After a few tumultuous years have come and gone, a return to normalcy may seem close on the horizon. Choosing to homeschool your children may have come from a love of online learning while schools were forced to shut down, or you may have already been homeschooling your kids. No matter their age, though, it’s vital to teach them not just math and science, but life skills and how to navigate the real world safely and compassionately.
Start Early
Whether your children are asking questions about race and other world topics on their own, or you simply want to get ahead of the news, it’s important to start teaching them at a young age. You and your spouse should be the ones responsible for teaching them the right and wrong ways of American culture, and how everyone has a place in the world. At what age you start teaching this on a regular basis is up to you and your spouse, clearly, but remember that children often take in more information than you may realize. Don’t assume that your seven-year-old isn’t aware of what’s going on in society today and wait to talk to him or her about important issues. They may be more aware of what’s going on in the news and globally than you’re aware of, thus it’s a good idea to talk often about what they see and how they are grasping the situation.
Be Realistic
What is equally important in teaching your kids about equality and world issues is also to be fair and equal all around. Teaching your kids only your viewpoint on the matter simply isn’t enough. Your kids may have questions or not fully understand certain situations if only given one side of the issue. Even if the opposing arguments are very difficult to talk about and against all your morals, it still needs to be taught to a certain degree so your children have a better grasp of the situation. Knowing this information won’t make your child automatically believe it, but simply have a better understanding of the global issues the world is trying to face and overcome.
Be Supportive
And lastly, no matter how old your child is, being supportive and open to any discussion will only strengthen your relationship and your child’s concepts. Even if the information is hard to talk about, it’s crucial that your children have an outlet to be able to discuss these issues further and without judgement, before they begin dissecting the world with their peers. Being a shoulder to lean on will help your children feel rooted, no matter what’s going on in the world today.
HomeschoolFacts.com has a complete list of support groups to help support you in your homeschooling endeavors and connect with homeschoolers near you. You can search the list of support groups here: https://www.homeschoolfacts.com/homeschool-support-groups.html
Katie Kyzivat