BJU Press Blog

homeschooling

How to Homeschool with an Infant Without Losing Your Mind

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baby girl with blue eyes

When my husband and I started homeschooling our oldest daughter last fall, we knew it was not going to be easy. I wondered if we were crazy—here I was, mother of three children under the age of seven trying to educate my oldest daughter, keep my five-year-old and toddler out of too much trouble, keep my house reasonably clean, and make sure my family had clean clothes to wear and food to eat. And to top it all off, I was pregnant with our fourth child and struggling with morning sickness for a good part of the day.

I was more than a little worried that our household would fall completely apart once the new baby came. And I wasn’t sure how or if we would get any homeschooling done. I pictured our family going into survival mode—and never coming out. Maybe some of you can relate.

But we did survive. Our fourth daughter arrived in the middle of December, and the transition was remarkably smooth. We did (and still do) have some rough days. But I learned some things along the way that I wanted to share. I hope these tips will be a blessing to you if you are facing a similar situation.

Planning Ahead Helps

Thankfully, I had many months to figure out how our family was going to make the transition. Since our little blessing was due in the middle of the homeschool year, we chose to start early (the first week of August) so that we would have ample time to take off if we needed to. Even though we haven’t had to take off nearly as many days as I thought we might, I’m really glad that we prepared for the possibility.

I also tried to minimize our commitments for the spring. We’re doing the basic subjects plus a weekly piano lesson—and no more. The lack of clutter on my calendar keeps the stress from creeping in.

I also took the time to plan out a basic daily schedule. Our schedule is not as tight or rigid as it used to be; I’ve learned that a little flexibility helps me not get overly stressed. Instead, we follow a flexible schedule and divide up our time into chunks. (Read more about this scheduling method from Kim at Not Consumed.)

Other People Can Help

Following the birth of my daughter, I had a lot of extra help. The fact that my daughter was born around the holidays meant that my husband had some time off. My parents and my in-laws also came to visit. They helped clean and cook and babysit. We chose to take advantage of the extra help and kept on homeschooling through those early transition days.

Distance Learning Can Help

Distance Learning is a big reason why homeschooling has gone so smoothly for us this year. My second grader watches Distance Learning daily video lessons for three subjects: science, English, and Bible. Because she can do these subjects almost completely independently, homeschooling doesn’t have to stop while I’m nursing the baby, fixing the toddler a snack, or starting a load of laundry. (You can learn more about BJU Press Distance Learning here.)

Homeschooling with small children and an infant is challenging. But it is doable and very rewarding. If this is what the Lord has called you to, He will enable you by showering you with wisdom, strength, and grace to meet the daily challenges you face.  And remember that you’re not alone! If you’re in need of a big dose of encouragement, check out some of my other posts.

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Why Do You Homeschool? Customizing to Fit Your Child

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Why do you homeschool? Part 2Why should you homeschool your child? At the beginning of this blog series, you met Deborah, a homeschool mom of four. Through these posts, we’ve been exploring the five reasons she had for taking charge of her kids’ education. This week we’ll look at her second reason: customizing to fit your child.

Every child learns differently. The learning method that works for one student may not work for another. If you have children, you probably know this. One child might sit and complete his schoolwork without having to be asked twice, while another might be constantly distracted.

As a parent, you know your child’s learning needs better than anyone. You know his favorite subjects, which ones he struggles with, and what teaching style he responds to the best. That’s where homeschooling comes in. Suddenly, there are no longer the fifty- to sixty-minute daily time-slots that bind you to a particular subject.

Deborah sums it up this way: “Homeschooling made more in-depth studies of certain areas much easier.” You have the power to customize the learning to support your child’s strengths and coach him through his weaknesses. If he’s a Civil War buff, spend a little more time on the Civil War. If he wants to take on more subjects, empower him to do that.

Likewise, if he’s having trouble grasping the fundamentals of a subject, you can hone in on problem spots before moving on to more challenging concepts. One of Deborah’s favorite parts of homeschooling was seeing the “light come on” in her kids’ eyes when they finally understood a concept they had struggled with.

Deborah also notes that homeschooling “stretches the parents as well to grow, mature, and be more disciplined.” Even if you’re not a teacher by trade, there are worlds of resources available to you today. You can easily get teaching tips, diagrams, and activities to help you in your quest to enhance your child’s learning.

What are your thoughts on or experiences with homeschooling? Let us know!

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A Creative Writing graduate of Bob Jones University, Hannah worked for BJU Press for almost nine years as a writer and proofreader. Currently a coffee barista and freelance writer, she also tutors one student in French. While Hannah herself was not homeschooled, her experience in tutoring and teaching violin have shown her how beneficial one-on-one education can be. She hopes to homeschool her own kids someday.

Are You Ready to Start Homeschooling?

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Closeup of mother and her little girl coloring drawing 10415816
© iStockphoto.com/vgajic

I recently came across a copy of a homeschool magazine that contained a series of articles about homeschooling very young children (ages three to five). The articles all centered around one big question—at what age do you start homeschooling?

That is a big question, especially if you’ve never homeschooled before and your oldest child is three, four, or five, the age when most children around the country are starting preschool or kindergarten. Should you start this year? What if you wait a year or two—will your child fall behind?

There are a lot of different opinions about when a child should start school. Some educators seem to think “as early as possible,” thus the creation of programs such as Head Start® and other preschools. Other educators think it is best to wait as long as possible. There are homeschoolers at every point along that spectrum. Why? Each child is unique, and each family situation is unique.

Here are some questions to help you determine if you’re ready to begin homeschooling.

1. What does your state law require?

Your state homeschool laws may require you to register as a homeschooler and start instruction when your child reaches a certain age. Some require attendance records and/or other “proof” of homeschooling. Do some research or contact the Homeschool Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) to find out what your state requires. A friend of mine, Cindy, started homeschooling her children when each of them was five. Her only reason for doing so was that her state’s law required it. She said that otherwise she would have waited until they were older.

2. Do you plan to homeschool long-term?

Another friend of mine, Mary, started homeschooling her son with a preschool curriculum when he was four. She and her husband weren’t completely sure about homeschooling and were considering placing their son in a private Christian school for kindergarten. But she wanted to give homeschooling a try. She also wanted to make sure that their homeschool ran at a similar pace as the Christian school so that her son wouldn’t be behind if they decided to enroll him later.

3. How comfortable are you with homeschooling?

Sue also started homeschooling her four-year-old. She didn’t have any training or experience teaching, so although she was convinced that homeschooling was the best option for her family, she was really nervous about it. She began with a preschool curriculum when her daughter was four because she wanted to do a “trial run” before starting kindergarten material.

4. What’s going on in your life right now?

Although Rachel’s son is almost five, she has decided to wait another year to start homeschooling him. Her family is anticipating a move and a new baby within the next few months, so she and her husband have decided that homeschooling would add too much to their already stressed household.

So are you ready? Even if you are, your child might not be. Next week, I’m going to be giving some tips on how to assess whether your child is ready to start homeschooling.