Homeschooling is not all sunshine and rainbows. Do not get me wrong, I love the educational opportunity and lifestyle that homeschool has given us. In fact, I am planning a future on post on reasons to love homeschooling. But sometimes, things are just not working and a change is required. Not because of a rough day or week, but a gut feeling that the math curriculum, daily schedule, homeschool group, music teacher, sports team, etc. is not benefitting your child and it will be in their best interest to make a change. I call this gut feeling “knowing when to pivot.”
Knowing when to pivot is not easy. The very fact that you find yourself having to make a decision about it means there is something wrong and no immediate solution other than a complete change of direction. Sometimes it can be hard to admit that our initial choice was a wrong one and we need to backpedal. What works for the older child may not work for the younger, and I have moved away from curricula that worked well for my oldest to find something else that was a better fit for my younger students.
Knowing when to pivot is also not a hasty decision. Exploring why the original choice is not working is important to know what kind of change is needed. Write down all the reason that you feel a change is needed and then brainstorm what possible solutions might look like. Unless there is an outside deadline to make a decision, take your time to think it through. There will be lots of pros and cons on the list. There will be self-doubt. Sleep on it. Seek counsel from other trusted sources. Even if the change ends up being a mistake, at least you know that you took the time to make the best decision possible.
Listen to your gut. Sometimes even if there are fantastically convincing reasons not to make a change, the “mom gut” knows best. Listen to your kid. If you are facing a tough decision about your child’s educational path, you can still ask questions and remain the decision maker. The child may even want to stick it out a little longer, in which case it might be better for their own self-confidence to let them continue on and be in charge of the decision. However, just as we are ultimately responsible for our kiddos, it is ultimately up to the parents to make these tough decisions.
Over the 12 years of our homeschooling journey, some of the best decisions that I have made for my homeschool were pivot decisions. And sometimes we had to pivot several times before we found the right fit. You know your child best, and you care more about their education than anyone. Face the hard choices, take your time, listen to your gut. Pivot if you need to. You will know.
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