Is Your Homeschool Obese?

Are you super-sizing your homeschool intake?  What is homeschool obesity?  What does it look like?  What does it feel like?

Do you walk into your "school room" and see papers, books, supplies, and general disorganization?  The farther you get into the year are you finding it harder to maintain control of the messes?  We all know what it feels like when we over-eat.  We feel bloated, uncomfortable, about to burst.  If you are not careful your homeschool can feel and look the same way.  Incorporating too much into your homeschool is very similar to over-eating.

Here are some common examples of our tendencies to over-do it.

Supplies

Back-to-school sales can be our biggest downfall.  Who can pass up a deal on supplies when they are marked down so low?  But, do you really need 40-50 bottles of glue?  Will you be able to store all those products, and still maintain some semblance of organization?  Reining in the desire to over supply our homeschool is the first step to staying ahead of the time wasting clean up and organizing chore.

Curriculum

Find a curriculum that you and your student may be comfortable with and stick with it for at least 6-9 weeks.  If it isn't working, get rid of it.  Don't hang on to all those extra textbooks and worksheets.  If the company allows for re-sale there are several forums to unload the product at a minimal loss to you.  Or, there may be some needy parents who would like to homeschool, but can't afford curriculum.  Pay it forward by offering it free.  That is a lesson in itself for your student.

Lesson overload

Postponing a couple of subjects for a day or two is acceptable.  Taking the time to let your student dig deeper into one subject for the day should be allowed.  It shows your student you care more about their interests, but also lets them have some ownership in their education.  Marking lessons off a list does not make an education, nor does it guarantee that learning is taking place.

Websites

Have you ever watched television with a channel surfer?  It is an annoying experience, and it can  stimulate your mind to the point of wanting to burst.  Too much information can make it difficult to make decisions, and focus.  Find several trusted homeschooling sites, and follow them.  If you have visited many you will find a lot of the information is repeated.  You don't need to follow all of them to keep up with current events or ideas.

Forums

If you have opened your email to find 800 messages from numerous homeschooling forums then you have joined too many.   In our quest to find support and connections we take away from the benefits of these forums.  We are all dealing with the same situations, so pick a couple that fit your lifestyle and beliefs.  You won't miss out on anything since many of us are already connected through most of the forums, and we are all sharing from one to another.

Extracurricular activities

As homeschoolers we all worry about socialization.  But, getting your student involved in too many outside activities can wreak havoc on our schedules.  It may also add unneeded pressure on your student.  Allowing them to master one skill at a time can do wonders for their self-esteem, which is always more important than socialization.

Be Realistic

You wouldn't feed a child an adult sized meal.  Be conscientious about how much you are offering your student.  Their brains are growing, but they cannot handle the overload of information we sometimes serve up to them.  Give them time to digest a little at a time so they don't lose the love of learning.  Too much of a good thing will always have a negative consequence.

Keeping homeschooling simple does not mean your student will miss out on a full education.  It just means they will enjoy it more, and grow to be healthier, more satisfied students.