Episode 50: Identity
It can be easy to find our identity in our homeschool lifestyle, but we are more than our school choice...and so are our children! We also answer the question: "Can I homeschool without a college degree/education degree?"
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Scoop on the Coop
During summer break, it’s may be helpful to get some math practice in, especially when it comes to multiplication. Kumon practice books and Usborne practice books might be what your child needs to keep up her skills.
Your Identity As a Homeschool Mom
There are various ways to define who you are - and “homeschool mom” is a big one! The successes we feel in homeschooling can become a big part of our identity, and with that then, our failures can be devastating for us. Paying attention to how we identify ourselves to others (and to our own selves) can help us be more cognizant of how that identity affects our self-worth, our flexibility in life and parenting choices, and our relationships with our spouse and child(ren). We ask ourselves, how did I identify myself historically and how do I do that now? We map our evolution of identity - which gives us helpful insight into our own self and how that impacts our lives now.
How do you find a good balance? Check out our discussion of ideas of how to achieve balance and not become too wrapped up in a single identity.
How can we help our own children with finding their identity? How can we help our children not get wrapped up in a single, changeable, achievement-based identity? We want our children to know that they are more than their interests or their focused passion or a niche group of which they may be a member. We want to make sure our children do not find their value in what we think of them or their successes or failures or our expectations for them. For both Jessica and Mandi, we want our children to find their ultimate identity in their hope and faith in Jesus Christ as a child of God, which is constant, unconditional, and unchanging. Identity can be different for every child, but our hope as homeschool parents is that we do not put achievement on our children as an identity.
Coop Q&A
Can I homeschool without a degree? College degree? Educational degree/credential?
Yes you can! You didn’t get a mom degree to be a mom! You can do this. Check out our Hesitant Homeschooler series, podcast episode #28, which discusses this question in detail. Statistics are an excellent way to prove that homeschooled children score well on state tests no matter what education level their homeschool parent achieved - especially when compared to all public schooled children across multiple years. You can check out those statistics here (on journal-labeled page 6) and here (with a helpful bar graph on page 3). You may need support and some teacher development - just like everything else! Just as you need a recipe to bake a cookie - at least for the first time, you may need some podcasts, teacher development books, and homeschool conference sessions to help you along the way.
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