Some tips to overcome the negatives associated with home-schooling:
- Keep social contact with friends from their previous school: make days available when they can meet and spend time together. Even though your children may make new friends at the tutor centre, it is important for them to maintain previous connections until such time.
- Make time for your children: have fun with your children, let them feel safe and loved, especially during the initial few weeks or months when they join the centre and during stressful times like examination time.
- If your children participated in a school sport, allow them to join a sports club to continue participation. If this is not possible, explore other sporting options where they will have the opportunity to work as a team, work with a coach and develop new skills and talents. The same can be done with cultural activities, such as music, drama, etc.
- Take your children to new and exciting places: plan trips to museums, art galleries and other places of interest. Let the world beyond books and the tutor room be part of their education!
- Join a home-schooling family group. Some communities have family groups when children can interact with other home-schooled children. The support from such a group can be enormous! If you can’t find a group in your area, start your own and invite other parents from the tutor centre.
- Ask for help when you need it: when you feel overwhelmed or unsure of something, ask for assistance. The tutor centre should be able to provide a list of professionals you can consult, whatever the issue may be.