Homeschooling Mistakes That are Easy to Fix 

It's so easy to convince ourselves that we are making a lot of mistakes in life,  especially when we choose to homeschool our kids. Let's face it, we are solely responsible for our children's education, and that can be a lot to bear. There are so many homeschooling mistakes that are easy to make. We can't, however, just focus on the mistakes. We need to know how to avoid and/or fix them. 

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7 Homeschooling Mistakes that are Easy to Make AND Easy to Fix

#1 - Doing it Alone

Mistake - You are trying to do all of this alone. There is so much to do when you homeschool that fitting in time to meet with other families just seems like too much. You want to be a devoted homeschooling mother to your kids. Their education is important and it's why you are homeschooling them. There's also your husband who needs your attention. Don't forget about the house and the chores and appointments. Taking time for yourself just doesn't seem right.

Solution - Change your thinking right now. You need a tribe! You definitely need a  homeschooling tribe so that you will have other women who can relate to what you are going through. Your kids also need to have friends, both homeschoolers and non-homeschoolers, so that they can develop into well-rounded individuals. Let's face it, socialization for both homeschooling moms and kids really is important. The downside is that sometimes it takes more initiative on your part to make it happen.  You might need to travel to meet with others and that takes time, but it is time well spent! If you feel alone in this journey, make sure to find your tribe and get yourself, and your kids, out there. 

#2 - Setting Unrealistic Expectations for Yourself

Mistake - Oh my, there is so much to do. You're home with your kids 24/7 so that means you have little time to yourself. Maybe you feel the pressure from social media to have everything together? Your kids should be well educated, the house should be spotless and there should be a gourmet meal on the table every night. Instead, reality is the opposite. You're barely getting school done, the house is a mess and it's frozen pizza again tonight.

Solution - You need to realize that there is only so much time in a day. This means that you can only accomplish so much in a day, too. It is important to begin to set realistic expectations for yourself based on the season of life you're in. Are you pregnant or have a newborn? Not a whole lot will be getting done for now. Lots of toddlers running amok? Same thing. One day your kids will get a little older and more self-sufficient and things will be different. 

Take some time to look at your current family situation and prioritize what is most important for you to accomplish every day. Is this likely to happen? If the answer is no, go back to the drawing board until you feel comfortable that your expectations for the day seem doable. If you need help with this, try my workbook, "A Plan for Joy in the Home". It has helped many homeschooling mothers to set reasonable expectations for themselves.

#3 - Comparing Yourself to Others

Mistake - The last point leads easily right into this one. I feel very strongly that you cannot waste your time and energy comparing yourself and your family to someone else and their family! So many times I see women, especially if they spend a lot of time on social media, comparing themselves to others and thinking they fall short.

Solution - Like I said above, you are in your season of life right now and what that looks like in your family is unlike what it looks like in anyone else's. No two families are the same, so it is pointless to try and compare. Their make-up is different, their needs are different, their personalities are different. I know it is hard, but you have to try to focus on your family alone. Don't worry about what other people are doing or thinking. What does your family need? How much time does it take your family to homeschool? What kind of discipline do your kids need? It's certainly fine to ask for suggestions and help, but don't let your decisions be based on what other people are doing. 

#4 - Expecting Too Much from Your Kids

Mistake - This one can take two different forms. The first way I was guilty of with my oldest. When we started homeschooling her at age 5, boy was I setting some unrealistic expectations. Part of it was because I was so excited to homeschool. Another part was because I just didn't know what to expect.

The second way I was also guilty of. Sometimes we are so focused on the curriculum that we've spent so much time and money on, that we just don't want to give up on it. Even if it isn't working for our kids. I remember this happening a couple of times with various kids and it wasn't pretty.

Solution - Sometimes you just need to give up on something that isn't working. Learning should be fun. If it isn't, then something is wrong. If it's the method of learning that is bogging your child down, then you need to change it up. It is more important to look into alternate ways of teaching that child than it is to stick with a curriculum because it cost you money (a lot, sometimes). You might also need to look into problems like, learning disabilities or vision issues, that might be at the root of things. You know your kids. If something isn't right, keep trying new things until the learning becomes fun again. Remember, this is a homeschooling mistake that is easy to make. Fortunately, it is easy to fix, too.

#5 - Living Without a Schedule

Mistake - I know, I know, this one can be quite controversial, but hear me out. Not having a plan for your day can lead to all kinds of chaos for both you and your children. Children do much better when they know what is expected of them. Not having a schedule can lead to over-scheduling yourself in terms of commitments and  curriculum. It can also lead to under-scheduling yourself so that you aren't getting enough done and find yourself getting off track in your school work and in life. 

Solution - That's easy - get a schedule. No, really, you need to have a plan for your days so that the basics get covered and you know how much time you  really have to fit things in. If you take the time to make a plan, one that is flexible, doable and changeable, then your days will go much smoother and you will find that more things are getting done that should get done and less time is being wasted. You might even find some free time in there somewhere. 

This one I feel so strongly about...

 that I wrote a book about it. "A Plan for Joy in the Home: A Workbook on Organizing Your Day for Homeschooling Mothers" walks you through the entire process of making a plan for your day and teaches you how to make it flexible and doable, as well as changeable. 

#6 - Purchasing too Much Curriculum

Mistake - Homeschoolers are known for being book junkies. I am definitely guilty of this one! I've recently gone through my homeschooling shelves to sort through my curriculum, and I was shocked by the number of books that I have that we never used. You know how it goes. You're at a homeschool convention or a used book sale and you see so many things that look good that you buy them all. Then you get back home and realize you already had something similar, or it won't work with your kids or it just isn't a good fit for your method of schooling. But it looked so good, didn't it? So, you put it on your shelf and hope that it might work another year or with another child.

Solution - Have a plan. There's that word again. Not only should you have a plan for your day, you should also have a plan for your homeschool curriculum. Now granted, I changed up what we did every year while my kids were in grade school, but I still had an idea of what I wanted to cover and how I wanted to cover it. Having a plan  helps you not over-buy and over-spend.

#7 - Forgetting to Have Fun

Mistake - I'm sure I'm not the only one who had visions of how much fun we would have while we spent time learning together each day. In reality, there were very few days like that and I would find myself getting frustrated and stressed out. It was when things were really bad that I would take a step back and realize that something had to change. I'd forgotten that learning was supposed to be funl Somehow I'd gotten caught up in the minutia and missed the fun.

Solution - When you find that things are just getting too heavy and the kids aren't finding learning fun, take a break. Maybe that break will be a short one, like a day trip. Maybe that break will be longer, like a month-long study. Mix things up. Go on field trips. Read some books out loud together and then watch some movies. Try unit studies because those can be a blast! No matter what, if you're getting bogged down, take a break and do something that you will all enjoy. You will not fall behind to a point you won't catch up. Very few people ever fall that far behind by taking a short break. Besides, you will all feel refreshed and will be able to tackle schoolwork again with more vigor so it will all even out.

Making Homeschooling Mistakes is Easy

Thankfully, so is fixing them.  Remember, God is good. Since He called you to homeschool your children, He will definitely be there to help you. What you need to do each year is to evaluate your progress. At the end of the school year, take a look back at what was good and what was bad about your year. Do you recognize any of these homeschooling mistakes? If you do, make a plan now for how you're going to fix them for next year. 

Ground yourself in the three pillars of joyful homeschooling and you'll be able to spot when something isn't going right. Take it to prayer and then take action. Being organized, prayerful and not stressed out will make the transition to more joyful homeschooling possible. We all make mistakes. These homeschooling mistakes are easy to make and, thankfully, easy to fix, as long as you keep reflecting on your journey.