Jenny at Little Acorns Treehouse has asked that experienced homeschoolers give some of their best advice to new homeschoolers.  Even though I'm a bit late in writing my entry, here it is!  I chose to focus on one of the worst mistakes I made in the earlier years.

The worst mistake I have ever made homeschooling has been trying too hard to push “my” agenda with the children.  It’s so easy to plan, prepare, buy materials and have the perfect schedule of studies set for the year – only to find that your child isn’t exactly on the same page as you. 

As an example, before our third year of homeschooling, I decided that we needed to get more serious.  I had been using a very literature-based, hands-on, mom-planned curriculum through the previous years, but I began to doubt my abilities to teach the “right” things and know my own children’s learning styles. 

In my mind, the way to make sure we were on track was to buy textbooks/workbooks for every subject.  And of course, I needed to add all the extras that so many people recommend, like Latin, etiquette, and even a planned out fitness program.  Let’s just suffice it to say that this year turned out to be our worst ever.  My children were miserable.  I was miserable.  And very honestly, I believe less learning took place because everyone was so miserable.  I wasn’t meeting the learning styles of my children and I was pushing to accomplish way too much. 

Since we’ve been back to a more natural flow of learning for our family, school has become enjoyable again!   That’s not to say that I don’t slip back into the same old habit of over-thinking and over-planning, but keeping my eye on the situation and being willing to make changes when necessary has made all the difference.  Good luck!!  You’re going to love it!