Today I invited a friend of mine from Instagram to chat with us about Homeschooling and Parenting Through a Pandemic and Beyond. I thought she was the best person to chat with us because she has kids of her own that she’s been homeschooling for quite a while. I’m not going to give too much information about her because I want her to introduce herself. 

Homeschooling and Parenting Through a Pandemic 

Hi guys, I‘m Chantel from Tabernacles Tikes and am mom of lots of littles. My husband and I have four children, six years old and younger. We have been homeschooling for several years. As soon as became stay-at-home mom, we started curriculum and schedules and routines. You know the works!

was an educator for six years. taught and then became a stay-at-home mom straight from education. So I definitely know what things look like in the classroom. was in the public school system for most of my career and the private school sector for one year. Ssee both sides of schooling as well as homeschooling.

Homeschooling and Parenting Through a Pandemic

Pandemic Homeschooling

So know that right now especially with this pandemic that’s going on…..there’s lot of parents that are being thrown, or they feel like they’re being thrown, into homeschooling right now. They had to finish out the year homeschooling and they may be pulling their kids out of public or private school due to the pandemic this year. What would you say to these     parents that feel like this is not what “they signed up for”? 

If you’re Pandemic schooling and you are feeling like this is really tough, want to encourage you! Homeschooling itself is difficult process. It’s definitely not for the faint at heart. But at the same time Pandemic Schooling is difficult as well for us homeschoolers too. Things are different right now for everybody, so want to give you that encouragement….. if it’s hard right now, it’s hard for everybody and it will get easier.

Something that have honestly been struggling with myself is just wrapping my head around the fact that right now, this is our normal. Instead of looking at what we’re missing, we need to try to embrace what we have in this season. It’s honestly been difficult for me. My fourth child was actually born three months ago in the middle of the pandemic.

And so had to really wrap my head around the fact that not only were all of our extracurricular activities canceled. But didn’t get baby shower and nobody got to be in the hospital room with me and all of those things. So think that’s  the biggest thing that want you to realize is that if you have hard day, it doesn’t mean that you’re bad at this. It just  means you had hard day. That’s it! 

Homeschooling is a Calling

Homeschooling is definitely a calling and is such noble place to be. It’s such sanctifying place to be and if we start wrapping our heads around the fact that God is going to turn  this Pandemic into something good for you and your family, then you can take every step as something that  you know is God glorifying. That can change your whole perspective on it, even though it is hard.

Homeschooling and Parenting Through a Pandemic

How To Start Homeschooling

What would be your best tip of how to start homeschooling?

If you are Pandemic Schooling through public school system, they’re going to give curriculum to you. But if you are not being provided anything, the first thing you need to figure out is your teaching style. 

Your Teaching Style is Key

Figure out your teaching style, because if you go into homeschooling and you do what your neighbor does or  what your friend does and it’s not your  way of teaching, you’re going to be miserable. If you are not a traditional style teacher, don’t be a traditional style teacher. Find out how you thrive!

Homeschooling and Parenting Through a Pandemic

So, what would you say to help them find their teaching style? know lot of people have never taught like you and don’t know the different styles.

When I first started homeschooling I stumbled across homeschool philosophies quiz. You can Google it. It will get you started. Igave me philosophies and was able to start researching those philosophies and finding out which ones worked for me.

would also suggest that Facebook can be great thing and there are so many local homeschool support groups.

would just reach out to them. would find a Facebook support group and ask them questions. Ask for their help! Ask them to lead you in the direction of homeschool philosophy or curriculum that may be most suited for you.

Homeschooling Multiple Children

What would you say to somebody that is starting homeschool and has several kids? 

For you to have happy homeschool you have to find the subject you enjoy teaching and make it a top priority. Now when your child completely cannot stand sitting down and listening to read-aloud that’s when you have to start adjusting it for that particular child, but still would say stay true to who you are as a educator because if not, you’re not going to want to get up and do it if you do not like doing it! 

Then finding your child’s learning style. The beauty of homeschool is to find what makes you and your child happy. Not always at the same time, but it is possible for everyone to find what makes them happy.

Get creative when teaching multiple children. One may have “quite time” or reading by themselves while you work with another. Or maybe put the smaller children down to nap while you do multiplication tables with your older children. It’s all about time management and multitasking.

Questions From All of You About Homeschooling and Parenting

am wanting to homeschool, but don’t know anything about it. Should start out with Public School curriculum, or should find program that suits our pace?

think it depends lot on where you think you’re going to go with homeschooling. So if you are really interested in taking this long term and this  isn’t just something you’re doing because of the pandemic season or the fear of what’s going on in the public school system….. as far as like how they’re going to socialize your children and all that kind of stuff…. Then would say look into an actual  curriculum that you would want to really invest in and start building your homeschool around.

If this is something that you’re just doing and you have the free option of doing something through the public school  system,  don’t see anything wrong with that. think that those are really good viable options and they’re going to be either free relatively inexpensive. Whereas homeschool curriculums do cost money. That’s something you need to think about as to what does your budget allow. And then what does your heart say about this calling for the long term

am trying to decide between virtual and homeschooling for my fourth, third and first grader. But I also have three-year-old who is wild. What are your tips for multiples without losing your mind? 

So I’ve got couple of different thought processes going on with this one.

The best time for your one-on-one instructional learning for your three oldest could be when the three-year-old is napping.

Also a lot of times, think we put too much pressure on how long it’s going to take for the age range that you’re talking about. You’re not  really doing whole lot honestly in school day for that age group……three, maybe four hours max for those kids. And it can be broken up, that is the beauty of homeschool. Idoesn’t have to look the way that we think it’s supposed to look.

We have to get it out of our brains that homeschool has to be completely traditional. You don’t have to sit down at the table to do it every day and you don’t have to have a designated “homeschool room” either.

Homeschooling and Parenting Through a Pandemic

I hope that having Chantel with us has helped some of you decide which route you need to go with homeschooling and parenting small children. Please check out the original video. There is a lot more information in there that may help you even more. You can find Chantel at Tabernacle Tikes on Facebook and Instagram. She loves encouraging, helping and inspiring other parents with their Homeschool walk and calling. Homeschooling and Parenting can be such an amazing thing!

Join us next week as we have another visitor with us. In the meantime visit our Facebook Group, The PurposeFULL Woman.