This week on Homeschool Highschool Podcast: Homeschooling Multiple Teens.

Homeschooling Multiple Teens

All of us at 7Sisters at one time or another, homeschooled multiple teens at the same time. We have definitely got life experience around this topic, and this appears to be a topic of concern for some of our 7th Siblings who have asked us about how to handle homeschooling multiple teens at the same time.

We remember back in the ancient days where we were getting ready to add our second high schooler. It felt almost as intimidating as starting off the first one! (We can remember a few tears and some of them were from each of us!)

However, we all made it through! Along the way, we found out that homeschooling high school years were the best yet, even with multiple teens at the same time!

Let’s start with some of the simplest pieces of lived experience.

Advice we can offer to homeschool parents who are about to have two in high school, or three or four

Be encouraged! Here are some of our favorite bits of wisdom about homeschooling more than one teen.

You can do this!

You just need to know this. It’s true: you CAN do this!

There’s not one right way to homeschool high school

You might find that what was working for teen number one will probably need to be tweaked for team number two. That’s okay!

(Also, you do NOT need to feel pressured into homeschooling high school like some expert tells you that you must. There’s not ONE right way to homeschool high school. You do what is best for your family.)

Sometimes it’s okay to do the same thing together at the same time

You can work together on some subjects, even if your homeschoolers not in the same grade or age level. That could be anything from literature studies, to unit studies, to doing the same math curriculum (according the the abilities of the homeschoolers).

At other times, everyone can work on their own curriculum and interests

Every homeschool high schooler is different. When they have their own gifts, interests, and transcript goals, it is wonderful to work independently. That’s because there’s not ONE right way to homeschool high school, even within a family.

Make use of resources

Our homeschoolers have access to so many resources these days. These resources can help when you and your teens need to change things up, want an outside resource, or you would like a teacher with some extra expertise. Some of the ways homeschooling families with multiple teens make use of resources include:

• Homeschool co-ops
• Umbrella school or charter schools
• Asynchronous, self-paced courses, such as 7Sisters
  • APA-Style Research Paper
  • Psychology
  • Health
  • Human Development
  • Shakespeare
• Live classes online such as those our friend and Cousin, Natalie Mack, teaches, such as
  • Model Diplomacy
• Online high schools, such as:
  • FundaFunda Academy (sponsor of our fellow podcast, Homeschooling with Technology)
  • Dreaming Spires Home Learning
  • True North Homeschool Academy
• Dual enrollment

Include your high schoolers in planning

It’s a good idea to have teens’ buy-in on their homeschool high school plans. (Here are some how-tos for planning high school.)

Help ease teens into owning their own education

We could call this independent learning, or simply, teaching themselves when appropriate.

High school is a time when teens need to be taking greater and greater ownership of their own educational experience. You probably do not want to send them out to college or into the workforce or into the military needing you to hold their hands! Independent learningbuilds teens’ confidence.

Independent learning requires that teens learn a growth mindset

For teens, developing a growth mindset, the ability to bounce back from problems and believe in themselves is really important. Here are some resources for growth mindset.

Set realistic expectations

The world is full of endless opportunities, but our budgets are not limitless. Discuss what the family can afford. (Make it part of their Financial Literacy credit.

For example, Sabrina called a family meeting and said, “I can afford about this many tanks of gas this month. It will enable us to do this many extracurriculars. Now, pick which ones are most important to you.”

Make sure you have support

We 7Sisters met in homeschool co-op many years ago (that is, four of us met in co-op, the other two are real-life sisters)! Co-ops are great support systems for moms, so think about volunteering at your local co-op.

Not only that, but there is a digital world full of support, including:

• 7SistersHomeschool Facebook group
  • You can ask questions and get lots of advice from all the other 7th Sisters there!
• Homeschool Mama Coach (and our friend and Cousin) Teresa Wiedrick. Check out her podcast, resources, and coaching.

Support can also mean, teaming with other homeschool moms on those days when you have too many teens going in different directions:

• Carpooling to extracurriculars
• Taking teens to co-op when another one of your kids has a doctor appointment

Remember, these are good years. You can do it! Make up your mind to have fun!

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