No stress homeschooling: Easy how to homeschool tips

Are you feeling stressed in your homeschool or anxious about how to start homeschooling? Start with these simple tips for an easy no stress homeschool.

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Required Resources

Here are some required resources for an easy, stress-free homeschool:

Bible
Book lists
a math program
the outdoors
lots to see, hear or do

First Things

At Storyschooling, I am all about education grounded in Jesus, easy for the parents and focused on the reading and sharing of many beautiful books. Whether you are long term or new homeschoolers, one of the greatest mistakes parents can make when beginning homeschooling is to try to live up to the expectations of others or to replicate school schedules and curriculums. They can soon find that instead of a loving, thriving, joyful homeschool, they end up with “school at home”. It is easy to get bogged down in lesson plans, daily schedules and curriculums that were marketed to schools and intended for large classes of children and before the school year has barely begun, their stress levels are through the roof.

The great thing about being a homeschooling parent is that you have the opportunity to teach your children in your way and to create the mood and culture that you want for your home, rather than trying to replicate a classroom. Your home is the space where the standard for how you live is the Lord Jesus Christ who knows you, knows your children and knows your inner struggles. The primary philosophy of Storyschooling is to make homeschooling easy, accessible and stress-free for parents while being centred on Jesus.

May this be an encouragement for those of you who place too much pressure on yourselves to “do it all” or for those who buy into the “supermum” mindset and compare themselves to those who appear to have it all and to have it all together. At the risk of not having a perfect house, perfect children or a perfect you, you instead get to create and prioritise a beautiful home instead of a perfect house. You have a wonderful opportunity to nurture a deeper, more meaningful relationship with your children and to guide them toward hearts for Jesus.

We may be able to teach our children to be successful by the world’s standards but if we are not teaching them to be citizens of God’s Kingdom, then we have missed our number one calling.

Yes, we want them to be successful in both but they need the foundation of a pure and loving heart strengthened by the love and Words of Jesus in order to be truly effective with the gifts God has given them.

One of the most beautiful things about homeschooling is that you get to start afresh with God’s mercies that are new every morning. That is what makes traveling this road so beautiful and inspiring and joyful. There are no guarantees that there will not be bad days but there is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ or ‘best’ in what you do each day with your children. The key is to find what is true, right and beautiful for your family and enjoy the journey together, knowing that the road will not be perfect but that you will all be growing and learning together as you navigate any bumps in the road.

It was not unusual for me to do a pivot in the middle of the year or even more often, depending on the needs of my children. Our schedule would change depending on whether we had a baby or toddler in the house and needed to work around their sleep schedule.

I am not a fan of most curriculums, not because they are not good or because they do not contain valuable content but because the majority of them forget they are writing for children and that children need time to be children. Many curriculum subjects even for primary aged children are written with an inordinate time requirement, not only for the child but also in preparation time for the parent. Many require an hour or even two per day, five days a week in order to complete a year’s worth of material. No child should be required to spend 8-10 hours per day on curriculum and book work. This will not lead to a well-rounded life nor a well-rounded child. There are so many different ways to accomplish the goal of a well educated, well rounded child that we do not have to believe the lie that there is only one way. This is your homeschooling journey.

Curriculums (including quality homeschool curriculums) have often been written and produced by publishers whose primary purpose is to make money. It is huge business these days and many text book publishers have jumped on the homeschool publishing bandwagon, resulting in homeschooling parents feeling obligated to try to recreate “school at home”. The expectation to cover every subject, every week of every year was an agenda historically set by school boards, not by parents who have their child’s best interests at heart. You do not have to cover every subject, every week of every year of your child’s life. There are many ways to cover different subject areas without all of them filling up your daily schedule. Visit my Storyschooling library here for subject specific suggestions.

Younger children (under 8 years of age) can learn exclusively through picture books with no formal curriculum at all. It is crucial in your child’s early years to develop a love for learning and for the written word. Your child’s success in every area of life will only be enhanced by the nurturing of a natural curiosity about the world and the ability to pursue their own areas of interest.

You can literally homeschool with beautiful picture books and literature that you read aloud to your children. Start with a list of quality picture books and cover a whole range of different subjects simply by seeing what selections are available from your local library.

Cater to the different learning styles of your children by asking them how they would like to learn a new topic. For example, if you ask several children how they would like to study art, one may want to read a book of great art works, another may want to take an art class or watch some documentaries and still another may prefer to visit an art gallery or museum. The best way of course would be to do all these things but if you have one child, who has a preference for one way, nurture that desire. A home with one child will be very different to a home with many children and many different learning styles. If you have several children, do all of these and schedule them in a way that works for your family, whether that is over a week, a month or a term.

While it may be beneficial somewhere down the track for curriculums or online classes, you will have much less stress when first starting out if you take things slowly and plan to build on your schedule only if appropriate. Schedule quiet time for reading, listening to music or audio books each day to give everyone a break and for your children to become accustomed to the idea of not having to be busy all the time. Children need time to play, daydream and wonder, time where every hour of every day is not filled. They need time to play or enjoy listening to beautiful music, create or enjoy the visual and performing arts, time to build relationship with family and friends or to be spontaneous.

Allow your children to take turns choosing some of your picture books and read alouds based on their interests. If one loves cooking, make this the focus for a while by reading books about food and cooking and then getting into the kitchen to cook and bake together. Use this as a service to others by cooking up a meal for someone you know such as a neighbour or someone in your church who is ill or tired or has just had a baby. If a child loves dance, read as many books as you can about ballet and other forms of dance and see if you can obtain some tickets to a local ballet. Professional shows will often sell discounted tickets to a final dress rehearsal which is a learning experience in itself and you may be able to secure a further discount by organising a group booking with others in your homeschool community.

If you have a very sporty child, focus on learning about the variety of Olympic sports during an olympic year. This can easily fill a whole year of reading, research and participation. Do what you and your children enjoy. If you and your children are craft minded then make a craft project inspired by what you have read. If you read a book about nature and trees or bugs, take a walk afterward and see what you can find that relates to what you have just read. You are sure to find much more besides. If you make a regular habit of walking through your neighbourhood or local botanic gardens, you will start to notice the changing of the seasons and the behaviour patterns of the local flora and fauna.

If you are more bookish and research minded, look for other books relating to the topic or an appropriate movie or video. If you know someone who knows about this topic, make a date and catch up with them or invite them around for afternoon tea to share their knowledge with your family. Make your homeschool your own and have faith in your ability to nurture and grow the gifts and abilities God has given you and your children.

Getting Started

Bible

The most important thing is to start with Bible reading or study together each day of the week. This will ensure this takes priority and will convey to your children how important it is to centre their day in the Word. See How to Read and Study the Bible with your Family.

Book Lists

Sharing lots of books together on a diverse range of topics will set your children up for success. Once they are independent readers they can become independent learners. You want to encourage this in your children but not to the detriment of your family time.

Enjoying a simple routine of the family gathering together each morning, reading and studying the Bible and reading beautiful books together will make for stress-free homeschooling.

The most simple thing you can do to learn about a new topic is to just pick up a book and read. If you have any struggling readers or children who have not yet learned to read, borrow audio versions from the library that they can listen to in quiet time or altogether in the car. Read to your younger children, read to your older children and read to your children altogether with daily read alouds.

My all time favorite thing about homeschooling was snuggling up on the couch together in the afternoon for read alouds. The younger ones would snuggle while older ones would draw, knit, build etc and occasionally snuggle up for a cuddle too. Reading aloud to your children each day, including older children, is one of the best ways to expose them to rich literature and vocabulary and to create beautiful family memories by sharing stories and learning together.

For every book you read, find a way to enhance the learning without having to resort to worksheets and tests, even if it is just discussing what you have read and asking them to tell back their favourite part. Nothing can kill the joy of reading faster than a child being required to write a book report for every book they read.

I recommend being careful about adding activities, especially if your child is naturally engaging you in conversation about the books they are reading and you are able to discuss and ask questions. This kind of spontaneous conversation around the books they are reading is one of the most valuable learning tools without having to resort to curriculum.

Start with these book recommendations from Beautiful Feet Books. These are the books recommended by reading age but their delightful range of teacher guides will also be able to assist you with scheduling, discussion and extra activities when you are ready. Many of these books should be available from your local library.

Honey for a Child’s Heart

A staple on many homeschooler bookshelves, this book contains a plethora of updated book lists and information for a whole range of genres. Recommended for up to age 12 but many of these could easily be read by older children or used for family read alouds.

Honey for a Child's Heart (Updated and Expanded)

$11.85

The Imaginative Use of Books in Family Life

Honey for a Child's Heart is a compelling, essential guide for parents who want to find the best books for their children ages 0-12. This updated and expanded edition includes a new preface, an updated list of recommended reads for each age group, and audiobook suggestions.

Honey for a Child's Heart (Updated and Expanded)

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12/01/2024 06:34 pm GMT

Beautiful Feet Books: Homeschool books by grade level

Here are 4 Beautiful Feet book lists you can use to get started with literary centred homeschooling:

Mathematics

The only other subject I would implement initially for a stress free start to homeschooling is a math program. I recommend Learn Math Fast. This is a simple program with one self-contained book for each level and worked solutions in the back. It can be used for all ages from 6 years of age, even up to adults who have not had the math education they should have had. It has been designed in a way that it does not need to take twelve years to learn math and can be used as an accelerated program over just one or two years for older children if needed. If your children are under 8 years of age, you can continue to cover math topics through picture books, manipulatives and games.

Outdoors

Spending time together outdoors is the easiest way to cover nature study and will ensure you have a great time with your children while also taking care of your mental health. Beautiful Feet Books has a delightful selection of books for nature study in their Seasons Afield Nature Study Pack. Try to get outside each day for a nature walk or sporting activity, a play at the local playground, a hike or a swim. Whatever your family enjoys and is appropriate for the season, be intentional about fresh air, sunshine and exercise each day. Get together with friends or find out what is happening in your local homeschool community groups. Spend lots of time outdoors and expose them to a wide array of experiences to encourage well rounded children who love learning and the world around them.

Spend as much time as possible outside even when the weather isn’t perfect. This will allow you all to experience the seasons in a much richer way. You will notice the changes in the flora and fauna in your area. Your children will be able to smell the flowers and notice when the rain is coming. Avoid the temptation of enrolling your children in too many sports and programmes so all their time is filled. Their imaginations, thinking skills and independence will develop much more strongly with plenty of free time to play and explore either at home, the beach, parks, forests and other outdoor sources of discovery.

See, hear and do

When learning something new, it may be best for your children to “see” or “hear” initially, rather than to expect your child to “do”. Visit the art gallery or museum so the child has an opportunity to observe and experience beautiful art before being expected to produce it. Read beautiful stories and poems to your children before expecting them to write them. Take your children to a lunch time performance of your local symphony orchestra before asking them to take music lessons. You can often find good amateur theatre productions or reduced price tickets for a dress rehearsal performance of a professional ballet, musical or play. See a show before expecting your child to get up and perform or speak in front of others. See and hear and then find beautiful books about what you have seen or heard rather than relying on curriculum, classes or assignments. You may just find that this is enough and that your child finds their passions in their own beautiful and natural way without the learning being forced or your child feeling pressured.

If your child discovers a passion or new area of interest as a result of seeing and hearing, this may then be the right time to find a way for them to “do”. Find out what classes, workshops or holiday programs are offered in your local area that will nurture your child’s new found passion. If there isn’t anything, start your own group or club and invite others in your homeschool community. Start a simple book, art or sports club by inviting a couple of families to join you and see where it leads.

That’s it!

Start with the above Bible, reading, math and outdoor protocol, add a little seeing and hearing and then add some extra reading around these things. Next, bide your time before introducing more. If you have children who are not yet reading, they will benefit from the plethora of books you read together. Once you have mastered a relaxed, stress-free homeschooling schedule, only then is it time to consider if, when and what else you may want to add.

Days ahead

If you find yourself constantly under a lot of stress due to unexpected life events or challenges in your home, dare to take a day off or even a week. Don’t just wallow in the stress. Do something different with this time. Take some field trips or get together with friends for a swim at the beach or a day at the park.

Taking extra time that you need in order to maintain a healthy family life and home is one of the greatest benefits of homeschooling. Make sure you take time to find friends for yourself as well as for your children. It is important to get together with other homeschool mums with whom you can debrief and share your successes and failures. If you are feeling alone in your area without much support, start a Friday park play or invite a family from your church or homeschooling community around for afternoon tea and be intentional about meeting with other mums and children.

Conclusion

Finally, this is not all to say that you should never use curriculums. We have and we do use curriculums occasionally when I feel they are beneficial. It has however taken me many years to learn not to be dictated by the curriculum and to allow the curriculum to work for us.

This also does not mean I do not believe in a rigorous education. In conjunction with a solid Biblical foundation and subsequently the development of a child’s character founded on Biblical values and morality, I believe we should be teaching our children across all the subject areas. We should be desiring for our children that they have a high level of literacy and numeracy with a robust understanding of history, geography, economics, law etc and an ability to assess information and think critically about the world around them. Watch this space as I have much more to say in the education arena in coming months.

My aim here is simply to encourage those of you who are new to homeschooling to start slowly. If you have homeschooled for a while but are feeling burnt out, have a reset. There is plenty of time to add more. In this case, less is more. Start with less and only add more when the time is right for you and your child.

Visit the Storyschooling library for subject specific book suggestions.

No stress homeschooling: Easy how to homeschool tips

Required Resources

First Things