The 5 Worst Pieces of Homeschooling Advice
The Stay-at-Homeschooling Mom Podcast
Mary Ellen and Ginny began homeschooling before the age of influencers. They say that was an enormous blessing because there is a lot of bad advice out there. The good news is that, using their combined over 50 years of homeschool experience, they have this to share: "The 5 Worst Pieces of Homeschooling Advice." Program Notes: Let's jump into some bad homeschooling advice. 1. If it's hard, you are doing it wrong. FALSE * The complete opposite is true. * It shames the mom into thinking she is doing something wrong. * You are educating young minds, and they are not inclined to hard work. * Homeschooling well, running a household, doing sports, etc., is hard work. Tip: Recognizing it is hard and treating it like a full-time job will make your life easier. 2. Child-led learning will result in a complete education. FALSE * Probably not – an attractive book is helpful but not enough. * Math, grammar, writing skills, and foreign languages require effort and diligence. 3. Grading your child's work will kill their love of learning. FALSE · Grades should never be a source of shame. * They show if students are learning the material. * Grades are a guide to adjust your methods or materials. 4. Routine oppresses you and makes you less creative. FALSE * Children thrive when they know what to expect. * Routine lets creativity thrive - mundane tasks are done by rote - leaving the brain free to create. * Many famous writers and authors have structured routines they follow with success. 5. If you feel burned out or frustrated, you should switch curriculum. FALSE · Being burnt out is not a good reason to switch your curriculum choices. · Try other things before throwing the baby out with the bath water. · Frequent switching of curriculum creates gaps in skills and knowledge. There are many ways to cope with burnout - We did a whole episode on burnout – See the link below. Homeschooling Resources Coping with Burnout - Scroll down to Episode 10 on 1/25/23 Seton Home Study School Seton Testing Services