“I have never let my schooling interfere with my education.”  –Mark Twain

Your kindhearted, sensitive attention to your children and the methods and materials you choose for homeschooling, make a significant difference in your home schooling results.

Be cautious of methods used in home education which echo the same bad routines which have proven to be ineffective in the stereotypical classroom, such as the academic stress to read early, using too many workbooks and textbooks, using programs that require a lot of close work with videos and computers — especially during the first ten to twelve years, the lack of adult encouragement and an imbalance between work and service.

Homeschool Burnout

When any of the above methods are used in excess, you and your children will experience “homeschool burnout.” When that happens, and it probably will, step back and take a look at your methods and your attitude.

Remember, there is far more burnout among your children’s “regular school” friends than there is in home schools. Burn out shows up in the school dropout rate, but it is also apparent in the “I don’t want to go to school” attitude of most children. What happened to their joy of learning?

The record is quite clear that the child who is given adult attention and support, and is given the freedom to explore, will be the one who will significantly excel. Pay attention to the word “freedom.” Children value it too.