Homeschool Mom Confession: My Kids Teach Themselves

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I love being a homeschool mom and I love being part of my children’s education. I wouldn’t have it any other way. However, to be honest, my kids teach themselves.

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It may not seem shocking to you that my kids teach themselves as they are both in high school. What may surprise you is my full confession regarding this topic.

My kids have been teaching themselves since elementary school.

You might be shaking your head at me and thinking that my children can’t possibly be well educated because of this confession.

That couldn’t be further from the truth.

Both of my children are articulate, well educated and polite. They can hold intelligent conversations with other kids and adults alike and behave much older than they actually are.

When my son worked outside the family business for the first time I was told time and time again that he was not only a good worker but was also very intelligent – from people that had never met either of us before. When he went into his first interview for a part-time job, he walked out less than 30 minutes later with a job.

As a freshman, my daughter wrote her first novel. She also spent the year researching how to be published in a magazine and finding an agent. All to prepare to become a published author.

Kids who grow up teaching themselves are more driven to continue to learn outside of school hours.

You’re probably wondering how I did this. How did I get my children started with teaching themselves?

It started with small steps from the very beginning of our homeschooling journey. When my children were in Kindergarten and First Grade, I sat down and we completed all of their lessons together. We read the lesson together and did the workbook assignments and projects together.

When my children started 2nd grade, I took my first step back from their education. We read each lesson together and reviewed each question before they tackled answering them on their own.

While they completed their workbook assignments, I would tackle washing breakfast or lunch dishes, changing the laundry over, sweeping the kitchen or cleaning the bathroom.

They always knew that I was just around the corner if they got stuck on something or needed me to clarify an assignment.

By the time my children reached Middle School, they no longer needed me to read a lesson with them. They were confident, independent learners.

When they entered high school, I simply created a weekly schedule for each of them and they tackled each of their subjects on their own every single day.

I was still nearby if they had any questions, needed clarification or direction and sometimes they let me read a lesson with them.

When they were little I had a lot of things on my plate before adding homeschooling to the mix.

I knew that if I was going to be able to balance life and keep my priorities in order that my children were going to have to be independent learners – able to teach themselves.

Often I hear from homeschool moms that feel that they aren’t doing enough, that they don’t know enough and that they’re afraid they’re going to hold their children back.

I am here to tell you that your children are capable of so much more than you know. You just need to stand by and guide them. Give them the tools that they need to learn and watch them prepare to spread their wings and fly.

Looking back there is very little about our homeschooling journey that I would change. I am thankful that I realized early on that my kids needed to be able to learn on their own.

Practicing the skill of teaching themselves throughout their homeschooling journey has given my children the desire to learn about things they’re interested in on their own. They also have the ability to keep learning new things throughout their lives because they know how to get started.

Independent learning has been a lifesaver for me as a homeschool mom. I’ve been able to maintain my home, run a family business, be a professional blogger and still have time for my family and serve in our community.

There are days when I miss the actual teaching part of our early homeschooling years. Though the reward is too great to allow me to miss it too much.

Raising children that will be able to meet whatever comes their way with confidence and the skill to take new things on and learn along the way without mom – priceless.

Don’t hold onto your children’s education for too long. Let it go. They’ll be ready to spread their wings long before you even realize. Give your kids the opportunity to teach themselves today.

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