Letting Go

I am a firm believer in not sticking with a certain curriculum just because you spent money on it. In the three short years I have been homeschooling, I have purchased more curriculum than I could have possibly imagined. Most of it was because everyone else was raving about it, the other half was because the publisher was raving about their own product.

If I could give new homeschoolers one piece of advice, it would be that you should let go of all of the things that you think you should be using {what your friends use, what “they” say is the best curriculum} and follow your heart.

I know what seemed to be the best fit for my family was an eclectic Charlotte Mason approach. I ignored that however, because it seemed too easy, as the lessons were shorter. Living books? Nah, I have these here worksheets to grade!

I came to the end of two homeschooling years and realized that we were just a public school sitting in the middle of my home, and no one liked it. So I started looking back into the Charlotte Mason approach. It seemed perfect, but still I was hesitant-my children couldn’t possibly get an education with short lessons and lots of book reading.


Or could they?

We are indeed eclectic, and although we have not jumped in with two feet to everything that Charlotte fans might be doing out there, we are definitely leaning that direction, replacing one thing at a time as we go along.

Long boring math lessons? Gone.

Repetitive grammar that induces tears? No more.

Dry History from one person’s perspective? Soon to be out the door.

It isn’t about what works for everyone else. It is about what works for YOU. Let the rest go.
When you do let go of all the things that “they” say you should be doing, and go with your gut and what lights up the eyes of your children-then you have found the secret to homeschooling success.