Joy for the Journey
Krystal Winn 
If there’s one thing that rings true across the board about homeschooling is that it is a journey.
Joy for the Journey
If there’s one thing that rings true across the board about homeschooling is that it is a journey. With high-highs and low-lows that teach us way more about ourselves as parents than we bargained for, this journey requires great heaping helpings of hope and perspective for the long haul. Check out this list of 10 ways to enjoy the journey of homeschooling!
10 Ways to Enjoy the Journey of Homeschooling!
- 1. Remain Flexible: Recognize that homeschooling brings with it the flexibility to tailor education to your child's unique needs, interests, and learning styles. Embrace the freedom to explore diverse subjects, teaching methods, and extracurricular activities that foster creativity and curiosity.
- Keep Things Positive: Cultivate a positive learning environment that fosters enthusiasm, motivation, and growth. Create a supportive culture where mistakes are viewed as valuable learning opportunities, challenges are embraced as growth experiences, and achievements are celebrated with encouragement and praise. Encourage open communication, teamwork, and curiosity.
- Cultivate a Love for Learning: Encourage curiosity, exploration, and self-discovery through hands-on experiences, field trips, educational games, and engaging projects that make learning enjoyable and meaningful. Most of all, demonstrate a love for learning yourself! There’s no better way to pass on an attitude about an area of life than to embrace it ourselves. Let your children find you reading, exploring and delighting in the many amazing aspects of the world around us.
- Celebrate Wins, Large and Small: Celebrate milestones, achievements, and progress along the homeschooling journey. Take time to acknowledge and appreciate the growth, development, and accomplishments of your child as they learn and thrive. *Creative idea: stock up on cool bookmarks, glow sticks, stickers, and non-edible treats for moments just like these. Keep them hidden and bring them out when your children show progress in their actions and in their attitudes.
- Embrace Real-Life Learning Opportunities: Take advantage of real-life learning opportunities that extend beyond the traditional classroom setting. Explore nature, visit museums, volunteer in the community, or simply take a trip to help grandma clean her yard.
- Create Meaningful Connections: Cultivate meaningful connections and relationships within your homeschooling community. Build supportive networks of fellow homeschooling families, teachers, coaches and mentors who can offer guidance and encouragement. As with any journey, at some point, you will need to lean on these connections during tough times. It’s better to have them in place when it happens.
- Keep the Conversation Flowing: Make chatting and sharing thoughts a regular thing in your homeschooling setup. Let your child know their ideas matter, and be ready to listen and chat about anything from math problems to what they dream of becoming.
- Take Your Homeschool Around the World (Through Books): Pack your homeschooling suitcase with books, stories, and activities from all corners of the globe. Use them to inspire questions about different people groups and cultural practices.
- Give Yourself Permission to Laugh: Yes! Take regular breaks from the grind by laughing. Create a joke jar that you let your kids reach for when needed. Purposely write "Stop and Laugh" into your lesson plans if you need to. Allow joy and laughter to be a part of the culture of your home. With all the data and research being revealed about poor mental and emotional health of our nation, be the change that encourages your children to love being home!
- Start and End the Day with Gratitude: Gratitude is one of the most powerful, budget-friendly investments we can make into our homeschool routines. When you purposely think of all the things that are going well, you lighten the load for yourself and your children in ways that can't be measured. Set the example of speaking openly about what you're grateful for and your kids will follow suit! Enjoy the journey and Happy Adventuring!
Categories: Christian, Homeschool Resources, homeschooling, Krystal Winn