Q: What are the top challenges you faced when you first started homeschooling?
A: I'd say my two biggest challenges were learning to be a good, consistent parent and following a consistent routine. I'm not into routine or schedules by nature, but believe both are essential for an optimal learning environment and household. That aligns with the way my husband is, and my view is that it is my job to try to run things as best I can in a way that honors his desires. Everyone's husband is different; this was worked best for us. I did not buy into the idea that the housework can wait until the kids are raised. We wanted to live in a clean, orderly home. So I had to learn how to manage it all. It was a learning curve. I used Doorposts charts which were very helpful with consistent discipline, made a schedule in Excel to have all the moving parts laid out for when chores were getting accomplished and when the kids had one on one time with me etc. I used 'days of the week' toy bins to keep the younger kids occupied during schooling times so my attention could be on one child at a time. There was a popular book out called Managers of Their Homes or something like that and it was useful. Before my husband would come home from work, the house got a quick tidy. Home educating was just one more part of the puzzle of child rearing, and I knew very little at first but started small and just kept learning. :)
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