I still remember the dead silence in the room the first time I mentioned homeschooling in front of my extended family. It was a passing comment, something I was only considering, yet their reaction spoke volumes to me.
Years later, as my oldest children were entering middle school, we were faced with some unexpected and rather serious issues in the charter school they were attending. They were serious enough that we either needed to find a new school or start homeschooling them. Our original plan was to bring them home for one semester while we found something better, but in our search, one dead end led to another dead end, which led us to homeschool until they graduated high school.
Now that I have grandkids, I try to be supportive of my children’s choice of education whether I agree or not. Yes, I have strong feelings about what I believe is best, but I never want my kids to feel unsupported.
As grandparents, our support can play a crucial role in the success of our grandchildren's homeschooling journey. By offering love, encouragement, and assistance, we can help create a nurturing educational environment that not only protects them from cultural overwhelm but also provides opportunities for them to participate in fun activities with their peers.
If you’re wondering how you can best support your children’s homeschool decision, here are ten things to consider.
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1. Share Your Wisdom and Experience
Because you’ve been around the sun a few more times, you possess a wealth of wisdom and experience to share with your grandkids. Your unique perspective can enrich your grandchildren's understanding of how life works and how God directs their steps. Especially when you share your faith journey, you are planting seeds that will hopefully take root and lead to your grandchildren’s own faith decision.
Some practical examples might be:
-Telling impactful stories about your childhood.
-Sharing experiences you had in school.
-Talking about how you handled conflicts in your friendships.
-Admitting how you would do things differently if you could.
Grandparents sometimes think their life stories as too boring or outdated, but I encourage you to give your grandchildren a broader view of your life and share the wisdom you gained along the way.
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2. Support Their Curriculum
Whether you’re familiar with your grandchildren’s learning style or not, you can actively participate in planning their homeschool curriculum. Perhaps, you’ve noticed your grandchild loves arts and crafts. Why not offer to purchase art supplies or digital art classes online? Maybe one of your grandchildren has a natural talent for music. Offer to pay for piano lessons. If finances are tight, you can offer to take the grandkids to the library once a week to give their parents a break and enforce strong reading habits.
You might be surprised at how grateful your children are for your thoughtfulness and generosity. By working together, you can support their curriculum decisions and even become an active part in your grandchildren’s educational journey.
Here are a few more ideas:
-Enroll the grandchildren in swimming lessons.
-Take them on nature hikes and collect different leaves and flowers.
-Buy summer workbooks to help them stay on track.
-Look for holiday-themed worksheets and crafts everyone will enjoy.
In whatever small way you can support your grandchildren’s curriculum, your efforts will not go unnoticed!
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3. Teach What You're Good At
If you have expertise in a particular area, offer to teach an occasional lesson or share your knowledge as a resource. Whether it's music, art, gardening, or history, your involvement can bring a fresh perspective and add depth to your grandchildren’s homeschool experience.
My mom used to have my children over for cooking lessons, letting them choose the recipe and teaching them how to prepare it. She also taught them the value of cleaning up afterward and instilled kitchen etiquette and self-discipline. The kids still remember going to Grammy’s for cooking lessons, and it’s a special memory they’ll take with them always.
Support your children’s homeschool by teaching what you’re good at. No matter how small or insignificant it might seem, your children and grandchildren will appreciate what you have to offer and hold those memories close to their hearts.
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4. Provide Meals
What a blessing it would be for the homeschooling parent in your family to receive a home-cooked meal or food delivery on occasion! After all, homeschooling is one of the most time-consuming and exhausting activities on the planet!
Most homeschool parents wake up early to plan the day and stay up late to tie up loose ends. It honestly seems like a homeschooler’s to-do list is never done! That’s why providing meals a few times per month can be a big way to support your children’s homeschool and relieve them of some of their obligations.
Even grandparents who live far away can send restaurant gift cards by email. Nowadays, the options are limitless and only a few clicks away. For grandparents who live in the same town, consider doubling your dinner recipe once a week and dropping off a meal. You won’t believe how helpful this one act of kindness is, and it’s an extra chance to see the grandkids throughout the week!
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5. Offer Encouragement and Validation
Homeschooling can present a whole host of unique challenges, including struggling learners, lack of organization, and even burnout for the parents. One of the most meaningful ways you can be supportive is by encouraging and validating your children often.
Even if you haven’t experienced homeschooling challenges yourself, you can always empathize by putting yourself in their shoes. When your children doubt their abilities as homeschool parents, build their confidence by reminding them of their “why.”
Remind them that:
-God is their strength in times of trouble.
-The Holy Spirit equips them with everything they need.
-They are homeschooling because they believe it is best for their family.
-Things won’t always be this difficult; this, too, shall pass.
By offering genuine encouragement and heartfelt validation, you’ll be supporting your children’s homeschool in mighty ways. And believe me; they need all the encouragement they can get!
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6. Arrange Outings and Field Trips
Homeschooling provides the flexibility to take lots of field trips and explore the big, wide world. Many times, when my kids and I struggled to stay focused, we’d take the afternoon to tour the local money museum or visit the old homestead nestled in a small mountain town nearby. Every one of our field trips was an opportunity to learn something new while getting away from the boring desk work. And what a difference those outings made!
Arranging field trips and fun explorations is a great way for grandparents to be active and engaged in their grandchildren’s education. You can visit bug museums, famous historical sites, nature reserves, and other places of interest. Or, you can be really adventurous and go to the batting cages, the bowling alley, or the rock-climbing gym. All of these things can add value to your grandchildren’s homeschool and provide a way for them to get out of the house once in a while.
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7. Facilitate Fun Socializing Activities
One concern that is often raised about homeschooling is limited social interaction. Support your grandchildren's social development by arranging playdates, offering to take them to youth group, or connecting with other grandparents in similar situations. You can also encourage participation in local sports, clubs, or community activities - whatever their parents are most comfortable with.
One thing to remember is that time spent with you, as their grandparent, is just as important as them spending time with kids their own age. In fact, it’s good for kids to be able to relate to people of all ages.
Consider:
-Taking your grandkids to the local nursing home to pass out Christmas cards.
-Taking them to open gyms at the gymnastics or trampoline places.
-Taking them on road trips to spend time with their cousins and extended family members.
When your children see that you are interested in helping your grandchildren socialize, and are willing to do the work to make it happen, you’ll be supporting them in more ways than you realize.
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8. Serve as a Substitute Teacher
I can’t tell you how many times I woke up feeling ill or exhausted, but still felt the need to plow through our homeschool day. By offering to serve as a substitute teacher on occasion, you’ll be giving your children the option to take a break when needed while still ensuring the kids stay on track.
Even if you don’t feel comfortable teaching certain subjects, that’s okay. Offer to teach what you can and be there to supervise as they work independently. You might even be able to find a documentary or free online lesson that can supplement what they’re learning.
The important thing is you’re helping your children who need time off and supporting your grandchildren who don’t want to fall behind. This is a much-needed area of support and I highly recommend you be available to fill in. Just think of what you will learn along the way!
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9. Be Your Grandchildren's Account-a-Buddy
It’s not only the homeschool parents who get burned out; the kids get worn down as well. As a grandparent, you can offer to be your grandchild’s account-a-buddy by giving them incentives for doing their work, being respectful, and staying on track.
These incentives can include:
-Stickers to put on a sticker chart.
-Ice cream with Grandma and Grandpa.
-A movie and popcorn night.
-A trip to the dollar store.
Most children thrive with positive reinforcement, and your support of being their account-a-buddy can be a wonderful way to motivate and inspire. Talk with your children about ways you can help your grandchildren stay focused while offering accountability and rewards for their hard work.
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10. Pray Hard for Them
If there is only one way you’ll choose to support your children’s homeschool journey, let faithful and consistent prayers be the thing you commit to. The Bible tells us in 1 John 5:14 that “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.”
Pray hard for your children’s strength, endurance, and peace as they take on the huge responsibility of homeschooling. Pray for God’s wisdom to lead, guide, and direct them. And last but not least, pray for the Lord’s provision to give them exactly what they need when they need it. Please don’t underestimate the power of prayer! Your kids and grandkids need your intercession more than you know. This is the best and most certain way to support your children’s homeschool.
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Originally published Tuesday, 22 August 2023.
