Curriculum Confusion
There are so many approaches to teaching your children along with so many different types of materials to use that it can seem overwhelming, confusing and even frustrating to the new homeschooling family. Every curriculum vendor claims their materials are best. Many homeschooling mothers leave you with an impression that their chosen method is the only method! Some even seem to take it personally if you choose to do differently! No wonder we veterans hear so many pleas from newbies like, "Help! I don't know where to start!"
It seems that somewhere along the line we have forgotten that each person is a unique creation with unique skills, habits and traits. Each family has unique needs with different assets and limitations. God didn't make us with a cookie cutter cut out! No! He designed each of us as individuals! Each family will have unique needs, so why do we insist that everyone learns in the same manner using the same materials?
My best advice to you, new homeschooler, is to seek the Lord to lead you in your choices. Look at your family and assess the needs. Look at each child's individual learning traits and design around those. Look at your individual gifts and needs and let that factor into your choices. What may work in one homeschool may not work in another. What may work well one year may not be as successful the next. Or, your needs may change with illness, a new job, new baby or you may just want to try something different. To receive more helpful answers when you seek advice, ask specifics like "What math curriculum have you found effective for a very artistic, hands on learner that won't take too much time planning?"
Yes, there are some things God doesn't bend the rules on, but how to homeschool is not one of them. Fellow veterans, let's remember to respect other's choices and to answer not with prejudice for our own methods, but with a genuine desire to see a homeschooling family thrive. Wouldn't you rather be a blessing in a new homeschooling family's life rather than another burden? Instead of insisting that our way is the only way, we can encourage each mother to seek the Lord first and assist assessing the needs in her unique situation before going any further.