The Most Important Part of Homeschooling Middle School

Beginning to homeschool middle school can feel overwhelming and challenging at the same time. As you enter this new (and sometimes more stressful) era of your homeschooling journey, there are some important things to remember. 

The middle school years can be tough! Middle school learners are more independent and opinionated, and their interests change. Suddenly, they have new ideas about what’s fun, what’s interesting, and what matters.

On the other hand, homeschooling middle school has some excellent benefits too! You can spend more time diving deep into topics they’re interested in and less time on phonics. There are many new ways to connect and bond as you learn together while homeschooling a middle schooler.

So what’s the most important part of homeschooling middle school? The most important part is still protecting our relationship and fostering a strong connection with eachother. Keep reading to discover how building a connection is different in middle school and get some tips for forging a strong relationship with your middle school learner.

Homeschooling Middle School: The Good and The Bad

There are benefits and drawbacks to homeschooling middle school. The good parts certainly outweigh the bad. Are you just entering the middle school years? Discover what you can expect and get some tips for covering the most important part of homeschooling middle school.

The Good Parts Of Middle School Learning

There are lots of good parts when you’re homeschooling middle school. One important thing to remember is that it’s a lot of review. 

When it comes to middle school, kids are experiencing lots of changes and that doesn’t always leave a lot of space for tackling new concepts. That’s why much of middle school is about reviewing topics and concepts you’ve already introduced. You’ll get to dive deeper into the history, geography, and science you’ve been exploring over the last few years.

Reviewing past topics and adding new information about each concept is a great way to see gaps you might need to address and ensure a strong foundation before homeschooling high school. It’s also less pressure for middle school learners dealing with a lot of new emotions and changes.

The middle school years are the beginning of kids thinking about the future and that can be a lot of fun too. Instead of always focusing on the present, your middle schooler is starting to think about the future and beginning to make plans. This can be exciting!

This new focus on the future might mean our kids aren’t engaged or excited about the same things. Instead, they have new interests and passions to explore. One of the good parts of middle school learning is exploring these new interests and curiosities together.

The Tough Parts Of Middle School Learning

There are a lot of good parts, but there are some tough parts to middle school learning too. All the angst and overwhelm that comes with the onset of puberty and physical changes can cause emotional stress. All these new feelings can make a homeschool day stressful for even the most seasoned homeschool parent. 

Sometimes it feels like homeschooling just isn’t fun anymore. The things our kids once thought were fun and the things they got excited about have changed. It can be a real challenge to find new ways to keep our middle school learning exciting and interesting. 

The Most Important Part Of Homeschooling Middle School

There are lots of real challenges and amazing opportunities when you’re homeschooling during the middle school years. As you face this new era in your homeschooling journey, we must remember the most important part of homeschooling middle school.

I firmly believe that the most important part of homeschooling middle school is relationships. Protecting and fostering a strong connection with Emily has always been the most important facet of our homeschooling journey. Connecting and developing a strong relationship with one another is always going to be more important than math facts, history timelines, and the titles on our book list.

There are still many ways to protect our relationship even as we navigate the tumultuous waters of middle school. Emily’s interests are changing, but that just means there are new ways for us to connect and new skills we can learn together. For example, pursuing Emily’s passion for archery has become a family endeavor we all enjoy and a new way to practice health and fun.

We have learned to take care of our relationship by practicing self-care too. Parallel self-care activities like journaling have become more than just a way to care for our mental health and practice our writing skills. Now, they provide another opportunity for us to connect even when we don’t feel like talking.

More Middle School Homeschool Resources

Are you interested in more ways to connect and engage with your middle schooler? Discover more middle school homeschool resources to help you make the most of these years together below.

Are you homeschooling a middle schooler for the first time? Do you have any tips or questions about the journey through middle school? Share your thoughts in the comments so we can all help each other navigate homeschooling middle school successfully.


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