One of the best ways to ensure a successful homeschool is to ensure the whole family is involved. No, that doesn’t mean that everyone needs to be “in school” per se. But it does mean that everyone needs to be involved in your school.
Mom – Typically mom is the teacher. She is the one that is home with the children day in and day out. If your situation is different and has dad home as the primary educator, then great and this applied to him. But otherwise, mom is there, planning the school, teaching the lessons, and ensuring the day goes as planned.
Dad – So if dad is at work during the day, then you need to have him involved in other ways so he feels engaged in the homeschool. Whether this means that he teaches a subject in the evenings or simply works on a life skill on the weekends, he needs to be involved. Dad can do a read-aloud before bed, check in on progress over dinner, and work on life skills like woodworking, repairs, lawn care, or even cooking in the evening. Maybe dad is in charge of extra-curricular activities. Maybe he’s good at math and work on extra math in the evening. Maybe dad is teaching chess in the evening or running the PE program after work. You also want to make sure dad has a say in what subjects are covered and can step in if necessary to help on a sick day.
Older Siblings – Older siblings have their own school work to do, but you make them in charge of some of the teaching for the younger siblings or teaching life skills like cooking, sewing, and chores. This can be a great way for the kids to develop a positive relationship with one another while giving mom a break to work with other kids or get dinner ready. It also teaches responsibility and teaching skills to the older sibling.
Young siblings – If you have non-school aged children in the house, keeping them involved can be difficult but it, sometimes, is the most important. If they are bored then they are likely causing distractions and taking energy away from schooling. Involve younger siblings as much as possible. Take a break from studies to exercise and include them, have older children take turns playing with the younger children to help the littles have company and someone to work with while giving the older children a break throughout the day.
Grandparents – Grandparents can be a great asset to your homeschool. If you are fortunate enough to live near extended family, utilize them. If grandpa is a great woodworker then have him teach your children. If grandma is musically inclined, maybe she can work with the kids on music lessons. If you have extended family living with you, make sure you help them be engaged in your homeschool in some way. Maybe grandma and grandpa like to go along on field trips or have traveled a lot and can tell the kids about places they have visited.
Getting everyone involved in your homeschool is an excellent way to have the entire family committed to your homeschool and the education of your children. Keeping everyone involved is a great way to give your children the chance to learn from many types of “teachers” as well as keep everyone excited about what they can teach the children and share in the betterment of your children’s education.
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