Perfect Curriculum Panic

It’s Friday.

You are set to begin school on Monday.

You read on the forum, or on your favorite blog, about such and such curriculum and you begin to sweat. Your heart rate and breathing increase.

Panic sets in.

All the while the question races through your mind, “Is that the perfect curriculum?”

I have been there friends! As homeschooling moms, we put a lot of pressure on ourselves to pick the perfect curriculum for our students.

We have to teach everything, even our weaker subjects. We choose good programs to shore up those spots, but then this shiny new curriculum that we didn’t know about comes to our attention. It has the potential to set us into a tailspin of doubt.

We start thinking, “Did I make a mistake? If it works this good for everyone else, shouldn’t I use it? It looks like the elusive perfect curriculum.”

So, how do you deal with Perfect Curriculum Panic?

1. Trust your process.

Most of us don’t choose curriculum on a whim. It’s well thought out, researched to death, and carefully chosen.  Trust in the work you put into selecting that particular program.

2. Realize that there is no one-size fits all.

Let’s face it, not even the one-size fits all t-shirts fit everyone. Why should curriculum be any different? As homeschoolers we are in a unique position to tailor a program of study that enhances our student’s strengths and builds up his or her weaknesses. This means that no one curriculum will fit every homeschooler’s particular situation.

3. Reassure yourself of your qualifications.

You know your children the best. By working with them everyday, you know how they learn and how you prefer to teach. This knowledge qualifies you for selecting the curriculum that will work best for your situation.

4. Admit that there is no “perfect” curriculum.

This is my 8th year of homeschooling and I have learned that there is no perfect curriculum that will fit everyone in every situation. Instead, the best curriculum is one that fits your goals, gives you to the tools you need, and works for your situation. It is one that you use each and every day to educate your children.

5. Give what you have selected a chance.

It happens he curriculum you selected looked perfect, but as your start date gets closer you are not so sure. We do make mistakes, but the only way you will ever know if it won’t work is to use it. I usually give myself a full semester with a program before discarding it. Sometimes it takes time to really see how effective a curriculum is and they only way to know that is to try it out.

So as we set out to begin school this Monday, I am reminding myself to have confidence in my choices for this next school year. I chose them for a very good reason and I am not going to give into Perfect Curriculum Panic. It is going to be a great year!

How about you, do you every struggle with second-guessing your choices on the eve of the first day of a new school year?