We’ve come up with a list of questions you might have regarding a mentoring program – and the answers you need to make an informed decision on whether it’s the right move to make for YOUR household.

What is a homeschool mentor – exactly?

It’s a good basic question, as the term “mentoring” covers quite a broad area. Mentoring can include anything from calling another parent in your homeschooling network who has been through it all and getting some sage personal advice. Or it can involve enrollment in a program that can provide you with weekly or even daily assistance with your teaching methods researching, coping skills, or even spiritual guidance and prayer. A good mentor (sometimes called a homeschool coach) should be able to assist you with these things:

• Help you connect to other homeschoolers, either locally or through online communities
• Give you great ideas for activities or educational field trip ideas in your area
• Help with lesson plans, researching tips, and gathering resources for teaching
• Allowing you to observe a functioning homeschool program if you are just starting out
• Help you problem-solve with any issues that arise
• Give you advice on how to deal with local school officials if necessary

In a nutshell, mentoring can cover such a wide range of resources or input to your current homeschool program that it is hard to provide any one definition of the term. It can be what you need it to be – you just need to make an informed decision on how much help you really need.

How do I decide if I need a homeschool mentor – really?

Of course everyone could use an experienced coach in their back pocket through the course of any given week. If you are a parent, then you’ve asked yourself many times – oh my gosh, how do I know what’s the best course of action here? Often times, your best hunch ends up being the right answer. Sometimes, it’s not – but then you learn and move on. If you are not sure if you “really” need a mentor, ask yourself the following:

• Do you feel uncertain in your ability as a teacher?
• Do you feel exasperated or frustrated at the end of the day?
• Do you wish you had someone to bounce your ideas off of or give you motivation?
• Are you struggling with decisions related to the public school system and want to know the best way to handle them?
• Do you want to network with other homeschooling parents and teachers?
• Is it taking you way too long to plan your lessons and research materials?

If you’ve answered ‘yes’ to one or more of these questions, it’s likely a good time to look into mentoring!

What does mentoring cost – straight up?

It is possible to find a free mentor, especially if you have many personal connections in your own homeschool community. You may be able to find another parent who has been through the experience, and is willing to provide you with some guidance, tips, and be available when problems arise. With the age of the internet and its bounty of resources available at your fingertips, you can easily join an online forum or community where you can post your questions and receive answers from others like you. However, if you are looking for someone to reach out to on a consistent basis – and who has proven experience behind them with positive strategies for all of your roadblocks or issues, you should look into a paid mentor. Mentors are usually paid:

• By the hour for phone consultation (somewhere in the neighborhood of $25/hr)
• Monthly fees with access to website materials/program (we found $30 – $50/ month is reasonable)

So to sum it up – mentoring is affordable – even free if you’re resourceful enough – and it may just give you that extra boost you need.

How do I find a reputable mentor – and avoid charlatans?

If you perform a Google search on the term “homeschooling mentors,” you will be amazed at the number of sites that pop up. Some are other homeschooling parents who want to share their story, some are online programs, and some are people trying to sell their books and other things. Here are some things to scout for:

• Look for someone who has homeschooled their own children successfully – you want someone who has been down in the trenches and emerged successfully!
• Check credentials. A mentor should have substantially more experience than you do.
• If it’s an informal arrangement – perhaps another mom you admire in your homeschool community – make sure you formally ‘ask’ for mentoring help, and be very aware of how valuable that person’s time is!
• Look around on Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, or on other online forums – there is tons of free info out there and many ways to connect with potential mentors through social media.

Remember that the best way to know for sure that you are getting a good mentor is through the reference of other parents like you. Ask around! A good homeschool mentor can provide specific advice, resources, and the encouragement you need for your own success. So go for it!

Do you sometimes feel that there are just not enough hours in the day?  Do you roll out of bed at the crack of dawn, fall back into bed long after the entire neighborhood has gone off to sleep and still feel like you need a few more hours to get everything accomplished that you set out to do? Read More. 

I remember when my 3 children were all under 8 years old. I felt as if I really could use a few more hands and another set of eyes. The house was always screaming that it needed to be cleaned or at the very least, straightened up. The dishes would pile up so high in the course of a day that the dishwasher wouldn’t hold them and I’m not going to burden you with the woes of my laundry situation. I have not even mentioned that there were meals to prepare, school to accomplish and sometimes I just wanted to check my email!

I had friends who were so thrilled that I was now an “at home”  mom that they would call me “just to chat” in the middle of the school day!  I was so starved for adult conversation that I would leap over the toys, the dog  and the children in order to grab the phone. This would be some kind of covert signal to the children to leave their school work and  run rampant through the house. I think you can guess all the different scenarios that occurred after that!

Daily Chores:
I want to encourage you in this season of busyness. Take a  little time over this  weekend and get away somewhere quiet with scheduler, or daily planner or big block calendar, a note book and a pencil.   Then:

1. Write down all the “at home” things you think must get done in one day.
2. Now, number them in order of importance to you.
3. Try to schedule  “10 minute tidy times” twice or three times each day in which everyone helps to straighten up and put things in order  before you all transition to a different activity.

Keeping Up with that Ever Looming Laundry:
Vow to do only 1 load of laundry either before breakfast or before bed – Toss it in the washer before you go to bed and ask your husband to turn it on before he leaves in the morning. It will be ready for the dryer when you are finished with your shower. Toss it in the dryer and forget about it till the kids are in bed.

Make Lunch Easy:
Use paper plates for lunch during the week, or have your children help pack their own lunch in brown bags each evening after dinner. Pop it in the fridge and when it is lunch time  just have them grab it and go. This is a huge time saver.

Special Days:
Pick only one afternoon  during the week to schedule those dentist and check up appointments and stick to it. Make that the day that you plan to clean up the house. This is a good day for the children to work on art, read on their own,  or work  with their enrichments kits.

Make Sure You Get a Break:
If you have close friends or grandparents nearby, pack the kids up with a back pack full of educational fun or send them off for a few hours one afternoon a week. You can clean (take a nap) or catch up with a friend and they can get a change of scenery.

The joy of homeschooling your children is that they learn not only from books but from experiencing day to day life with Mom and Dad.

Take a few minutes to make  memories with your children today.

The laundry will be there tomorrow!

“Don’t lay down in the cemetary until you have to”

This was a passing comment made jokingly by my brother when his son’s game of catch went a little too close to the cemetary border (he had tripped and fallen as he reached for the ball).

Funny all on its own, his quote is also full of wisdom.

How often do we as individuals and as homeschoolers feel ready to just lay down and give up? Have you ever had one of those days that just makes you wonder if you will make it through?

Well, rather than “lay down in the cemetary before you have to,” I encourage you to step back and take a breather. If that means taking a day to forget the regular routine and just make learning fun or heading out on an impromtu field trip, then do it!

If that means scheduling Dad to take the evening shift and getting out alone or with a good friend, then make it happen!  If it means footing the bill for a sitter (with younger children) and going out with the love of your life, then do it!

In the long run, you and your kids will benefit.  Because as you know, they often feel our frustrations as strongly as we do.

So, “Don’t lay down in the cemetary before you have to.”  Instead, enjoy this precious time with your children, relax your standards a bit, and have fun!

• Science labs
• A study of Shakespeare (my passion; therefore my course)
• Writing and Research
• Public Speaking
• Art
• Book Clubs
• Sports teams

The list could go on and on. We worked together using our various specialties to provide ample opportunities for our kids.

But it benefited more than just the kids.

By scheduling regular times to meet-sometimes formal, sometimes not-we parents were able to network with one another. We shared ideas, discussed our frustrations, held each other accountable and became close friends.

If you are jumping into homeschooling without established friends or acquaintances who already homeschool, be sure search out a group in your area.

How do you find them?

A good place to start is in your church. Although homeschooling has grown well beyond the religious community, statistics indicate that the majority of homeschoolers do so for religious reasons.

• Another place to begin looking is in local history or science museums, which often offer homeschool workshops or classes
• Check into your local YMCA, ice skating rink, gymnastics instruction, or youth theatre. Often these organizations offer special classes for homeschoolers or work with serious athletes who homeschool in order to gain the flexible schedule they need.
• Search the Internet-often homeschool events are posted on the net

Another terrific way to network is to consider enrolling in a homeschool academy like Bridgeway Academy, where you can pick up the phone or drop an e-mail to your advisor whenever you need help, tips or advice. In many cases your advisor can also point you to support groups or other homeschoolers in your area.

So go ahead, jump in and get started-but try not to do it alone!

Go directly to Starting Homeschooling Step Six-Explore Your Child’s Interests

Step One-Commit to Consistency

1. Be sure to commit to a full year-one year at a time. For many first time homeschoolers, the thought of years of running a homeschool can be daunting-in some cases, so much so that they have trouble making the decision. And although we believe that you will continue for years to come, your level of commitment should be one year at a time–one full year.
2. Be sure to commit to a schedule. Many homeschool Moms love to be spontaneous and to enjoy the freedom they have in homeschooling. However, this can sometimes go too far. If you are tired of hearing, “Can we do . . .today?” or “What are we doing today?,” you need structure. Kids like to know-to be informed. In fact, I guarantee that your kids will thrive on organization and a specific schedule. Better yet, you will hear far fewer questions on what to expect each day.

Let me share with you an example that Annette, one of our Bridgeway Advisors shared with me recently:

The friend who was instrumental in my decision to homeschool was always willing to help as questions came up. However, she was virtually unreachable because of her unpredictable schedule. She was always on the run to various doctor’s appointment, last minute get togethers, or other events.

By her own admission, her home was always a disaster and it was difficult to find the seats in her car. Did she get the job done? Yes! Her kids did succeed in getting through their schoolwork each year, and she did come up with some pretty creative enrichments, but she was always a bit frazzled.

It wasn’t until she committed to homeschooling with a friend that she was forced to get organized. Her friend was incredibly structured and required her to follow suit. As a result, she found herself at home much more often following a schedule. She also noticed that she was much more relaxed; her home was much more manageable; and her kids were much more engaged. They knew that there was a time for school, a time to play, and a time to clean up.

In her words, ‘Discipline made such a huge difference in the lives of my younger children. I wish I would have established this kind of routine from day one.’

Best of all, I am still amazed that I can call and find her at home!”

Commit to Spiritual Foundations

If you are homeschooling with the intent of building a strong spiritual foundation, your greatest commitment should be your commitment to building you and your children’s relationship with God.

It is far too easy to let your desire for academic success become a higher priority than training your children to know God. Since most of you are considering homeschooling because of your commitment to a strong Biblical foundation for your kids, you are saying to yourself, “That won’t happen in my home.” But let me assure you, many of us said the same thing and were surprised to find ourselves setting aside Bible time in order to fit in the creative ideas we have developed to enhance our programs.

Go into it knowing that it happens to the best of us and don’t be too confident that it couldn’t happen to you.

Commit to Your Husband/Wife

Your commitment to your husband/wife is essential to a successful homeschool program. In fact, this is one area that many of our homeschoolers say is their greatest challenge in homeschooling. However, when your relationship is strong and you are supportive of one another, you will find that everything else is manageable.

In this area, I recommend the following four steps to success:

1. Be sure that you are in agreement with homeschooling-this will be especially essential as you work through the struggles. If your spouse is not in support of homeschooling, his or her attitude will greatly affect your homeschool environment.
2. Do the research and share your results with your spouse before making a final decision on what program you will use.
3. Define your roles before you begin. For instance, my husband was in charge of science experiments and assisting with math when necessary. He knew in advance that these were his responsibility so he went in to it with his eyes wide open. Those roles can include simple household responsibilities, dinner, physical education, or a specific subject.
4. Commit to spending one-on-one time with your spouse a minimum of once a week. If your budget does not allow a formal date, take a walk, brew a cup of tea and find a private place to sit and talk, take a drive, or turn off the TV and go to bed early.

Commit to Establishing New Relationships

Building relationships with other homeschoolers is an essential part of a successful homeschool program. Not only will these friendships provide much needed support, encouragement, and an endless stream of ideas, they will also provide new friendships for your children.

Homeschoolers love to help each other. We love to share ideas, to create field trip opportunities, to hold each other up through times of struggle and to be there to help when needed.

If you are new to homeschooling and have not been steered in this direction by a veteran homeschooler, start with an Internet search. Many homeschool support groups now have websites where they can publish upcoming events, classes and other opportunities. You can also log on to Bridgeway Academy’s website and search for support groups in your area.

Commit to Standing Firm Against the Opposition

Unfortunately, not everyone will support your decision to homeschool. In fact, sometimes the greatest opposition comes from your own family. Therefore, before you take this step, you must commit to standing firm. In most cases, those who oppose what you are doing do so because of a lack of information and preconceived notions as well as a concern for your children.

You can choose to provide some websites where they can research what homeschooling is about-its successes and its benefits. However, avoid too much discussion and debate. Give it some time. When they see the outcome in your children, they will not be able to keep themselves from getting on board.

Commit to Your Child

Know that not every day is going to be easy. And since you are a parent, you know that it is not always easy to handle every situation with patience and love.

1. Recognize that you will have days when you are ready to lock your child in a room-then make the commitment not to give in to that temptation! ;-)
2. Commit to providing the best education to your child
3. Commit to giving of yourself and your time
4. Commit to remaining firm on expectations.
5. If you are planning to homeschool a child who has already spent some time in school, commit to taking the time to explain your decision; to hearing him or her out; and to working together to design a plan of attack.
6. Lastly, commit to helping your child develop a love of learning.

I know this may seem overwhelming, but once you make those commitments you are ready to start one of the most rewarding journeys you will ever experience!

Go to Starting Homeschooling Step Two-Know the Law