Taming the Homeschool Overload - free today

I didn't plan to post again today since we are in home improvement overdrive. However when I saw the Homeschool Freebie of the Day was titled Taming the Homeschool Information Overload I stopped to read, since this is a topic near and dear to my heart.  After offering audible cheers to the screen I thought I would link here in case anyone missed it.  This is a must read for homeschoolers.  

In this day and age we are bombarded with resources vying for our wallets and attention.  For many of us it is easy enough to resist the pricey items.  It is far more challenging to pass up FREE however. This article reminds us of the very real cost of FREE however in terms of time, distraction, and disorganization. They warn,

"You see, there IS a very real price for the multitude of  "free" homeschool 

resources you can find on the internet. It is the cost of your time, mental energy and 

focus.  YOU ARE PAYING MORE DEARLY FOR THAT RESOURCE THAN YOU REALIZE. "

It is tempting to amass materials and methodology information but far more challenging to really incorporate them.  In fact if you look critically you may well discover there is no possible way to incorporate all you have amassed in a coherent manner. For that reason they advise,

"Don't be caught in an “Information Hoarding” mentality 

Information Overload can sometimes be a sign of laziness. Lots of us tend to be 

information  custodians instead of users. It is a lot easier to just sit down and keep 

feeding yourself information without thinking of how to implement it. 

If you sense you are just spending your time accumulating but not applying, give 

yourself permission to let things pass you by. "

The other especially important advice,

"Stay Away From “Pretty, Shiny Things” that sidetrack you from your current 

homeschool plans. 

If you take the time to develop a “game plan” for your homeschool year, 

and can stick to your plan and avoid the “pretty shiny objects” that are constantly 

coming at you, you’ll get further along than you ever thought possible. "

When you have made a plan, selected time-tested ideas and materials, then just run with it. There are new things available every day.  As Jessica Hulcy once said, 

"If there are creative ideas, they will be replaced. If there are great curricula, they will be superseded. If there are effective techniques, they will be improved." 

That is no reflection on what you own and use today because in the end methods and materials are simply tools which will be more or less effective in your hands based on your focus and your attitude. Therefore,

"Focus on your plan, buy only those products which help you do it better, faster, 

cheaper, or easier and you’ll prevent information overload."

Stay the course, keep it simple, start with the core work, and then do no more than you can do with great tenderness.  As to all the wonderful things you may be missing?  Let them go.  Put on your blinders, smile at those beautiful children in front of you and marvel at a freshly wiped table and dishes drying on the rack.   Leave the resources on the computer, walk away from the catalogs, and get outside for some real life.  It passes by faster than you can know. 

 

Comments

[Donna Marie]

HOW DO YOU KEEP DOING THIS????
I was just praying about this...pretty shiny things..they get me alll of the time.

I am planning out my school year. I am missing the passage of time with each one of my dc...the boys really are the hardest...but i am learning. I need to be simple...to make eye contact with them and connect with them.
So, here I am...spending all of my time making things simpler...easier to see...easier to put away...so it's easier to spend time doing for my children the things that will help me connect with each of them better.

Is this what it is like to grow up?? I am smiling for some of the things I have been wrestling with are resolving themselves into smaller workable parts....schooling, dishes, laundry...whatever. Wisdom is moving into our learning spaces....both mental and household. Wisdom is welcome in all of its completeness and fullness and I want her always as a guest of my heart.

[Tracey (Connections)]

You have an amazing ability to distill information and comment on it. Thank you for sharing.

I had not thought about the wasted time and energy with the free things. Wonderful points!

[Tracey (Connections)]

Kim- I just had to come back and comment on how information overload can apply to everything! I just researched (not for the first time) baby slings and wraps. WAY too much information out there. It felt like madness looking at all of the (often conflicting) opinions.

Happily, I stopped myself from researching and I ordered something.

I remember this same feeling with my first child- reading all of the "how to" books actually made it MORE difficult to parent. I was so busy reading that I did not allow my natural instincts to kick in.

Sigh. To have all of that time back....

At least I can make better decisions in the future!

Take care.

[Laura Guiang]

This would be a good article to read each year after you make your homeschool plans so you don't get tempted to sidetrack or doubt your plan. Thanks for sharing your insights.

[Sybille]

A great post! The simpler, the better.
Thank you for your words.

[Barb]

As we enter into our major "clean sweep" of the house over the next 3 weeks, this is a very timely message for us. We tend to agonize over what to keep, how to keep it, store it, etc. Thanks for the great article.

[Eva]

Hello, I have been following you for a few years and never posted until now! This IS THE ONE THING I have felt tugging my heart these weeks. Trying to scurry to figure out a better plan, a better way to make a montessori activity etc... downloading worksheets, files and other great free resources on your and other blogs...in the mean time 2 weeks left of summer glory are wasting away!! THANK YOU THANK YOU for this important reminder. It doesn't need to be done by Sept 6th...but enjoying the days that we are all here together does!
Eva