course even after 6 years of homeschooling!

My amazing friend Ana of They Call Me Blessed took all that she learned in her first 5 years of homeschool and laid it out for us step by step. It’s a wonderful course called 5 Days to Your Best Homeschool Year Yet!

Whether you are new to homeschooling,  or just never learned how to properly set up your homeschool for success, this course has you covered!

5 Days to Your Best Homeschool Years Yet is a coaching course that will encourage and equip you for that smoother and more joyful homeschool journey.

Just take a look at what the course creator Ana Willis has to say:

WHAT IF 5 DAYS COULD SAVE YOU YEARS OF HIT AND MISS TRIALS AND A LOT OF FRUSTRATION?

WHAT IF YOU COULD START YOUR NEXT HOMESCHOOL YEAR RIGHT AND CONTINUE ON THE RIGHT TRACK FOR YEARS TO COME?

WHAT WILL 5 DAYS TO YOUR BEST HOMESCHOOL YEARS E-COURSE DO FOR YOU?

• Set Yourself and Your Kids Up for Homeschool Success
• Learn About Different Approaches to Homeschool
• Identify Your Homeschool Struggles and Fix Them
• Teach You Time Management for Homeschool Moms
• Help You Choose the Right Curriculum for Your Family
• Help You Homeschool Successfully on a Tiny Budget
• Identify Your Kids Learning Style
• Create a Homeschool Routine that Works
• Teach Your Kids to Be Independent Learners
• Show You How to Organize Your Homeschool Space & Keep It Organized
• Bring Back Your Joy in Homeschooling
• Give You Peace of Mind

During 5 Days to Your Best Homeschool Years Yet, I will give you the pep talk you need, I will equip and motivate you, help you find the solutions for your struggles and give you systems, strategies, tips, printables and whatever else you might need for a happy and successful homeschool journey.

AND you will get lifetime access to the course and be able to watch the videos at your own pace, comment and ask questions anytime that suits you!

ARE YOU READY TO EMBARK ON A MUCH SMOOTHER AND JOYFUL HOMESCHOOL JOURNEY WITH SOMEONE HOLDING YOUR HAND AND A FUN AND ENCOURAGING COMMUNITY?

WILL YOU JUMP ON BOARD AND JOIN US NOW?

LET’S DO IT!

And this I just love!

5 DAYS TO YOUR BEST HOMESCHOOL YEAR IS AFFORDABLE FOR ALL HOMESCHOOL MOMS!

Ana shares: “I don’t want money to be an obstacle on your way to a joyful and successful homeschool journey. So I am committed to offering this course for a very reasonable price so all homeschool moms can receive all the benefits from it without breaking their wallets.”

So awesome as I know what it’s like to homeschool on a shoestring budget!

What if I have already started homeschooling and still feel lost?

This course is for you too! I have been homeschooling for 6 years and have built my foundation one piece at a time and I STILL learned from this course!

If you are an overwhelmed Homeschool Mama at all – this is for you!

Really, friend, I can’t stress the importance of your homeschool foundation enough!

Yes, you can build it over time like I did, but I will be the first to tell you that if I could have avoided the stress, the uncertainties and reclaimed even a portion of that time I spent figuring things out I would have in a second!

This is your chance to do what I couldn’t have. Click here to sign up for the course today!

Do you have questions? Send me an email or comment below, I would love to hear from you!

So go ahead, take a breath – and a bite sized step in the right direction. Hang in there Mom! I think you will be amazed at how God shows up!

Talk to you soon!

Lee

O Lord, You have pleaded the case for my soul; You have redeemed my life. Lamentations 3:56

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