Tip ONE ... Become Equipped Know What You Think

If you are a new homeschooling parent, welcome to one of the most amazing journeys you will ever embark on.  If you're an experienced homeschooling parent be encouraged.  Homeschooling is one of the most incredible journey's you will undertake with your children.  It's a marathon of a journey and not a sprint so slow down, enjoy the journey it will be over far quicker than you can imagine.  Pace yourself or you will run out of energy.  This week I am joining fifty bloggers from the Schoolhouse Review Crew and together we are aiming to bring you 5 Days of Tips for Homeschool Parents.

Tip ONE - Become Equipped Know What You Think & Why

One of the things to be aware of is the homeschooling is no longer a new movement. We are into the third and fourth generation of homeschoolers. There are many many different approaches and more types of curriculum than you will ever work through in a hundred years.   Each and every curriculum company has put their heart and soul into developing their product and the internet has become a vehicle of creating even more accessible things to do with your children.  It can be incredibly overwhelming when you first start looking.

As a new or veteran homeschooler I encourage you to read up on the different philosophies of homeschooling.  By this I mean know a little bit about the different methods and approaches which are used today. You will hear terms such as the Charlotte Mason Method, Delight Directed Education, and so forth.

It's important that you know which one you would like to use and more importantly why you are choosing this option for your family.  Remember this is NOT set in stone and will change as your family grows and changes and as your experience as a home educator expands.  It is however important to have a starting point and to move forward from there.

IF you don't know what you think OR why you think what you do then every homeschool consultant will try to sell you their product and soon you will have a home full of different curriculum and you will be overwhelmed!  OR you will have a budget blow out or you will be so confused and not buy anything and give up the journey before you begin.

Scripture exhorts us in  Ephesians 4:14 thus: Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.

Knowledge is Power. That power is either in your hand or in someone elses. If you don't know what you think or what your goals are then there will be someone out there who is only too happy to lead you a merry dance and convince you to spend your money with them.

Knowing why you are doing something 

is the first step in being empowered 

to follow through with your choices.

Even if you are a seasoned homeschooler and you don't have your thoughts and focus set then every single time you see something new or meet a new homeschooler and hear what they are doing you will feel as though you are somehow failing your children or they are missing out which in turn will drive you to choose to add more to an already busy homeschool.  The danger of this is that soon you will be doing a great many things with mediocrity and become overwhelmed and exhausted.

STEP one form the cornerstone of your homeschool by Knowing What You Think & Why.

Equip Yourself Well for the journey ahead BEFORE you begin.I have shared some thoughts on a variety of topics which are foundational to the home education journey and would encourage you to look at the following posts:

• Book Recommendations for New Home Schoolers
• Kid Extra Activities…How Much? And When is it Too Much? 
• Co-Op…or Not? Why? or Why Not?
• Local Homeschool Group - Are you involved? Why? Why not?
• Dad…His role in Homeschooling 
• My Top 3 Suggestions for Someone who Pulled Child out of School Mid Year
• To Homeschool - Year Round…or Not Year Round?
• Overload - What to Do When Your Run out of Fuel 
• Time to Look after Yourself
• Can you homeschool in High School ?

I'm looking forward to sharing more tips with you later this week.  This post is part of the Schoolhouse Review Crew 5 Days of Tips for Homeschool Parents Blog Hop.  Blog posts from these bloggers will be going live between 8 am EST and Midday.

I invite you to grab a cup of tea and head on over to these bloggers to see their word of encouragement to you today.

• Annette @ A Net In Time
• Brandy @ Kingdom Academy Homeschool
• Brenda @ Counting Pinecones
• Carol @ Home Sweet Life
• Cassandra @ A Glimpse of Normal
• Cristi @ Through the Calm and Through the Storm
• Crystal @ Crystal Starr
• DaLynn @ Biblical Womanhood
• Danielle @ Sensible Whimsy
• Dawn @ Double O Farms

Blessings
Chareen
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