Back to school: Four things I would tell other parents about homeschooling

October 1 marked the first “official” day our kids started school (for the second time this school year). Yes, you can gasp in surprise if you want! While most Filipino children started school way back in June, our children, aged almost six and three years old, have “restarted” their school year. 

Let me do a bit of explaining. We actually did start homeschooling this year in June (June 4, to be exact), but since we enrolled Tim (our eldest) in a US-based homeschool provider (Kolbe Academy Homeschool) and only got his materials a few weeks ago, we decided to “restart” the school year using the stuff from the States.

Don’t get me wrong though… I would love to enroll my kids in a locally-based homeschool provider, but for now, my husband and I have decided that enrolling with Kolbe suits our current lifestyle and working conditions more.

Anyway, since starting my blogs (my main mommy blog and one about homeschooling), I have received quite a number of queries from parents who are interested in homeschooling. Here are some of the things I usually tell them:

1.     Whether you consider yourself “religious” or not, it is best to talk and pray about your decision as a couple.

Homeschooling is definitely not very common among us Filipinos. However, it is something that a lot of Pinoy families are exploring and even doing. The first step though, is to discuss your desire to homeschool or interest in homeschooling together with your spouse. Deciding to let your kids learn at home and adopting learning as a lifestyle (which is what we believe homeschooling is all about) is a major decision, so it would be best if you and your spouse agree on it.

It would also be good if you pray about it, because — speaking from experience — you’re going to need a lot of “supernatural” patience and grace to teach your kids (which by the way, I believe all parents are capable of doing).

2.     Do your research and explore your options.

Once you are more or less decided that homeschooling is the best option for your family, it would be wise to research, research, research.

One of the groups that can help you is the Homeschool Association of the Philippine Islands (www.hapihomeschooler.com), of which yours truly is privileged to be a part of. We can help connect you with different local homeschool providers and homeschool support groups (online and offline), whose members will be more than willing to help you with your “homeschool research.”

Most, if not all, homeschool parents would be willing to share their knowledge and experiences with you — perhaps even show you the materials that they are using. All of this will help cement your decision to homeschool (or not).

3.     Always begin with the end in mind.

Once you have made the decision to homeschool, the next step to take would be to come up with a vision and mission for your homeschool. Many families even have their own vision and mission statement, and then write their homeschool goals based on it.

Parents with children who are old enough can have them participate in this goal-setting activity by asking them to list down their own goals — for their personal life, academics and maybe even their spiritual life.

Ultimately though, I believe all of us homeschool parents must have a higher objective and purpose for homeschooling our kids.

I once read an article related to this on the website www.therealpresence.org titled “The Teaching of the Catholic Church on Home Schooling: Parents for Eternal Life,” by Rev. Fr. John A. Hardon, SJ.This is the part of the article that struck me most:

“It is critically important to understand what the Church means when she says that parents have the primary right and duty to teach their children. After all, there is a primacy in what the children are being taught.

·         They can be taught how to walk and how to talk.

·         They can be taught how to read and write.

·         They can be taught arithmetic, and spelling and history and geography.

All of these things they can be taught and should be taught. But what they mainly need is to know why God made them; why they are on earth at all; why they are in this world; that they are here in this life in order to prepare and train themselves for the world to come. In a word, children are to be taught that their short stay here in time is only a preparation for the world that will never end. They are to be trained for heaven.”

I know I wrote about this before here on unBLOGGED, i.e. that we are “parents for eternal life.” It is clear then (at least to my husband and I): As parents, we are calledto train our children for heaven, and our parenting style — whether we homeschool or not — should be in line with this ultimate goal.

4.     Each child is unique.

At the Philippine Homeschool Conference held earlier this year, Debra Bell, author of The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling and many other useful resources for homeschoolers, said that each child is uniquely wired by God to learn in his or her own special way. She also said that just as children mature physically at different rates, so too do they “mature educationally.”

This is something all parents who decide to homeschool (myself included!) should remember, especially when we starthomeschooling multiple (and higher) grade levels. (Believe me, I’m actually half-scared out of my mind at the thought of homeschooling beyond grade 1!)

Each child is unique and learns differently, so we need to adjust our teaching methods and styles accordingly. I also have to constantly remind myself not to be pressured that our kids “should be able to do this,” especially when we see the children of other homeschoolers. (Oh yes, I’m guilty of “comparison-itis” at times!)

I need to remember that we should be celebrating the uniqueness of our children and my own uniqueness as a parent. This will surely make for less stressful homeschooling (and even non-homeschooling) days, don’t you think?

To end, let me be perfectly honest with you. Homeschooling is definitely not for the fainthearted. It’s not a bed of roses. In fact, there are difficult days when we (well, more of just I actually!) just want to give up. But knowing that this is the path we have been called to take for now (a road less travelled indeed) helps make up for bad days. It also helps to know that our kids are just where we believe God (and we) want them to be — at home, being prepared for (not sheltered from) the “real world.”