The way in which we choose to view our world largely impacts the way we participate in it. This quote attributed to Thomas Jefferson saying, “We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses,” is a perfect example of two different perspectives we can take. When it comes to teaching our kids at home, we have two choices. We can let imposter syndrome set in and keep us drowning in the thought that we will never be good enough to teach our children, or we can rejoice in the opportunity to learn alongside our children, imperfections and all.
Let me ask you this: If you woke up this morning and decided to run in the next 5k race without stopping or walking, could you do it that day? Probably not. It would take research, training, and time to master this skill. You’ll have to search for the best way to train and how to do so safely. How much water should you drink? What foods will boost your energy? You’ll have to organize this new knowledge, implement it into your daily life, and practice consistently. During the process, you’ll find that on some days, you won't want to run or eat the best foods, while on other days, you’ll hit every goal. But as long you stay focused on your goal, changing one habit at a time, and not letting the bad days overwhelm you, then eventually you will wake up one day able to successfully run that 5k without stopping or walking.
But that didn’t happen overnight, and it didn’t happen by meeting every day with perfection. It happened with a mix of different days, but every day had the same goal in mind. Teaching our children at home is the same thing and just like how you don’t have to be an Olympian to run a 5k, you don’t have to be a certified teacher to educate your kids.
Here, we choose to rejoice in the opportunity to learn alongside our kids, imperfections and all. So, get ready to say goodbye to the dreaded imposter syndrome because we have a new and improved confidence coming through! Utilize these five tips to help build your homeschool confidence.
5 Tools I Use to Build My Homeschool Confidence
- Change Your Passwords
- Adopt A Growth Mindset
- Embrace Imperfection
- Find Your Tribe
- Tap Into Natural Curiosity
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Change Your Passwords
I’m the old-school type who doesn’t allow my computer or phone to save my passwords. I do this for several reasons, one of which is to boost my confidence.
You know how people talk about daily affirmations? This is how I force myself to actually say daily affirmations every day because, let’s face it, I’ve become blind to that positive note hanging on the fridge or negligent to that list of inspirational quotes I promised myself I would start each day with.
Here is how I do this. When I create a password, I pick a phrase like “There is no one better to teach my kid than me.” Then, I take the first letter of each one of those words to create my password. So, my password would look like this tinobttmktm with a mix of capital letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. Now, every time I sign into something, I have to say that phrase because trying to remember just a bunch of random letters like that would take too much work. (Also, this is just an example; I do not use this phrase as my password.)
Take Action
Now try it yourself!
What is a phrase that resonates with you?
What is a goal that you have for yourself?
What is something you want to remind yourself of every day?
The best part is you can pick different phrases to use for each account, or you can use a variation of the same phrase for different accounts.
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Adopt a Growth Mindset
Mistakes are often attributed to bad things, but not all mistakes are bad. Some mistakes have led to the most impactful inventions.
Also, mistakes are inevitable. They come with being human. It’s an extremely rare occasion if it even happens at all, where we try something new for the very first time and master it flawlessly. How many times did you fall off your bike before you could ride it? Probably at least a few times. This is the same for teaching our kids at home, especially if it’s your first time.
It will take time to find a rhythm that works for you. It will take trial and error to discover your child’s learning style and what benefits them most. Over time, your schedule may change, your curriculum may change, and your approach may change, but your goal to enrich your child’s education will always remain the same. In my unprofessional opinion, that’s the most important part. Try to view challenges as opportunities for growth and celebrate successes, no matter how small.
Take Action
On a separate sheet of paper, write a letter to your future self. Give yourself permission to make mistakes. Remind yourself that not all mistakes are bad, and they are just a part of the process. Give yourself grace. Include any inspirational quotes you find to help you regain a positive perspective in a frustrating moment. Fold this letter up and keep it somewhere safe. Return to this letter as often as needed during your teaching journey.
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Embrace Imperfection
There is an added pressure to maintain perfection. The voices of people who are against homeschooling rattle around in our heads, telling us we are making a mistake. We have the pressure of our child's success hanging on our shoulders. And we don’t have a playbook telling us how to make all the right decisions. Everything is up to us and we have no idea where to even begin.
In this search for perfection, we turn to the internet. With the internet, we have a range of knowledge at our fingertips, and that can be both good and overwhelming. It’s easy to fall into this endless web of information, trying to gather all that we can to avoid making every mistake possible, but that’s not possible.
For starters, every family is different, so what may be a mistake to one person might be another person's golden ticket. It’s also impossible to think of every situation you might encounter when life is full of surprises. You can’t research your way into perfection, so embrace the imperfection. Because with imperfection comes growth, learning, and deeper connections.
Take Action
On another piece of paper, write down what makes your homeschooling journey yours!
Why did you choose to homeschool?
What was it that drew you into homeschooling?
Were you homeschooled as a kid?
Have you always wanted to homeschool your child, or was this a recent decision?
What are you most excited about in homeschooling?
What are your greatest qualities that you can contribute to homeschooling?
What are some of your favorite homeschool quotes that inspire you?
Every time you feel pressure to be perfect or when everything seems to be falling apart, use this paper as a reset. Remind yourself why you are here and what really matters.
So fold this paper up and keep it somewhere safe to return to as needed.
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Find Your Tribe
You are a product of your environment, and there is nothing more heartwarming than finding people with whom you can relate. Otherwise, you constantly feel like a fish trying to swim upstream.
I vividly remember the day I met my first homeschool friend. We were sitting next to each other in a public place when she mumbled under her breath, “All kids learn in school is how to sit down and shut up all day.” I immediately asked if she would be interested in having a play date later that week because this statement resonated with me. I knew at this moment there was a good chance we held the same homeschool values. Before this, I had no one, so to find a person that I could relate to was a weight off my chest.
There are many ways to find a community of families to connect with. The easiest is social media groups. You can also search for local homeschool groups, attend workshops, and participate in co-op classes for an in-person experience.
They say it takes a village to raise our kids, and that village doesn’t stop at school-aged children. This will also help build a sense of camaraderie, which is the biggest thing I miss about leaving the work field.
Take Action
Head over to social media and start searching for homeschool groups.
You can try searching:
Homeschool group for beginners
Secular Homeschooling Group
Montessori Homeschooling Group
Unschooling Groups
Homeschool groups in [your city]
Check out their page and see if anything there resonates with you.
Head over to Google and search for homeschool groups in your area. The state I live in has a homeschool group dedicated to the whole state with amazing resources. In our county we have an education service district with awesome resources as well. Search your county to see what you can find.
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Tap Into Natural Curiosity
One gift parents have that a certified school teacher never will is the ability to adapt and mold a learning environment that works best for their child instead of a one-size-fits-all approach. In my opinion, this is our greatest superpower as parents who teach from home, and what’s a bigger confidence boost than having your own superpower?
Children are born with an innate curiosity and thirst for knowledge. As a homeschool parent, you have the unique opportunity to nurture and cultivate this natural love of learning. Follow your child's interests and incorporate them into your lessons. Explore the world together through field trips, experiments, and hands-on activities. By tapping into your child's natural curiosity, you will create a love for learning that will last a lifetime. This is a gift only you can give your child. How special is that?
Take Action
What is your child's preferred method of learning?
What interests does your child have? (You can utilize these interests to tackle things they find less interesting. E.g. They don’t like to count but they love throwing rocks. So you can have them count how many rocks they can throw into a bucket.)
What have you tried in the past that hasn’t worked?
What have you tried in the past that did work?
Jot down a list of field trip ideas such as museums, local landmarks, local businesses, or nature trails.
Hopefully, now you have a newfound inspiration to start or continue your homeschool journey with tools that you can carry with you to help keep you motivated and inspired. If you ever feel like you can’t do it, send me a message because I’ll always be here to tell you, you can! 😊
