The Best Resources for Homeschooling An Only Child
Let’s talk about the best resources for homeschooling an only child. Over the years, we have discovered tools that make homeschooling easier for our family. I’m excited to share our favorite resources with you here.
Homeschooling an only child is definitely different than homeschooling multiple children. There are big advantages and some unique challenges too. All the one-on-one time spent building connections and learning together is fantastic! Although, being together all the time can be challenging in its own way too.
Over the years, we have discovered some resources that make it easier to homeschool an only child. Today, I’m excited to share our favorites with you to help make the journey easier and more fun for everyone!
Homeschooling An Only Child
Homeschooling an only child has lots of awesome benefits that truly do outweigh the challenges. We have come to love many aspects of homeschooling our only child. For starters, we get to save money on field trips and memberships to local museums.
Another great benefit to homeschooling an only child is all the one-on-one time. There’s no juggling or dividing your time between multiple kids. That means we have extra time to dive deep into topics that are interesting to our daughter and more time to practice the things she finds difficult.
It’s a lot quicker too! Homeschooling an only child takes less time than trying to teach multiple children, so we’re able to spend more time doing other things throughout the day. I love that I can say yes to more games, more art projects, and more field trips! Homeschooling an only child isn’t always sunshine and rainbows though.
There are some real challenges you’ll need to address when you’re homeschooling an only child. For example, socialization might be a real concern. You’ll need to get creative and work harder to facilitate opportunities for your homeschooler to socialize with other children by joining clubs or attending local homeschool meet-ups.
Another aspect of homeschooling an only child that I have found particularly challenging is being my daughter’s “everything.” When you’re together all the time and it’s just the two of you, you’ll find that you become your child’s everything. I’m her playmate, teacher, mom, and everything else all in one.
It can be overwhelming at times to be the only one your child can come to for a chat, to play games with, to get help from, or even to release frustration. Over time, I’ve discovered some resources to help us manage the challenges of homeschooling an only child and really take advantage of the benefits too.
My Favorite Resources For Homeschooling An Only Child
These tools have been a big part of our learning journey as we make the most of homeschooling an only child. I’m excited to share our favorite resources for homeschooling an only child with you. I hope they make your homeschooling life easier too.
Learning Lunches
I adopted “learning lunches” long ago as a time when I can take a few minutes for myself and keep the learning going too. At lunch time, Emily watches a documentary, a video, or listens to a podcast while she eats. This gives me a chance to take a break in another room.
Curiosity Stream is a favorite of ours for learning lunches because they’re entertaining, filled with up-to-date information, and only 20 to 30 minutes long. There has never been a topic we can’t learn about from Curiosity Stream. Discover Amazing Documentaries for Your Homeschool from Curiosity Stream and get a few minutes for yourself at the same time.
Podcasts are another one of our favorite resources for learning lunches. Check out my Ulitmate Gude to Podcasts for some fun ones you can use in your homeschool. Some of our favorites include Story Pirates, Bedtime History, and WOW in the World.
Single Player Games
Single Player games have been a lifesaver for our homeschool! When you’re homeschooling an only child, games that require multiple players mean waiting for both parents to be home to play. Sometimes we even invite grandparents over for game night!
Having single player games has made it easy for us to enjoy gameschooling and all its advantages, even if Emily has to play by herself sometimes. ThinkFun games are one of our favorites for building critical thinking skills and having tons of fun! Check out my list of The Best Single Player Games for Your Homeschool to find some of our favorite ThinkFun games and other great games your child can play by themselves.
Online Classes
Online classes offer another great option for parents homeschooling an only child. Outschool has become one of our favorite ways to explore new topics, meet up with other homeschoolers for some needed socialization, and have fun! There are tons of classes on just about any topic you could imagine from art classes to foreign languages to escape rooms.
Discover the Online Classes We Love Using and how you can use them to help meet the challenges of homeschooling an only child. Then, come back and tell me about your favorite online class for homeschoolers in the comments.
Subscription Boxes
If you’re looking for a fun way to shake things up in your homeschool, you might want to check out some subscription boxes. There are so many amazing companies offering fun learning boxes for homeschoolers! Discover my Ultimate Guide to Subscriptions for Your Homeschool to get the scoop on our favorites.
One of my all time favorite subscription boxes if Universal Yums! It’s a fun way to take a trip around the world with the whole family by tasting snacks from different countries. We save our Universal Yums box to do as a family because it’s fun for everyone.
Art & Craft Kits
Emily loves art! I’ve discovered that strewing art and craft kits isn’t just a fun way for her to learn about new subjects, it’s also a great way to make learning more fun in our homeschool. You can discover some of our favorite kits to use in our gift guide for homeschooling an only child.
Some of our favorite arts and crafts kits come from Melissa & Doug, ALEX Toys, LEGO, and Creativity for Kids. They offer fun kits with everything from stamping to soap making to friendship bracelets and gadgets.
Discovery Decks
Sometimes when you’re homeschooling an only child you just need a break. Our Discovery Decks for Curious Kids are ideal for homeschooling an only child.
Your child can scan the QR code on each discovery card and get age-appropriate videos with up-to-date information about the topics they’re most interested in. It’s an easy way to encourage independent learning and get a break to reset for yourself too.
When you’re homeschooling an only child, it’s important to find ways for them to learn independently so you can grab a few minutes for yourself. Foster critical thinking and curiosity with discovery decks kids can use to get the answers to their biggest questions all on their own.
Finding Community
Finding community is another very important resource for parents homeschooling an only child. It’s important to have someone to talk to about your homeschooling journey that understands how homeschooling an only child is unique.
If you’re looking for community, join us at The Waldock Way group on Facebook or Instagram. Need to chat? Send me an email and I’ll be happy to be your sounding board as you navigate this wonderful journey, homeschooling an only child.
More Resources To Help You Homeschool An Only Child
If you’re homeschooling an only child, you know it can be a lot different. Homeschooling an only child comes with its own unique rewards and challenges. I’ve written a lot about homeschooling an only child and I hope my tips and tricks will be another great resource for you. Discover more awesome tips and tools in the articles below.
- Top Myths About Homeschooling An Only Child That Might Surprise You
- The Best Tips for Successfully Homeschooling An Only Child
- Homeschooling An Only Child: What About Socialization?
- When Homeschooling An Only Child Is Hard
Do you have a tip or tool for homeschooling an only child that I didn’t mention? I’d love to read about your favorite resources too! Share your tips and tricks in the comments for everyone and join The Waldock Way Community for more resources and support.
It’s so encouraging to see a homeschool mom of an only! We haven’t quite started our homeschool journey but I’ve been researching to see if it’s something we’re ready for. Our daughter is almost three and is showing signs of already wanting to learn. Learning her alphabet sounds, counting to ten, tracing letters. It all sounds so overwhelming and exciting. Thank you for doing what you do. I don’t do social media so it’s been wonderful to read your blog!