Teambuilding in Your Homeschool Family

What do you think is the number one thing that will make or break a homeschool journey?

We believe it is FAMILY UNITY.

To us, it is the most important skill to develop, and we think Ephesians 4:1-3 makes three points on which to base this development. 

Unity and Maturity in the Body of Christ

1 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 

2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 

3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

Let’s unpack just the first verse in regards to the homeschool being created in your home, and we think you’ll understand why creating Family Unity is worthy of the first fruits of your time.

In life, we all have doubts one time or another about many things that are foundational to us -- it’s natural, especially with the blind faith needed to follow Jesus. Verse one of the scripture has Paul, often a literal prisoner because of his faith, urging us to live out the calling God has for us. 

Homeschooling is a calling. When it has been received, it means that the teacher is worthy, and HE is able when we are in need of feelings of worthiness. Homeschool mamas can shake off the doubt and stand steadfast with Him through all the hard things. And what seems to be basic and common sense is actually the most critical part: Commitment to the commitment of homeschooling! 

That is the receiving part we can decide upon and stick with from the beginning. Because it’s exhausting to have to convince your kids EVERY DAY, and then yourself, that YES -THIS IS WHAT WE SHOULD BE DOING. So. FIRST, commit to the calling and then to the task of cementing it in your kids by making a team culture wherein all who work together will maintain committed to the calling when things start to fall apart.

A mindset of perseverance reigning when things are ugly and of plowing through instead of giving up, will make it easier to get to the other side of trouble where Jesus turns it into something for our good, to benefit and give hope and a future. 

For us, some days seemed like the preschool song that is supposed to bring laughter -- “Going on a Bear Hunt” by Dr. Jean’s Silly Songs, which speaks of swimming through peanut butter. When you’re alone in a house where plans from the Lord are await, that’s EXACTLY how the enemy wants us to feel!

Think of the fact that public school teachers are placed on teams, and one of the first things they do before students ever arrive in the building is meet with their team. They bond and decide how they can help each other. Every teacher hopes they have stellar teammates who are there for them, not only to plan together, but also if they need a restroom break in the middle of the day or have an emergency. 

You, homeschool mama, don’t have to wonder if your teammates are going to help you with things such as that. YOUR teammates love you the most in the world…your kids, your husband, your neighbor, your extended family and friends, and of course, The Homeschool Well Community, are all on your team! 

Now it’s your job to commit to the calling and orchestrate family unity with a team-minded culture. You don’t have to do it alone. As HE calls and you receive, He leads and guides more powerfully than we can imagine.

Now, let's use this idea of a team and put it into practice.  We, as moms, know ourselves and our teammates.  We know the strengths and limits of our families.  We have freedoms in the homeschooling world that teachers in a regular school setting do not have.  As we are gelling our team and committing to our children, we are also taking care not to exasperate.  We are growing hearts for God and building character first. Know your children and pray for wisdom in making decisions in your daily school day, and take this veteran advice below into consideration-->

THINGS TO REMEMBER WHEN BUILDING UP YOUR HOMESCOOL TEAM:

• You DO NOT need to convince a child EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. that YES we are homeschooling, and it’s a good idea to have a great attitude about it.
• You DO NOT need to put up with sassy talk (and that goes for your kids talking to you that way, too - ha ha). But seriously, we went through years of the Mean Mommy voice take-over, and it wasn’t pretty. Gratefully, Jesus redeemed all of that, but it did harm in our homeschool. You can lay the foundation, and when disrespectful talk starts, either from your mouth or your kids mouths, "wave the team flag" and everybody just take a deep breath and say a little prayer.
• You DO NOT need to make your child start, work on and/or complete the entire assignment. Even if they decided before school started to study that topic, they deserve some say as to whether or not they want to tackle it. What if they don’t? They either suffer the consequences with a less-than-stellar grade, or you all decide it wasn’t worth it in the first place. The point is: You are the master over your curriculum -- it is not the master of you.  Your relationship with your child is far more important than any scholastic assignment.
• You DO NOT need to grade all or even the majority of your student's work. Practice makes progress, and self evaluation is powerful. Sleep is also pretty important. ;) So get creative with your grading strategies. It empowers a child to be able to go through their work samples and choose one or two they wanna show off. You can also do the opposite -- choose a fail that they are able to discuss and strategize how they will make it better next time.
• You DO NOT need to give your child tests, quizzes, pop quizzes, narrative tests, and/or any type of assessment that gives them the heebie-jeebies or causes friction in your world. Yes, someday they will need to learn how to take tests. Yes, some families thrive on practicing for said tests and even send their children to a corporate schooling environment to take these tests alongside the other students -- that’s an amazing opportunity, for sure. But the opposite is also valid -- don’t feel like your child will not be a well-rounded student without tests. Get their opinion, tell them what they’ll be up against someday, depending on what field of work they will be pursuing, and go from there. Just know tests are not mandatory in your school. You can evaluate a child informally, and it's just as powerful.

The bottom line is that your relationship with your team is key. Find ways to talk about your team in your home.  Pray a family unity prayer. Speak scripture that Jesus is leading you to.  Make a team name on a pennant, display it, and wave it.  Choose a team chant/huddle to start the day or when things get harrowing. Commit to the calling and embrace the team.  We are rooting for you! 🚩

 For more encouragement and help overcoming your homeschool challenges, JOIN OUR COMMUNITY! 🤝