Q & A with Homeschool Mom: Sonya
Our Q & A Series with African-American homeschooling moms is back. Our first mom of the new year is Sonya K. who homeschools her two children. Sonya isn't only a homeschooling mom, but she is a regular blogger at SonyaKendall.com where she shares recipes, sewing projects, and homeschooling and parenting tidbits.
Meet Homeschool Mom, Sonya
How long have you homeschooled?
This is our 4th year of homeschooling.
How did your family decide to become a homeschooling family?
My oldest has always loved learning. He loved reading and math early on; at three years old he was reading and adding single digit numbers. By the time he was five years old, he pretty much knew everything that would be taught in Kindergarten. I knew of another mom who's son had a really hard time in school because he entered Kindergarten knowing everything that the other kids were just learning. I didn't want our son to have that same experience plus I wanted to make sure that my son could continue learning at the pace that he likes to learn. This is when we decided that homeschooling would be best for him.
My son also had sensory issues. When he was younger he would gag often if he saw other people (usually non-family members) eating. We knew that lunch time would be very hard for him so that was another reason we decided to homeschool. We just wanted to make sure that he was able to have a positive learning experience since he really loved learning, and we felt like homeschooling was our best option.
What is your favorite part about home schooling? What helps you to keep going?
My favorite part about homeschooling is the flexibility. I love that we don't have to do the same thing in the same order everyday. My son will have days where he wants to do a lot of math or a lot of science, and that's okay. Homeschooling allows us to have that type of flexibility where he can spend more time on the subjects that he really enjoys.
What are your struggles with being a home schooling parent?
My biggest struggle is knowing that I'm doing enough. I hope that I am teaching them everything that they need to know. There are so many different options and opportunities available with homeschooling, but we don't have enough time or money to get involved with everything so I hope that what we are doing is enough.
Share a few words of encouragement with other moms who home school. What is your tip for keeping atmosphere joyous in your home?
Take a break when you need a break. I have days when I just don't have it in me to homeschool. We take a day off on those days or we watch educational DVDs like School House Rock for that day. Sometimes we all need a break.
Thanks, Sonya, for sharing a peek into your life as a homeschool mom. Homeschooling isn't always easy, but the flexibility to move at your pace is a blessing and an occasional break is always a bonus.
