Top Tips

The first year is the hardest, many families don’t continue after the first year (which is a pity as it gets easier after that!). We asked our community what advice they would give new homeschoolers. These are their top tips:

• Having a like-minded support network is essential, but allow yourself time to develop the right connections.

• Establish links with your local home education community so that you can attend outings and activities together. If there isn’t a local group, get together with a couple of other home educating families and start your own informal group (that’s pretty much how all the groups started in the first place!).

• Get online and join home education networks. Talk to others about what they do and why.

• When things are not going well make sure you talk to a supportive person so that you get empathetic practical advice, not “well you should send them to school then.”

• If your children have been in school, expect and allow a substantial period of deschooling.

• Allow plenty of time … months even … for a routine/rhythm to develop. Understand that the routine will change as your children grow and that there will be many periods of adjustment.

• Avoid diving straight in and purchasing expensive curriculum materials. This is the number one mistake new homeschoolers make. It can be very difficult to initially see how home education can be conducted differently to a traditional ‘school-at-home’ model – but once you have more confidence and experience you may find you would choose quite different education resources or maybe that you don’t have a need for a purchased curriculum at all.

• Take regular time out for self-care. Learn the art of having time to yourself when seldom alone.

• Take a long term view – do not expect your tamariki to progress evenly in all areas, expect bursts of growth and interest.

• Ignore grade levels – do not put excessive pressure on yourself or your tamariki to meet arbitrary standards.

• Relax as much as possible. We all have doubts. Reach out to your support community when you are questioning yourself and your methods.

• Take photos of what you and your tamariki do, make notes about learning experiences if possible – it’s helpful to have something to look back on when you are having doubts so you can see how far everyone has come.

• Don’t expect to have no ‘bad days’ – these happen whether your kids are at school or at home.

• Delve into different theories of education and broaden your own mind by reading widely and being open to change.

• Embrace the flexibility that home educating provides – change what you are doing when it stops working.