5 Reasons You Are Your Child’s Best Teacher
When making the decision to homeschool your child self-doubt is a common fear most parents are faced with. You may be thinking, I don’t have a teaching degree. I’m not patient enough. Where do I start? What if I fail and my kids fall behind? These feelings are completely normal and I want to assure you that you CAN teach your child and be successful in doing so! You are your child’s best teacher and here is why.
“There is no school equal to a decent home and no teacher equal to a virtuous parent.”
― Mahatma Gandhi
1.You were your child’s first teacher from the moment they were born
You have been teaching your child from the moment they were born. You taught them right from wrong, how to say sorry, how to tie their shoes, how to get dressed and feed themselves. You have been teaching them how to be a good friend and sister or brother. What is it about the age of 5 that all the sudden makes you unqualified to teach your child anymore? Society and sometimes family and friends have placed these doubts in your mind, making you feel like you are not qualified to continue to teach your child. This is just not true. Many parents including those without even a high school education are successfully educating their children well above government standards. The same parent that taught their child to ride a bike is the same one that can teach their child reading, writing, and math.
2.You love them and want to see them succeed at all costs
As much as a school teacher cares for the students in their class, they cannot love them like you do. You love them with an unconditional love and want the very best for them. There is no one in this world that wants your child to succeed more than you do! A school teacher has 25-30 students they are working with, you have only a few that you are totally invested in. You won’t label your child as the bad kid or the one that is a slow learner. You will try all sorts of different ways to help them learn and comprehend. You will never give up on your child!
3.You can find out their learning style and teach to them in that way
Some children like worksheets, while others need hands-on manipulatives to understand a topic. Some kids love to read about a subject while others absorb the information better visually or audibly. You have the time to figure out your child’s learning style and teach in that way. Homeschool is not a one size fits all education. You can teach one child in one way and your other child in another way.
You can change the curriculum or do something different if it isn’t working out. Let’s say you are using a math curriculum and your child hates it and it is making them miserable every time you mention math. You don’t have to continue using that math curriculum. You don’t have to see it through until the end. Try a different math curriculum, or if you don’t want to spend any more money, find some free math worksheets online. If your child hates worksheets, try some computer math games or printable math games. As long as your child is learning, it is not required to finish the curriculum. There is no point continuing to use something that is causing such a struggle.
4. You can pick books and unit studies about things that they love
A child will be more motivated to write stories, read books, and do reports about subjects they are passionate about. No one knows your child’s interest better than you and you can craft lesson plans based on these interest. Maybe your child loves trains. You can get books from the library about trains and have them learn all about how they work, the different types of trains etc. They can write a story about trains or take a field trip to ride on a train. Homeschooling gives you the unique opportunity to focus on subjects your child will be more enthusiastic about and in return they will be much more engaged.
5.You know what motivates them
Some children need the motivation to get their work done. Through practice, you’ll learn the little tricks that help them get their work done. It may be different for each one of your children. A sticker may be all it takes for one child to finish an assignment while another may need outside play time, computer time , or praise. Every child is different and every child is motivated by something. You have the opportunity to find out what it is and use that to help them learn.
Homeschooling can be hard, but it is so rewarding! You get to see your child read for the first time and you will see the light bulb moment when they finally understand something. You experienced your child’s first word and first step and it is just as exciting to hear the first word they read! Children grow up so fast and I know I don’t want to miss a minute of it! You are your child’s best teacher! You can do it!
What are your thoughts? What is your favorite part about teaching your children? What has been your biggest concern? Share below in the comments.
