The concept of mentoring has always been a passion of mine. I have had the privilege of being "mentored" as a young married woman, as a young mom, and as a newbie homeschooler. Some wonderful ladies invested time in my life which has reaped numerous benefits, so I am always on the look-out for ways to do the same.
Mentoring does not have to be a frightening proposition or a huge time commitment. I've talked with women who are certain they have nothing of value to offer, so would never consider coming alongside another to share their experience and wisdom. Mentor is simply another word for "supporter", one who is available to offer input into the life of another. Convention season is a *great* time of year to offer support to a young mom/new homeschooler!
If you have ever thought about encouraging a younger homeschooler but haven't done so, please allow me to offer some very simple suggestions!
- Check out conventions in your area and offer to go with a younger mom. Make it a ladies' day out!
- Make a gift of a "how to" homeschooling book. Some of the best books I read about "how" to homeschool were given to me by good friends. Some suggestions might be The Three-R's by Ruth Beechick, or The Way They Learn by Cynthia Tobias.
- Point a new homeschool mom to the Homeschool 101 section of our web site. It is full of great articles, podcasts and webinars designed to get folks started well on their homeschool journey.
- Make a point to get together/check in with each other regularly *after* the convention. Perhaps a walk in a nearby park or lunch at a local sub shop ... anything that will give you opportunity to spend time together. Homeschooling can be a lonely life choice sometimes.
I would challenge you to think about finding a young homeschool mom *you* can mentor. Perhaps you've met someone at church or a homeschool support meeting that would benefit from a friend who is a bit further along in their homeschool journey. Don't miss a wonderful opportunity to impact a sister homeschooler.
Still on the journey ...
Judy Wnuk
Sonlight Customer Champion
[...] the cool thing: Mentoring isn't just for kids and young adults. Judy has already shared about homeschool mentoring. It's a great read and very [...]
Excellent post. Mentoring is so essential today to help people grow and develop. We are seing young lives (elementary to high school age) being changed by it. And it will work for anyone at any age who is willing to be mentored. Thanks for this post.