As your children get older, there are several things to keep in mind when homeschooling teens. I’ve been homeschooling close to a decade. This means I have been homeschooling a teen for almost 4 of those years. The tips I have for you below will help you ease into the homeschooling teen years and find more joy in the journey.
5 Things to Keep in Mind When Homeschooling Teens
The tips and advice I’m sharing below are solely based on my own personal experiences with homeschooling a teen. We have 5 more children behind our teen who will eventually reach this phase of life, so these are practical ideas I plan to implement with them as well.
You know how it goes with the firstborn… they are our test children, right?!
1. Hear them out.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned from parenting a teen period, it’s that they need to be heard. I was not prepared for parenting a teen boy, let alone homeschooling one. In the beginning I would brush off his need to talk or need to be heard. Once I opened up and showed him that it was okay to open up as well, things started to change.
This same principle applies in your homeschool. Give your teen a voice and hear them. In most cases, they’ll tell you what they enjoy, what they want to learn, and what will help them thrive academically.
2. Let them explore.
While I don’t believe it’s smart to let teens have complete freedom as they explore in life, I do think there is a healthy balance when it comes to homeschooling. Letting your teen explore can not only help make learning fun, but it also can help you learn some things you didn’t know about your child.
If you were raised like me, then your path was pretty much picked for you. This meant that your life choices had to line up with that versus the other way around. As homeschoolers, you have the unique opportunity to let your teen explore and create their own path.
3. Give them support.
Again, back to how I was raised… I didn’t get much say so. Sure, I was able to express things I liked such as playing different sports. However, when it came to academics, I had to go with the flow. As a homeschooling mom, I’m able to support our son in ways that would have been taboo if he were plugged into the public school system.
Give you homeschooling teen support by giving them an opportunity to express what they want to do. Be open to what they want to learn, and how they see it playing out. This doesn’t mean you are giving them the reigns or allowing them to take over. Instead, you are showing them that you value their opinion and are willing to support them in certain endeavors.
4. Realize that sometimes they do know better.
If you have done your best raising your teen thus far, then chances are they have been instilled with specific morals, values, and beliefs imparted by you as their parent. Well, there comes a time when they will begin to use what you taught them. And when it comes to homeschooling, sometimes they do know better.
At this age, they have a pretty good idea about how they learn best, what subjects are their favorite, what makes them thrive, and the like. As parents, it’s easy to want to keep a tight handle on them and control every aspect of their lives – including how they learn. But, we should sometimes take their word for it.
5. They will be okay.
One of the biggest worries homeschooling parents have is whether or not their kids will be okay. I’m here to reassure you that YES they will be okay. If most of us who were indoctrinated by the school system turned out relatively okay, our homeschooled children will too.
Instead of focusing on what you may not be doing or how you may not be measuring up, rest in knowing that you are providing them with the best opportunity ever. Think about all of the presidents and prestigious people who were homeschooled.
As long as you are doing your best, what else should be required of you?!
Resources to Help Homeschool Your Teen
Below are a few resources, tools, and support for homeschooling your teens.
Homeschooling Teens Curriculum Fair
If you’re looking for curriculum to help homeschool your teen, you’ll love the Homeschooling Teens Curriculum Fair. It’s a Facebook group filled with vendors who specialize in providing resources to help you homeschool your teen. This group is only open for one month per season, so you’ll want to get in there now.
High School Planner
This DIY Printable High School Planner was made with high school homeschoolers in mind. It features 23 grayscale pages that your high schooler can use to put together their very own planner. There are several templates that will help them learn how to plan their months, weeks, days, and keep track of other important things in life.
My Career Exploration Journal
The My Career Exploration Journal was created with middle school and early high schoolers in mind. Skip taking unnecessary classes. Dodge changing majors at college and help your student be prepared to pursue the career of their dreams. This journal isn’t like any other career journal as it takes your student’s on an in-depth adventure.
SMART Goals Student Journal
Use this SMART Goals Student Journal to help your kids learn how to write goals. They will learn to keep track of them and brainstorm rewards once they’re reached. Each page features a different design that can be colored along with prompts to help them through the goal setting and reaching process.
Final Thoughts
I hope these tips and advice for homeschooling your teen will come in handy. As always, I suggest homeschooling your way and enjoying all this journey has to offer! Feel free to share what it’s been like homeschooling your teens thus far!
