I love hearing Todd Wilson speak at homeschool conferences. It’s true what they say, laughter is the best medicine.
I think it is very easy to look at another mother’s homeschool (from the outside) and feel that yours doesn’t quite measure up. But, even if there is room for improvement, what good does it do to beat ourselves up?
Homeschoolers choose to homeschool for many different reasons. However, most of us would agree that at least one of the (many) benefits of homeschooling is that it isn’t “one-size-fits-all.” Through homeschooling, we are able to custom tailor an educational program that works for our family, and each child within our family.
So why do we then compare our homeschool with another Mom’s homeschool?
One of my favorite summer activities is planning out my homeschool year and finding out what everyone is planning to use. I’m actually looking forward to sharing my homeschool plans and curriculum with everyone.
Just remember, it’s not a contest.
My homeschool shouldn’t look exactly like yours. But that doesn’t mean that we can’t inspire and encourage each other along the way!
Thank you for this reminder to be "true to your school" what and however it works for your family. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed with a spirited singleton while those with 5 plus seem to school with ease.
The cartoon is great and your words really nailed it for me. I think it is not just in homeschool, but many other areas in our lives where we need to make our egos take a back set and collaborate instead of compete!
I think this is true for classroom teachers too. We can do the same thing thinking that another classroom teacher has everything together perfectly. We need to take the opportunity to learn from each other and with each other.
Oh so true, I get the Homeschool-envy bug when I read on forums about other homeschool families that seem to glide effortlessly through their days while my kids are cranky and my house has books and paper staked on every horizontal surface. It's such a cacophony of paper bound and unbound that I can't seem to find the simple things such as paper and pen to take a phone message.
I like summer planning too. It gives me a chance to reflect on what worked in the past school year and what needs modifying before we begin school again in September.
I am looking forward to seeing your curriculum choices! I will be doing the same thing over the next couple of weeks on my blog: http://www.homeschoolsuccess.blogspot.com
Mary