5 Homeschool Things You Need - Great Peace Academy

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The internet is filled with posts like these. Homeschool bloggers abound these days. And, everyone has their own opinion of homeschool things that you will need in order to be successful.

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You might find posts galore about the kinds of pencils to buy, what kind of printer is best, curriculum posts detailing the hows and whys of a certain brand, style or method.

But the reality is that in order to homeschool your going to need some more basic things than those.

10 Homeschool Things You Really Need to Homeschool

A Heart for Your Children
If you are a mom who finds that you have a heart that loves being with your kids, then you probably can homeschool. Because you will be with them. All day, everyday, nearly 365 days a year.On the one hand it might seem so obvious that a mom loves being with her children, the reality is that after some time, it grows exhausting.Some days you just want a cup of coffee with a friend and no talk of children whatsoever. Some days. Other days, you enjoy the conversation being about kids, for kids, and by kids. So before you buy that first pencil, or order that first curriculum catalogue, look deep into your heart and ask yourself if you have a heart for YOUR OWN children in a way that would allow you to be with them 24/7. If NOT, it’s ok. There are other valid educational options. Whatever you choose for your family, IS the right choice for your family.

You need Money
Oh sure, you can homeschool for free, entirely for free. So if that’s your style, go for it. But, even on the tightest of budgets things will come up that would be excellent educational opportunities for your child’s specific needs, and interests.Sometimes, it might be a super amazing field trip for which you will need funds for admission. Other times it might be a co-op class that requires a purchased curriculum or other materials. It could be that your child has a specific talent that you see needs to be developed in order for them to build their skills for a future job. Whatever the reason, you will most likely need money in order to homeschool your children. So sit with your husband and ask yourselves how will you budget the needs of your childrens education?

You need a Measure of Wisdom
Oh you don’t have to be wise all the time or in everything. In fact, no one can be fully wise in everything at all times. Nor, do you have to have a college degree in order to homeschool. But, you do need a measure of wisdom that helps you to understand that you won’t have or know all the answers.
You can however use that measure of wisdom to research the answer and teach your children to do the same. You also need to know when to seek help outside of the walls of your home to allow your kids to learn from others. This is called outsourcing, and it’s a great tool in a homeschool teacher’s toolbelt.

You need Guts
Yep. Guts! It takes a lot of guts to step outside of the cultural norm to a counter cultural lifestyle. And, be sure you understand that homeschooling is counter cultural. That being said, it is the fastest growing form of education in America. So while it’s outside common culture, you won’t be alone.It’s estimated that more than 2 million studentst are being home educated. You’ll need to do this gut check, often, quarter after quarter, year after year. Why? Because on the really bad days that big yellow school bus looks more and more attractive. You have to double check in with your gut to see if you are still strong enough, brave enough, to see the journey through to the end. If you choose another option. Again, that’s ok.Whatever choice you make for the best interest of your kids is the right choice for your family.
You Need to Have Resolve
If you go into each homeschooling year with the idea that if it’s not working out I can just send them into or back to real school. Then, most likely you are going to follow through with that. Homeschooling is a lifestyle, a choice, a decision to take on the full responsibility for educating your child. It’s hard work. But, anything worth doing is worth doing it whole heartedly.So resolve in your mind that you will home-educate your children. That you will see it through. There may be times when circumstances in life might arise that changes that decision, that’s o.k. I have one mom friend who has had to choose public schooling due to severe trauma in her life. She made the decision to opt for public school. Therefore she changed her resolve to fully support her children in that educational choice. Whichever educational choices you make for your children, resolve it in your mind.Make it a decision, not a trial by fire.

These are the 5 homeschool things I think you need for success. There are many other things you need and these are not written in any order of importancce. They are just my opinion, and therefore if you have a different opinion, or think something else is more important, that’s O.K. we all have different opinions and make different choices based upon what we believe to be best for our own children.

Whatever choice you make, be sure you know your reasons, know your resolved to see it through, and stand firm in the choices you make.