Confidence Building Concepts
“I wish I knew then what I know now!”
If you are considering home learning for your family or have already taken the decision to become a home schooling parent, these confidence building concepts might be just what you need to set you off on a smooth ride and onto a road where you can make the most of your journey. Some of these concepts originate from my own seven years experience as a home schooling mom on a boat in Dubai. Some others (equally important, maybe even more so) only came to my realization after my kids went to regular school and I followed the home learning evolution from a distance. In the spirit of “I wish I knew then what I know now”, I´m thrilled to share these concepts with you. They will save you valuable time, make you feel more at easy and make you more conscious of how incredible the journey is you have started.
Confidence
: a feeling or belief that you can do something well or succeed at something.
My mind was made up when we started homeschooling based on a strong desire to continue a lifestyle of freedom, not being dictated by school calendars and avoiding the rat race that most families around us with young kids were living. I was determined, fully committed and confident that I could do it. At the same time, I was terrified of failing my children, which I compensated by working long hours to research, prepare, execute and evaluate everything on a daily basis. By putting in the work, learning while doing (and learning from my mistakes), my confidence grew consistently but slowly. It took me a few years to let go of some limiting beliefs that were holding me back to totally “do our own thing” without any doubts and with true confidence. I hope by learning from my experience you´ll reach your state of true confidence a little faster.
Courage
: mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty
Home schooling is not for everyone. Your decision alone (or even consideration) to start home learning takes courage. Taking a different path than most and following that path while you might encounter difficulties or opposition takes courage. It takes courage before confidence. Remember this always when in doubt and be proud of it!
Commitment
: a promise to do something or to behave in a particular way
You wouldn´t have decided to homeschool if you weren´t committed to the cause and you will find a way to succeed. You are terrified of failing your children and you will not let this happen. Learn and grow on your journey and make adjustments when needed. If something doesn´t work, change it!
Comfort
: a pleasant feeling of being relaxed and free from pain
Take some time for yourself in the morning to prepare for the day ahead. Put comfortable clothes on. Make your favorite coffee or tea. Tidy the room if that is what you need to feel at ease, organize your space or just go with the flow if that fits your personality and relaxes you. Do whatever you need to make you feel comfortable and it will help you to stay calm, stay on top of your game, face challenges and make the best of your day.
Compassion
: sympathetic consciousness of others’ distress (or your own in the case of self-compassion) together with a desire to alleviate it
Remind yourself every day to be compassionate with your children and – not to forget – with yourself (practice self-compassion). Things will not always go the way you planned or intended and that´s ok! Don´t be too hard on yourself, your kids will be fine.
Connection
: a relation of personal intimacy (as of family ties)
Connection over perfection!
Heart over head!
Have fun!
Connect with your kids, and you will find that everything (even math) will become easier. Start the day with playing a game, reading a story or listening to favorite songs and try to create that connection. You´ll all benefit from it for the rest of the day.
Creativity
: the use of skill and imagination to produce something new or to produce art
Embrace creativity, even when you do not think of yourself as a creative person. Homeschooling provides the perfect opportunity to try things differently, based on the needs and interests of your kids, anything is possible. Personalize, don´t standardize, positive results will follow and your confidence in following the path that works for you and your children will grow!
Celebration
: the act of celebrating something
Celebrate the small wins. Kids get excited about small things and it will help you reach the bigger goals. As adults we are quick to notice mistakes or shortcomings and while it is important to notice and correct them, we should not ignore the small wins as they give us joy and are essential to our motivation so: notice the small wins of your children, get excited about them and create a habit to celebrate them consistently.
Conclusion
: something that you decide when you have thought about all the information connected with the situation
Anyone can homeschool their kids, but homeschooling is not for everyone. The pandemic has made this very clear.
In 2009, we took the courageous decision to homeschool our children, without realizing that it was courageous. I failed to feel proud about it and allow it to increase my confidence. I knew I was 100% committed to the cause but I was insecure for quite some time wondering if that was enough to make it work. I think of myself as a compassionate person (especially with my kids) but was not aware that practicing self-compassion is equally important. I only let my creativity lead the way after a few years, once I gained enough confidence to let go of the “rules” and follow the path that worked best for my family and children. As a down to earth Dutch person, I wonder if we celebrated our small wins enough, we could have definitely done better in that department.
In hindsight, I would have benefited greatly from these Confidence Building Concepts. That’s why I´m sharing them with you. If you need some more Confidence Building Boosters, take a look at the video links listed below.
"I wish you lots of confidence and growth on your home learning journey"
Sir Ken Robinson
Changing education paradigms
Joshua Steimle
homeschooling in Hongkong
Logan LaPlante
Hackschooling makes me happy
