Homeschooling can be running along smoothly when suddenly out of nowhere the road is dark and overgrown with thorns. Should I turn around and find a different path? Should I sit here for a while and hope for the best? Or should I call for help? Here are a few tips to help you discern if it’s time to reach out for help with your homeschooling.
Reading By Age 7
Most experts agree that a child should be reading by the end of first grade. If you and your child are butting heads at the end of first grade with no progress towards knowing how to read, you might want to start looking into your options. Don’t put it off! Reading is so foundational for learning. Getting help early could be key for your child’s overall academic progress. I personally benefitted from early intervention in first grade and went on to enjoy reading and writing.
Social Anxiety and Loneliness
Are your kids comfortable in social settings? Do they try to get to know other kids or do they hide in a corner in a group setting? Maybe you are feeling alone as a parent doing so much on your own. Time to reach out!
Falling Behind
If you are always falling behind and are feeling badly about not finishing anything, it might be time to invite an experienced homeschool Mom over to talk about what type of curriculum or program could work better for your family.
Disaster Zone
Homeschooling at our house makes a mess. There is no other way to describe it. Is your home a disaster zone and becoming less healthy to live in with no way out from under stacks of books, piles of papers, mounds of laundry, and counters covered with dirty dishes? Time to ask for help!
Learning Disabilities
These days there is so much information on learning disabilities. If you think your child might be struggling more than average with his schoolwork it is not the time to ignore what could be a very real disability. Shying away from asking for help because of your own fears is not the answer. Ask! Get as much information as you can so you can make the best choices to get your child to the next level.
Feel Like Quitting
Homeschooling is hard. It takes determination every day to keep going. Are you feeling like you should just quit and put the kids in school? Before you quit, ask for help!
Remember
Remember, you started homeschooling for a whole list of great reasons. You can do it! It’s ok to ask for help. Yes, it may feel humiliating at the time. My own dad said he felt terrible when he saw my test scores and realized I would have to go into a remedial class in first grade. How could this have happened? But guess what? It was an experience that I will never forget. My teacher was kind and encouraging: just what I needed to help me to learn. Isn’t that the goal? We want to keep creating safe environments where learning continues to grow. Who couldn’t use a little help with that?
HomeschoolFacts.com has a complete list of support groups to help support you in your homeschooling endeavors and connect with homeschoolers near you. You can search the list of support groups here: https://www.homeschoolfacts.com/homeschool-support-groups.html
Sarah Brutovski is a homeschool mom of three children. She grew up just down the street from where she and her husband are raising their family now in rural Upstate New York. When she is not teaching her kids, grocery shopping, or drinking coffee you might find her training for a half marathon, escaping for a morning at the beach, or chatting on the phone with one of her four siblings. Sarah loves writing on her blog sarahswritingcafe.blogspot.com and currently teaches creative writing at her kids’ weekly co-op.
