Tips for Homeschooling and Online School- Avoid These Mistakes I Made

Need some tips for homeschooling? Curious about mistakes as a homeschooling mom??? Personally, I have been a homeschooling (online schooling) AND working mom for going on 7 years. I have made MANY more than 20 mistakes, but these are the big ones that I want to make sure others DON’T make. In other words, learn from my mistakes and use these tips for homeschooling!

1. Don’t Mimic Public School When Homeschooling.

Trust me, you will have a lump on your throat and a bit of hesitation when you see other family’s back to school photos or the neighbor kids marching to the bus on the 1st day of school. That’s why it is super important to define your “Why”…..Why did you decide homeschool or online school is right for your family or your child? Write it down! Check it often. This is probably my favorite of the tips for homeschooling.

It’s easy when you start homeschooling or online schooling to think it’s necessary to mimic a public school day or a public school curriculum. That’s when you pull out your “WHY”. It’s a proven fact that self-directed learning and project-based learning, which homeschool allows, works! Don’t doubt yourself.
Think back to the last thing you learned as an adult. Was it something taught in a formal setting or something you had to ask in Google, YouTube, or a Facebook group? Our ability to obtain information is unreal in 2020 and beyond! Setting your child up to become a self-motivated learner through homeschool and online school is of true value.
Unlike brick and mortar school, homeschool and online school (e-learning) can always be modified and tweaked to ensure optimal learning for the future. Be confident in your choices and do what’s right for your family.

2. Don’t forget the simple things about Online Schooling and Homeschooling!

Often, we get so excited about the latest app or online math program or unique online classes (this is a serious problem of mine!) that we forget to KEEP IT SIMPLE.
This is especially true if you sense your children (or YOU) feeling stressed. KEEP homeschooling or online schooling SIMPLE with three things: reading, journaling, and exploring nature.

3. Don’t cook and clean for your kids!

Ok, I don’t mean don’t cook and clean at all. BUT, I do mean don’t do it all day every day. By the time they hit elementary age, your kids are capable of preparing a simple lunch and cleaning up AND even more than that. Consider it part of your homeschool or online curriculum. Easy ways to start making this happen-

Buy simple, clean foods at the grocery store- little bags of baby carrots, individual string cheese, Greek yogurt, you get the idea- kids love putting together homemade ‘lunchables’.
Keep it simple- make a cleaning list of what needs to be done by the end of the day, laminate it, and have kids initial as they go.
Enroll your kid(s) in an online or in person cooking class– win-win situation for both of you!
Be open and ask your kids for help- honesty goes a long way into developing empathetic, helpful kids.

4. Don’t focus on grade level.

The beauty of homeschool and online school is the ability to progress at your child’s pace– truly one of the best tips for homeschooling.

Kids may be incredibly advanced in one subject area and just plugging along in another- that’s ok!
Many online classes or e-learning programs have a wide range of ages for a reason. Contact with older kids will mean your child has role models to aspire to; contact with younger kids means your child gets to ‘teach’.
Think about your friendship circle or your professional life– are all of your friends or colleagues born within the same year? I didn’t think so. Let’s move on…

5. Don’t underestimate personal development.

Personal development is HUGE, no matter what age your child is.

Start early with instilling a growth mindset in your homeschool or online school and you will see benefits each step of the way. This type of attitude will affect everything your kiddo comes up against in the future- sports, academics, career, relationships and more.
Flexibility is also key– being able to pivot when things don’t go exactly as planned is a skill beyond anything in core curriculum….it will set your child up for future success.
Make signing up for a personal development class a priority- I promise, it will pay off!

6. Don’t stress over missing the school experience.

No matter what year you are in your homeschool or online school journey, you may feel this- I do! The best way to combat it is to think a positive thought in place of what is ‘missing‘…
Missing a locker, 1st day orientation, Friday night football games- what about what your child is gaining? Maybe it’s more time to pursue athletics, music, arts, or an academic area of interest. In our case, it’s athletics.
Missing the ‘friendships’ or ‘relationships’ – what about the drama they are missing out on (this is a positive!) and true friendships they are developing?
Missing the school schedule- what about the times you can visit locations on vacation in the off-season or museums during the day?
Missing the ‘fun’ days and parties- what about making some up as a family?

Make sure to join a Co-Op if it’s right for your family or even online groups for you (and maybe your teen). Our Facebook group is full of parents going through the same experience- join today!

7. Don’t ‘overhelp’ with your kids’ work.

The tendency with homeschool and online school can be to provide more help and assistance than your kids need. Of course, you need to help your kids! Over-helping though…no!

Remember YOU are not being graded in an online class– your kid is (and if you are or the assignments are too difficult, you need to find a new teacher or class). You should be providing assistance or guidance, but resist the urge to help TOO much.
Struggling and figuring things out can make your student much stronger in the long run. Our rule is to try to figure it out from three different sources before coming to mom….this can include using Google, asking a teacher, or a sibling.
Think about the last time you saw your kid’s face after they figured something out ON THEIR OWN. Now, transfer that to their academic experience. Let them own it.

8. Don’t forget to celebrate successes!

Kids aren’t bringing home a report card or notes from their teacher with praise- don’t forget to recognize their hard work at home.
Although you don’t need to have a formal end of the year celebration, it never hurts to take an afternoon for an outing with ice cream or another special activity.
Make sure to celebrate YOU and all the effort you put into your child’s education, and also thank their online teachers!
Set a time to have a ‘conference’ with your child after the school year concludes- discuss what went right and what went wrong and how you can both grow and improve- take notes and make an action plan to build from.

9. Don’t forget to exercise.

It’s not always fun and may not seem like a priority to you need to make, BUT your kids need exercise and so do you. Depending on the season, spend time outdoors- it is good for you AND your children’s wellbeing. Schedule physical activity in just like your other subjects.

10. Don’t send emails for your kids.

Just don’t. Sign them up early for a Gmail account (it’s free). This one needs no further explanation.

11. Don’t be afraid to STOP something that isn’t working.

Sometimes your BEST plans for homeschool or e-learning just don’t work. Thus, we need tips for homeschooling!

Don’t quit right away, but if you are using a curriculum and you and your child are beyond frustrated, it may be time to pivot.
Discuss the new plan with your child- make a list of the pros and cons, and decide together what is the best choice.
The reason there are hundreds of curriculum choices and online class options is because there are hundreds of types of learners and families.

12. Don’t compare your children.

This seems intuitive and we know we shouldn’t do it, but it’s so hard to do in real life.

ESPECIALLY in front of your children, avoid the “When ___________ was her/ his age,………..”.
Just stop before you start. Let’s be honest- we’ve ALL done it- let’s all try to not do it again.

13. Don’t forget to check on them.

This one is sort of funny but as a working mom, it can get a bit crazy at our house. Just because your kids have teachers for online classes doesn’t mean you can just sit back and relax (sorry). I have made the mistake before- remember, even when they are teens, they still need us.

The key is to make a plan so you and your child know how communication will occur and what is expected.
You choose- do you want to set up a time each day to meet to review work and answer questions?
Would you rather they come to you after each subject? Again, it’s up to you and your child(ren)- but best if you have a plan.

14. Don’t worry about other people’s opinion of your family’s educational plan.

Be confident when talking to others– I used to get quiet or sort of ‘talk around’ the subject when someone would ask one of my children where they went to school.

If their parent isn’t proud and confident in their choices, why would the child be?
Speak with pride about homeschooling or online schooling!

15. Don’t hesitate to ask questions.

This is seriously an amazing time to be a homeschooling parent!

This is a screenshot of our free Facebook PRIVATE group!

More than ever before, you can connect with like-minded people via social media- whether you are an unschooling mom, traditional homeschooling mom, online schooling mom, working mom- need me to go on? CONNECT with others and ask questions! Seriously this is the place for tons of tips for homeschooling.
The key is to use your community and ask questions and glean tips for homeschooling. Get the idea?

16. Don’t be afraid of technology- it can be your friend!

The first time I sent an email was in college. Yep, I’m that old. However, I’ve figured out how to take notes with an Apple pencil and how to make Mind Maps and timelines on apps– you can too.

Homeschooling or online schooling provides you the opportunity to learn right along with your child.
Use Google, Youtube videos….figure things out– it is satisfying and you AND your child will benefit.
Try new educational apps, programs like Canva, Trello- WITH your child. This is learning time!

17. Don’t forget life skills can be as important as core classes.

Most people won’t argue with this…. yet we STILL focus so much on the core subjects.

Take a few minutes each month, especially as your kids get older, and discuss areas of interest.
Make a list of things you want your kids to know how to do by themselves before college.
Online classes offer a huge opportunity to master life skills and even obscure skills that your child may be interested in learning.

18. Don’t forget to use an electronic calendar.

I LOVE my paper calendar. I LOVE it and don’t want to give it up (and I won’t). However, with three kids taking online classes and involved in extracurricular activities, using an electronic calendar is a must. We personally use Google Calendar (seriously one of my top tips for homeschooling) AND I had my kiddos do some tutorials and even an Outschool class to make sure they were adept at it.

19. Don’t be afraid to take a day off.

As you progress as a homeschooling or online schooling mom, you are going to eventually have a day where you and your kid(s) just hit a wall.

Stop. Take a day- maybe a few days. Get outside, read, watch a movie. RESET your brains and minds. Remember the part about getting outside. Put a blanket under a tree and read and have snacks.

20. Don’t forget your WHY (my #1 of the tips for Homeschooling)

I talked about this in #1, and it’s worth readdressing.

Each year (if it changes, change it), write our your “WHY” with regards to homeschooling or online schooling.
Post it somewhere you can see it- take a photo and make it your background on your phone.
On tough days, pull it out and review it. It isn’t going to be easy, but it’s going to be worth it if you know your WHY.

Obviously I have made A LOT of mistakes. What are tips for homeschooling you suggest? Make sure to join our Facebook Private Group– All Things Related to Online School to share with like-minded parents.

Tips for Homeschooling….Don’t Make These 20 Mistakes When Homeschooling or Online Schooling Your Children