How To Homeschool With an Infant

May 22, 2015 Leave a Comment

Nurturing an infant is one of a mother’s sweetest joys, but homeschooling with an infant can become one of a mother’s greatest dilemmas. The good news is that it is possible to homeschool with an infant. The not so good news is that it can sometimes be tricky to do so. However, the best news is that like me, many other moms have successfully homeschooled while holding, nursing, rocking, cuddling, and chasing infants. And you, my dear sister, can do it too! Consider implementing these six suggestions if you’d like to homeschool while loving your sweet new baby.

Be flexible.
My grandfather used to say, “Sometimes you gotta bend so you don’t break.” Perhaps before baby arrived, you had your homeschool routine running like a well oiled machine. Now that your sweet little one is here, you’re going to have to bend. This may mean your children will watch a few more educational videos than you previously allowed. It may mean you school at weird times because the baby’s schedule demands such. This may mean lessons or projects get cut short or even placed on the back burner until a more convenient time. Don’t get worked up about it. Go with the flow and remember this transitional time won’t last forever.

Embrace the new normal.
One of the most important things to do is recognize that things have now changed. An infant’s sporadic sleeping habits, impromptu feedings, and frequent changes will likely throw off any schedule you previously maintained. But rather than fight against the lifestyle change, embrace this new family dynamic and seek new ways to make it work. You won’t be able to school if you’re physically exhausted and mentally drained, so embrace the new normal.

Adopt an alternate schedule.
Before my wee one was born, our family had a full, but doable schedule. In addition to schooling we were off participating in a variety of extracurricular activities. But once my third child was born, I had to slow down (way down!) and adopt a new schedule. For us, this meant stepping back from a few activities and only concentrating on the 3R’s (reading, writing, and arithmetic) until I got the hang of mothering three children. My Baby Girl is now three and I’m just now returning to our former schedule. An alternate schedule can help ease your schooling burden.

Keep it real.
The post partum period is an unpredictable one full of many ups and downs. And if you find yourself battling bouts of post partum depression and episodes of anxiety as I did, you may find the lows to be especially low. Consequently, this dear sister, is NOT the time to grab your superwoman cape and attempt to take flight. This is not the time to try to defy the odds by refusing to skip a beat. Be real by recognizing your limitations and not being afraid to admit you don’t always have it all together. There’s no sense in wearing a happy mask during the day and then sadly crying yourself to sleep at night.

Ask for and accept help.
When my second child was born, I didn’t want anyone to think I couldn’t handle mothering more than one child, so I was reluctant to ask for help. I refused wise counsel and insisted on doing things on my own. Outwardly, I looked like all was well, but inside I was an insecure and frightened mess. I was governed by pride and it was destroying me.

After my third child was born, I didn’t want to repeat costly previous mistakes so I asked for and accepted help. When a fellow homeschool mom offered to take my older children for a few hours each week, I kissed each girl and happily sent them off. When church members offered to provide us with meals, I joyfully set aside my menu planning binder and we enjoyed a meal someone else lovingly prepared. If I felt overwhelmed or unsure of how to balance my newfound role as a mom of three, I immediately spoke up. Friends and family eagerly volunteered to help and I was grateful.

Take a break.
Sometimes your homeschool will have to be put on hold. I know some of you just gasped and thought something like this: The kids’ brains will turn to mush! I’ll have to reteach everything all over again. All the time I’ve spent teaching will be wasted. Lean in and let me tell you something. None of that is true. Not one single statement. Just make the baby the lesson.

Involve children in the care of their new sibling. Teach them how to hold the baby, how to change the baby, and how to feed the baby. If your children are too young to physically do those things, they’ll learn by watching you. As you come together to read stories or teach while wearing baby in a sling, your children are learning valuable lessons about the importance of family. In addition, you’re thwarting sibling jealousy and enjoying each moment with all of your children instead of wishing infancy away.

If you still want traditional paper and pencil schooling, have your older children write daily journal entries about the baby or create a baby brochure full of tips and advice for new big brothers and sisters.

Homeschooling with an infant can be tough, but if you apply some of the strategies I’ve mentioned, I think you’ll find it easier to do so. Above all, remember the infancy stage passes by so very quickly. Enjoy every moment with your precious one and be thankful for this new beautiful blessing you have to cuddle and love!

If you still have questions, hop on over to the African-American Homeschool Moms Facebook group. There are 1,000+ moms there and many have homeschooled with an infant. We’d love to meet you!

How to Respond to Homeschool Criticism

May 18, 2015 Leave a Comment

The decision to homeschool is often a joyful one for Black homeschoolers. Families are ecstatic because they’re now able to provide a personalized and cultural based education to their children from the comfort of home. But as happy as parents may be about the decision to homeschool, they may be surprised to find that not all relatives share the joy. Why do some homeschool families face criticism from their loved ones?

Much of the disdain is rooted in a lack of knowledge regarding homeschooling. Some family members believe homeschooling is illegal. Some relatives think parents need to have a degree in education in order to homeschool, while others worry the homeschool children they love will no longer have opportunities to socialize.

What is the best way to approach the homeschool naysayers you love? Some will say it’s simply best to tell them to mind their own business. You are certainly free to do that, but there are alternate methods of dealing with criticism that may be equally effective. Here are four tips you may wish to consider using when facing homeschool criticism from relatives.

Make sure everyone is on the same page. If Aunt Jessie questions you about the decision to homeschool and then poses the question to your husband, she should get the same response from him. Relatives should not be able to pit your response against the response of your spouse. Your homeschool should be a unified team effort and your response to critics should reflect that.

Give planned responses. Make a list of the potential criticisms and create a planned response for each one. Planned responses accomplish four things. First, they serve as a way to make sure you and your spouse are providing the same response to critical relatives. Next, planned responses prevent you from scrambling to create a response based on something you pull off the top of your head. In addition, planned responses can prevent emotions from flaring up because you’re not offering a response based on anger, fear, or annoyance. Finally, planned responses prevent you from being drawn into a never-ending homeschool debate.

Explain your decision to homeschool is not up for debate. If you are not interested in engaging in any discussion about your decision to homeschool, make this known immediately. Offer a simple set of statements such as, “We are the parents and our decision to homeschool is based on our love for <insert name(s) here> and our desire to do what is best for her. Our decision to homeschool is not a topic we will debate.” That clearly lets the relative know you will not engage in a back and forth homeschool debate.

Recognize that questions don’t always equal criticism. Sometimes relatives have genuine questions about homeschooling but view those questions as criticism. Though some questions are asked as a way to criticize, not all questions are asked with ill intent. Some relatives may just be seeking clarity, so when faced with questions take time to answer thoroughly and honestly. Once questions are answered, relatives are likely to have a better understanding of what it means to homeschool. Answering questions may block potential criticism.

When dealing with homeschool criticism, it’s good to have a well thought out response. But no matter how you choose to respond to homeschool criticism, remember it’s not your job to win over skeptical relatives. Your job is to provide a loving and high quality education to your children. Don’t let critics block your child’s path to educational success.

Homeschooling Multiple Grades

May 11, 2015 1 Comment

Homeschool moms often find they have to teach children in multiple grades. Many homeschool moms, including me, have struggled to figure out how to do this successfully. Though it may seem next impossible to do, it is not. You can homeschool multiple grades without having a mental meltdown or pulling out your hair. If you exercise a bit of creativity and use proper planning, you too can successfully teach more than one child. The key is finding what works best for you and your children. Here are four strategies I use to successfully homeschool multiple grades.

Teach subjects together whenever possible. Combining subjects is a fantastic way to teach multiple grade levels. When subjects are combined, the same information is shared with many children at once. In our home, combined subjects include science, social studies, art, music, and Bible. I use use the unit study approach when combining subjects.

Use the unit study approach. This is my favorite way to teach multiple grade levels. It works well because I am able to teach the general topic to multiple grade levels and then tailor specific activities for each grade level. So, if we’re working our way through a unit on the systems of the human body, all children will listen to the reading about the circulatory system, participate in the discussion about what was read, and watch a video about how the circulatory system works. Later, younger children will draw a picture of the circulatory system and/or identify the parts of the circulatory system in a diagram. Older children will write a paragraph about how the circulatory system works or create a clay model of the system. I’m teaching the same topic but just using different applications based on grade and ability.

Divide and conquer. Because subjects like math and writing tend to take more time to teach and can be more complex, some subjects must be taught on grade level and therefore, separately. The “divide and conquer” method allows me to have one-on-one instructional time with each child every day, but ensures the remaining children are involved in meaningful and educational opportunities as well. Foe example, in the morning while I’m helping a child edit an essay, the other two children may be creating awesome things in our Makerspace. In the afternoon, while I’m teaching a math lesson to one child, my preschooler is doing her preschool activities as my older child is typing the final copy of the essay we edited earlier in the day.

Enroll children in online classes. The internet is a goldmine for the homeschool mom. There are many online classes and activities based on a variety of subjects and interests. These online classes can serve as your complete curriculum or be used as supplemental curriculum enhancements. Though we do not use a complete online curriculum, my children have taken online Spanish classes and participated in an online book club at over at Currclick. Online classes work well for moms homeschooling multiple grade levels because you’re free to work with other children while one or more are actively engaged in an online class.

At first glance, homeschooling multiple grade levels may seem confusing, but you can do it! Try doing so slowly by utilizing one of the techniques I mentioned. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment or use the contact page to send me an inquiry email.

Homeschooling: Six Things You Should Do

May 5, 2015 Leave a Comment

When moms begin the homeschool journey, their minds are often full of questions. This is especially true of new Black homeschoolers who have often been disappointed by the traditional school system and who are seeking to create a rich child-friendly learning environment at home. Moms want to know what they should do in order to create a happy homeschool and help their children find success.

What should I teach?
How should I teach it?
How long should I teach it?
What books should we read?
Should we attend a homeschool cooperative?
Should I set up a schooling room at home?

Answering questions that begin with the word “should” is often difficult because there isn’t a one size fits all response. But that’s exactly where the beauty of homeschooling begins. As a homeschooling mom, you have control over your child’s learning environment and what you “should” do largely depends on the needs of your child. Every homeschool looks different and that’s a wonderful thing!

But in all honesty, there are some things you should do in your homeschool, but they don’t have much to do with curriculum choice, classroom set up, or book lists. Instead, this list of six “shoulds” has everything to do with creating the stimulating and nurturing environment Black homeschoolers need to gain knowledge and confidence.

You should follow your state’s homeschool regulations. If you’re unaware of the homeschool regulations in your state, you need to make sure you know them. Your homeschool must comply with the law. Failing to adhere state regulations could threaten your ability to homeschool. You can learn more about your state’s homeschool regulations by checking out this page that tells more about homeschool laws.

You should enjoy the time you spend teaching your child. Watching your child learn and being there for the “light bulb on” moments is one of homeschooling’s greatest joys! Children grow up quickly and so it’s imperative that we savor every moment we have with them. The time we spend homeschooling our children should never be looked upon as an unpleasant burden, but rather be viewed as an opportunity to build strong and loving relationships with our children.

You should teach your child according to his or her particular learning style. Take the time to read about learning styles. As you study your child and work with him, you’ll soon discover how he best learns. Once you know his style or styles of learning, select educational materials that utilize the style and teach your lessons using that style. For more information about learning styles, check out these three posts: Homeschooling Tactile Learners, Homeschooling Auditory Learners, and Homeschooling Visual Learners.

You should teach at a pace that is comfortable for your child. Don’t rush just for the sake of getting done. Learning is meant to be an enjoyable process, one that fosters a desire to learn more. If your daughter needs you to slow down so she can master long division, do it. If your son masters fractions quickly, move on. You have the ability to tailor lessons that will meet your child’s needs. Don’t frustrate your child by moving too quickly or too slowly.

You should remember that you are your child’s first and best teacher. You are equipped for this job because you know your child best! As long as you dedicate yourself to better understanding your child, learning the subject matter that is to be taught, and teaching in an effective manner, you can educate your child at home successfully. If you need support in your homeschool journey, connect with other homeschoolers. The African American Homeschool Moms Facebook group is a great place to meet other homeschool moms.

You should focus on your homeschool and not another mom’s homeschool. The homeschool community is extremely diverse and learning looks different in each home. Comparing your homeschool to my homeschool is like comparing apples to oranges. The comparison is unequal so it’s best not fall into the comparison trap in the first place.

A happy homeschool is simple to create and is not governed by a lot of technical “shoulds”. Stay informed, enjoy the time you spend with your children, focus on your homeschool, and above all…relax!

YouTube Art Lessons: Mr. P Studios

April 8, 2015 3 Comments

Like most kids I know, my children love to create art. But I’m not confident in my artistic abilities, so I take my children to art activities at the local library or sign them up for art classes in the area. However, sometimes our schedule is full and our budget doesn’t have room for an additional course. When that happens, what can a homeschool mom do?

Enter YouTube! I regularly turn to YouTube to find instructional art videos I can use with my elementary age children. There are many great channels on YouTube, but one of my favorite channels is maintained by an art teacher named Mr. P. His YouTube channel, Mr P Studios, is fabulous!

My kids enjoy Mr. P because he’s entertaining and funny, but I enjoy him because he creates gorgeous art projects I can easily recreate here in our homeschool. I also love Mr. P’s channel because I think it is important for Black homeschoolers to see instructors that look like them.

If you’re looking for some fun and easy to recreate art projects you can add to your homeschool, I encourage you to stop by Mr P Studios. Take a sneak peek at his channel by viewing this awesome lesson on African Pottery Drawing.