Kitchen Table 9 Homeschool Lessons Mistakes to Avoid By Kerrie McLoughlin
M
ost parents were thrown into homeschooling when COVID-19 struck. But I’ve been doing it for 14 years with my five children. So let me share some of the tricks of the trade and keep you from making some of my mistakes. Here’s what to avoid, should you choose to homeschool your kids this fall.
1
Playing copycat. There’s a temptation to try to recreate every nuance of a public or private school, complete with desks, chalkboard or smartboard, uniforms, and a rigid schedule. But since you are the teacher, you have
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permission to be flexible and do things differently.
2
Homeschooling 24/7. The school day doesn’t have to be seven hours long. Consider shorter chunks of teaching/learning time along with occasional days
off to go to the zoo, take a nature walk, hit the library, watch some documentaries, or just snuggle up and read. For older kids, volunteering or working a part-time job certainly counts as real-world education.
3
Doing lots of desk time. No need for kids and teachers to sit in chairs all day. We all learn and teach differently. Sometimes I’ll read to my kids while one is doing art, another is playing Minecraft, and I’m doing squats! I also include my kids in daily activities, such as errands, cooking, household chores, budget planning, and more.
4
Keeping up with the Joneses. Don’t compare your family to other homeschoolers or other conventionally schooled children. I might beat myself up because my kids have not learned cursive as readily as my neighbor’s children, while my
August 2020 www.mendolakefamilylife.com
