If you are homeschooling for the first time, you’re probably scared to death. Or maybe we can call it hesitantly confident? But, know that you can do this! I’m here to hold your hand and encourage you!

There is nothing God calls you to do, that He does not help you with, and walk you through. You can do it with God’s help. He will help, strengthen, and give the grace to accomplish this task.

With these tips to becoming a successful homeschooler, you can do it!

Homeschooling is so much fun! The joy of living and learning together can’t be topped! Remember, God made you and your family uniquely, so don’t compare to others. He gave you unique interests, aptitudes, and a purpose.

Homeschool allows you to pursue your passions, dig deep into more-desired topics of interest, spend time on subjects you love, and learn together as a family!

Don’t forget to scroll to the bottom of this post for a freebie!

Your First Focus

Your first focus should be Godliness as a family, and then in academics. Homeschooling allows you to train your child’s character according to the Word of God!

Read the Bible and Christian literature- “living books” -daily. Make your home run well, together. Train your children from a young age to work hard.

A good work ethic will help them succeed in whatever they do in the future and is Biblical! Train in godliness, then excellence in academics.

Following God’s Curriculum

You are, of course, wondering how you will teach them reading, writing, and arithmetic! And, you wonder what your days will look like. I encourage you to put first importance, both in your schedule and in your heart, on God’s Word and prayer.

If you want to succeed at raising Godly kids, this is key. God will help you decide what curriculum to use for the other subjects as you ask Him and surrender everything to Him.

Know that there is no perfect curriculum. You’ll choose, change your mind some years, try different methods as your family changes, and that’s perfectly fine. Your family is unique. Trust Him, and follow Him.

Being a successful homeschooler takes work, some things can be accomplished immediately, but most you will work at and perhaps accomplish over time. You are not expected to be there when you begin. But, it’s helpful to know where you’re headed and have the right mindset from the start!

10 Tips for Becoming A Successful Homeschooler

Prayer

Pray over goals, pray for your upcoming year, pray that God would use your family as He sees fit, that you would grow in love for one another, and mature in Christlikeness.

If any of your family is not saved, pray for their salvation. Pray for guidance and God to provide and teach you through resources, people, experiences, and books you need to learn what He wants.

Setting Goals

Set Goals for each person and the family as a whole; measurable, attainable goals, in these areas- Spiritual, Mental, Social, Physical, Emotional, Books to Read, Skills to Learn, Projects or Tasks to Accomplish, Community Service, Bible Verses to Memorize, Books of the Bible to read.

By the time our children were late elementary age, we read through the Bible in a year.

Family Discipleship

Spend time in God’s Word and prayer with your children every day–make this a priority.

Flexible Scheduling

Plan a schedule that allows for interruptions. Slow down, pare down your activities and commitments, and focus on home, family, and Homeschooling, especially as you begin Homeschooling. Simplify your life. Plan, but hold your plans loosely.

Family Connections

Do everything together as a family, and build family relationships, if you haven’t done so before. Train your children to behave kindly to siblings (make their siblings their best friends), extended family, and neighbors.

Model and train disciplined behavior in the stewardship of belongings, time, and their bodies. Train them to take care of their animals, if you have them, and their possessions. Become more organized.

Whole-Home Accountability

Make a schedule with a Morning Routine, School Routine, and Evening Routine. Give your children chore assignments. Have a Chore Chart. Teach and train in each step of how to do a job.

Serving

Plan what Community Service you will do as a family. Look for volunteer opportunities, and pray over them. Serve together as a family. Make this part of who you are.

Character Training

Expect 1st-time obedience, stop repeating yourself, don’t spare the rod, and assign extra chores (for children old enough) for not responding within a short amount of time.

Know what you expect, explain what you expect, make it reasonable, and then inspect what you expect. Follow through calmly, consistently, and lovingly.

Let the consequences that you’ve set in place be the bad guy. And, let your children know that their choice to disobey or break your rules caused the consequence. Be true to your word.

Communicate Consequences

Set up your system of discipline, prepare your kids ahead of time, let them know how it will work, and then follow through consistently every time (this will lead you to set fewer rules.)

Be consistent, but extend grace and mercy when appropriate. Plan and explain what is expected, and what are the consequences if they choose to neglect their responsibilities, exhibit a bad attitude, backtalk, disobey, etc.

Attitudes

Train your children to choose a good name (Proverbs 22:1: “A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches”), to use good manners, to honor and obey parents (Ephesians 6:1: “Children, obey your parents in the Lord”), respect elders, be responsible, and do their best in schoolwork, chores, and any work they do outside the home for others.

Encouragement in Your Homeschool

Your Schedule and Routines

You don’t have to adhere strictly to a timetable–in fact, no bells is one of the blessings and benefits of Homeschooling–but, you should have a written schedule, and follow a routine for your days and weeks.

Having a morning and evening routine, a mealtime routine and a school routine will help establish peace and stability in your home. Children thrive on routine.

The more organized you become, the better your family and Homeschool will run! I encourage you to also have these routines: a weekly cleaning routine that accomplishes a clean house by the end of the week, meal planning, and grocery shopping (taking the children along to help you), involving them in the preparation and cleanup of meals, a laundry routine.

Systems and routines to accomplish these tasks that your children help with (even a small child can fold or match socks) will help your life so much. This is Homeschooling!

Train children young that work in the home is a given because they are part of your family. Those who are most sought-after by employers are those who have been taught a good work ethic.

Keeping Life Simple

Keep the activities few outside the home, especially as you begin Homeschooling. This is easier now. If you’re concerned about socialization, here is what you need to know: if you train your child to treat others, no matter what their age- babies to elderly- with love, respect, and kindness, to help others, and be interested in others.

In other words, to obey the Word and act as Christ would act, you will have a socialized child.

Study and train your child in good manners, to answer direct questions put to them. Decide if you will require them to answer with “Yes, Ma’am,” or “Yes, Mom.” Teach them to ask for forgiveness.

Train your boys to honor women and the elderly. Socialization is best taught in the home and through the varied ages of family and has nothing to do with whether they spend time with others their own age.

Christ, then Curriculum

You are focused on growing in Christlikeness, reverencing your husband, making Your Home For God, raising Godly kids, and meekly and quietly serving the Lord in whatever ways He gives you, alongside your husband.

Now you’re adding Homeschooling. There are trials in life. It is in and through the unique trials your family experiences that your story of God’s faithfulness to you will be written.

“Don’t copy others or you’ll miss the unique story God wants to write through you.” Wendy Gunn

Choose excellent “living books” to read together as a family (we chose evenings when Dad could join us). Plan to put aside the devices and spend quality time together. Do fun, learning activities as a family.

Relax. Have fun. As parents, you’re being taught through Homeschooling, too! Continually be on your knees before God, humbly confessing your sins, and asking for help. This is my encouragement to you as you start out Homeschooling.

Enjoy being together learning in this vast world that God has created! Smile, laugh, and have fun! You can do this! God is with you!

How about a freebie? Wendy, from Your Homeschool for God is giving away her “How to Be a Success at Homeschooling From the Start” Ebook.

As a mom, you’ve been teaching your child from the day he was born! You can Homeschool! In this book, you’ll find encouragement that living life with your children as you learn together is not only a joy but allows you the freedom to pursue the interests and passions that God created within you.

Spend time together as a family strengthening family relationships, and train your children in Godly character, according to God’s Word.

How the author used a Unit Study approach to Homeschool her children is also included in this motivating resource.

CLICK HERE TO GET THIS EBOOK FOR FREE.

This offer is only valid until October 28th and you’ll never find it here again.

This post was written by….

Wendy Gunn helps overwhelmed moms grow spiritually, with joy in who God uniquely created them (and their families) to be, raise Godly kids, and get their lives organized, for God’s glory, through Mentoring, Courses, and Coaching.

Subscribe to Wendy’s YouTube Channel for more Encouragement and Tips!Join Wendy’s new group: Homeschool Mamas Membership Group for encouragement, support, and connection (not to mention tips, help, ideas, and answers). Get info on becoming a Founding Member to get one month free!

This article is a part of our How We Homeschool Series; a collection of content from full-time, veteran homeschoolers sharing their own experiences on the versatility and diversity of homeschooling. You can read more about the series, and see all of the content, by clicking the image below.