How to Run a Successful Homeschool

Laura Hernandez is a mother to ten kids and homeschools seven of them. She has tips and tricks on how to make homeschooling work for your family.

To learn more about Laura, visit: www.mamasystems.net

Listen to the podcast here:

About Laura

Laura Hernandez is the mother of 10 kids, 7 biological and 3 adopted from foster care.

Two of her children have special needs (Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, Intellectual Developmental Delay).

With the diagnoses, she realized that it wasn't her fault and allowed them to get services and get the help they needed.

Laura says that she often asks for help and has put her three adopted kids in public school.

Daily Schedule

They start off the morning on the couches with a devotional.

Their oldest child does her own work online.

The middle children work with her to do memory work.

The younger children do spelling and vocabulary.

Then, each child does their own individual checklist.

Their individual work looks differently depending on the age.

Everyone does an hour of math.

Then, each child works on reading.

Most of their work is done in the family schoolroom and Laura stays there to help with whatever they need.

The ideal is that they do their work without her helping them.

She is more hands on with the younger children who can't read directions.

Laura says that she doesn't find it stressful.

She isn't trying to do something else, she is available if they need her.

Kids are able to work at their own pace so they don't feel a lot of pressure.

Special Needs

Her (special needs) kids are really hard kids.

They need a lot of one-on-one attention.

She feels like she needs to leave their learning to the experts. She says, she is the expert in knowing what they need, and it's not her.

Tips for Homeschooling Parents

Pick three things that matter the most for your family.

Focus on those three, even if you get nothing else done.

Shift your perspective of what success looks like.

Structure out the day and schedule how you want it to go.

They set timers throughout the day to help stay focused.