This Golden Hour

64. Topics with Timmy: Big Homeschool Mistake 1

• Timothy Eaton

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In this episode, host Timmy Eaton discusses a common mistake made by new homeschool families. People just starting the homeschool journey want someone to tell them exactly what to do and what to get. And that's backwards, because you started homeschooling so that you could increase freedom and flexibility and customize your learning and lifestyle. The better way is to establish your purposes, priorities, and goals and then customize a plan that suits your situation. HELP, home education and lifestyle principles, is a process Timmy uses with homeschool families, and it is the most effective way to help them develop their own plan. When homeschool families implement the principles of HELP, they learn and live the way they desire, and homeschooling becomes much more enjoyable and fulfilling.

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Timmy Eaton:

Hi, I'm Timmy Eaton, homeschool father of six and doctor of education. We've been homeschooling for more than 15 years and have watched our children go from birth to university successfully and completely without the school system. Homeschooling has grown tremendously in recent years and tons of parents are becoming interested in trying it out. But people have questions and concerns and misconceptions and lack the confidence to get started. New and seasoned homeschoolers are looking for more knowledge and peace and assurance to continue homeschooling. The guests and discussions on this podcast will empower anyone thinking of homeschooling to bring their kids home and start homeschooling. And homeschoolers at all stages of the journey will get what they need and want from these conversations. Thank you for joining us today and enjoy this episode of this Golden Hour Podcast as you exercise, drive, clean, or just chill. Thank you for listening to this Golden Hour podcast. Today I want to talk to you about one of the biggest mistakes I observe among beginning homeschool families. I totally understand why people make the mistake I'm going to discuss, and it's not like families can't bounce back from this mistake. It's just that time is precious and this golden hour with your children is brief. So most new homeschool parents make the mistake of wanting someone to tell them exactly what they should do and what they should get before they start homeschooling. They want a point and form list of what curriculum to use and what books to get and how to schedule each day. I get it. You're new to homeschooling and you're afraid you might ruin your kids or their futures. So you want someone to give you a plan? That works and that you can implement right away. Sure. Someone can suggest stuff that they've liked and you might like it too, or you might have similar goals and priorities as other homeschoolers, you know, and trust, but the problem is that no two families are the same. Each family is unique and has different values, beliefs, and results they want for their children. How crazy is it to think that someone else knows what your family needs most or what you should get? You know best because you know what is most important to you and your family. Every family should create their own plan and determine their own lifestyle. Instead of being told specifics or given particulars, isn't it better to be equipped with skills and knowledge so you can blaze your own path? If you can avoid wasting time on stuff you don't want or need, and if you don't have to expend energy, Doing things that are not aligned with your family values and priorities and goals, then save time and energy and learn a better way. This is not to say that every curriculum, book, and resource you buy or will use will be perfectly suited to your family and children. You will definitely sift through and research to find what is best for your family, and that takes trial and error. You kind of find your own way the longer you do it. And I also realized that it's important for homeschool families to have mentors who provide guidance and advice. I'm an advocate of that for sure. But I'm trying to help you mitigate the challenges that you will certainly face by not taking time to establish your own purposes and goals and then align what you do. And what you get with those goals. I really believe there is a better way to begin the homeschool journey and have a firm foundation so that families feel peace and confidence and experience enjoyment as they start homeschooling. The better way is to lay out a customized plan that is aligned with your unique family. I personally assist homeschool families to use this better way with what I call HELP, H E L P. HELP stands for Home Education and Lifestyle Principles. And it's the most effective way for struggling new homeschool parents to create a customized plan that fits their family. HELP is so effective because it teaches and breaks down the fundamental principles that allow any homeschool families to customize application to fit their family. It is not a franchise system, meaning it is not an automated system that families plug in and then it works, because every family is unique with its own gifts and challenges, and because we're dealing with people that are so different and have different interests, needs, and goals. Help applies to all homeschool families and empowers them to make their own plan that suits their children, educational objectives, family situation, and lifestyle. Prescriptive plans risk not fitting certain families values and lifestyle or ways of teaching and learning. But help is based on principles that can be customized to any family. So let me recap what I'm saying a bit more concisely. homeschool families making is wanting people to tell them exactly what to do and what to get to start. They go, I can't do this without someone else showing me exactly what to do, or I will do it wrong, or I don't have a clue what I should do or get. The consequence of that thinking is that you might do stuff and get stuff that others tell me. That doesn't match my lifestyle. The problem with that, or the consequence of that belief, is that you might get stuff and do stuff that others tell you about that doesn't match your family's lifestyle, and what you want for your kids, or the stuff you want them to learn, therefore we waste time or try to fit our values and purposes to a curriculum, instead of ensuring that curriculum, books, and resources are consistent with your family priorities and learning goals. Better way is to learn how to customize your own plan for your children based on your values, priorities, education objectives, and lifestyle with proven principles of learning and living. The better way is to use HELP, Home Education and Lifestyle Principles, which is the process I use. To help homeschool families start strong and stay true to their purposes for learning and living throughout the homeschool journey. With this better way, and by using HELP, these families now think, I have certain values and priorities and beliefs for my family, and we want to create our own lifestyle. So it's best for me to learn proven principles that will allow me to customize my own plan for my children and family. The benefit then will be not wasting time trying to implement prescriptive measures that are not congruent with our values and lifestyle. We'll customize a plan based on fundamentals of learning and living that will give us the freedom and flexibility to live life the way we want. Now, I just want to close by talking a little bit about what's coming up. We're closing in on the end of May. This is the time when people start to really prepare and make decisions about starting or continuing to homeschool their kids in the coming fall. Right now is a perfect time to start using help home education and lifestyle principles to prepare, because it will help families feel ready and peaceful and excited for a new year of learning and living families will enjoy spending time in the summer, finding curriculum, books and resources. Making plans that fit their interests and lifestyle. It's overwhelming and can be a bit scary to head into a new year, feeling clueless or incompetent, but you really don't have to feel like this. You have everything you need to get started and to thrive with homeschooling. But I totally get that you need guidance and direction when you're starting, or if you're continuing on, you should have good mentors. Who give you solid advice. Just don't make the common mistake of wanting someone to tell you exactly what to do and what to get. If you're liking this stuff you've been hearing from me, or the principles you're learning from this Golden Hour podcast, Then reach out to me and get the HELP or the home Education and Lifestyle Principles you need because HELP is such an effective way for you to customize a plan for your family's homeschool situation. You can send me an email at hello at thisgoldenhour. org or visit thisgoldenhour. org to explore the website and even set up a strategy session with me. Thanks for hanging out with me for a few minutes. I'm your host Tim Eaton. I hope we can keep connecting with each other. That wraps up another edition of This Golden Hour podcast. If you haven't done so already, I would totally appreciate it if you would take a minute and give us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It helps out a lot. And if you've done that already, thank you much. Please consider sharing this show with friends and family members that you think would get something out of it. And thank you for listening and for your support. I'm your host, Tim Eaton. Until next time, remember to cherish this golden hour with your children and family.