365 Things to Avoid while Homeschooling
#19 Rush hour
Sometimes we all get stuck having to go somewhere during rush hour (happened to me today), but as homeschoolers, we have more flexibile schedules than most. Often people assume that school-aged kids are only available evenings and weekends, so I have learned that when I'm making appointments or scheduling lessons, to say "We homeschool, would it be more convenient for you to meet during the day?" Generally, their eyes light up, and we are able to pick a time that works better for everyone, and lets us avoid gridlock and drive-thru dinners.
#18 Casually telling a new/newly relocated homeschooler to start their own homeschool group...
This is a pet-peeve of mine. I live in the upper midwest, and finding space for large homeschool groups to meet can be difficult, and so many groups limit their size. The result is that new and newly relocated homeschoolers find out that there's a fabulous, active group in their neighborhood, but they can't join, and are advised to "start their own group".
#17 Judging a homeschool group too quickly...
It's a story that happens too often-- a new family goes to park day or some other public function to check out a homeschool support group, and the group is not what they hoped, so they write the group off forever. But here's the other side of the story:
- The family came to the park and played near the homeschool group without ever saying hello, because they expected the group to reach out to them, and left in a huff because they were "unfriendly".
or
#16 Thinking you need to teach everything yourself.
Since it's called "homeschooling" people often assume that all learning is supposed to happen at home. But "homeschooling" is something of a misnomer-- it doesn't have to happen at home, and parents don't have to be the only teachers. Homeschooling gives you the freedom to find the education that best fits your family-- so if you don't feel comfortable with a subject, or just like the sound of someone else teaching it, outsource it. There are DVD courses, online courses, homeschool coops, tutors, commercial classes...
#15 Telling the parents of preschoolers they don't need to do anything with their child.
Today's "thing" was suggested by a friend of mine. Many longtime homeschoolers believe that formal learning is unnecessary for preschoolers, and there's no need to worry about hitting specific milestones. However, if you live in a place where most preschoolers attend preschool, it can be lonely and dull to just stay at home, and being told to do nothing when you ask for ideas is frustrating and can feel like a brush-off. An added challenge is that most homeschool groups focus on the needs of school-aged kids, leaving families with only preschoolers without much support or
#14 Worry about covering every subject everyday
Some families like having the same schedule every day, and if that works for you, great. But if trying to squeeze every subject into every day is too much, play around with your schedule and see if something else works better. And if an opportunity comes along to go on a fabulous field trip, or delve deeply into a subject your kids love, take it!
#13 Not standing with other homeschoolers against anti-homeschool politicians.
Politics can be very divisive in any community, and the homeschool community is no exception. But when politicians start to threaten our homeschool freedoms we need to stick together.
Leonard J. Martin, a candidate for Superintendent of State Instruction for the state of California has, unfortunately, given us another opportunity to do so. As reported by enchanted musing, he says:
#12 Forgetting to thank homeschool group leaders...
They make it seem so easy, that sometimes we forget just how much our homeschool leaders do. So if you took a class at a homeschool coop, or went on a group field trip, or benefited from the experience of a more seasoned homeschooler, take a minute to say thanks! And think about how you could help next time. 
#11 Never taking a sick day.
This is one of my personal demons, one that I'm struggling with today. I am very quick to keep my kids home if they feel a little down, but I could have pneumonia, or be anticipating surgery, and I won't cancel a thing. It's very easy to feel like you need to keep going no matter what, but you'll be healthier in the long run if you take it easy when your body lets you know it's time. The world will not end if you let the kids watch movies and nap on the sofa for a day.
Curriculum to avoid
List curriculum that you'd recommend other homeschoolers avoid, and why, here.
Homeschoolers tend to be positive people, which is good, until you need to get an accurate impression of a curriculum you haven't seen first hand. It's easy to get people to talk about what they enjoyed, but there are a lot of curricula that people either love or hate, and i only the fans talk about it, the rest of us aren't going to get the real picture, and we're likely to waste money.
