We are bringing stories from homeschooling moms in India. Today we have Aparajita who runs a very successful Youtube channel related to homeschooling. She shares tips and tricks for parents who are interested in homeschooling on her channel. She homeschools her two kids and today we are asking her few questions. Let’s get to know her more and how homeschooling works in India –

When did you start homeschooling for your kids?

Technically I have been homeschooling since birth. My son (4.5) and daughter (2.5) have never been to school. However, this April onwards I’ve been more serious about homeschooling my son and have introduced a routine.

What led to this decision of homeschooling your kids?

I am a product of the Indian school system and I know that it focusses more on rote memorisation and exams. That’s why I didn’t want the school to crush my children’s imagination and creativity. I wanted them to have time to learn things at their own pace and follow their interests. And most of all, I wanted to adapt their education to their learning styles.

What are the differences between convention schooling and homeschooling according to you?

As I said, school is results-oriented, while homeschooling focusses on the individual child and goes at the child’s pace.

Your kids are in which grades now and which curriculum you chose and how did you find out about it?

My son is in KG and my daughter is in preschool. I don’t use a set curriculum, I use a mixture of the Charlotte Mason philosophy and Project-based Homeschooling.

Children painting a “space helmet”, a self-directed project inspired by a book.

What are the struggles in India for parents who want to homeschool? and did you face any problems initially?

Homeschooling is not very well known in India so the big struggles are lack of information and opposition from other people. I faced a lot of negativity from family and friends.

Share the tips and tricks to keep them focussed while studying at home. 

Honestly, homeschooled children stay focussed when:
– we don’t force them to learn things they aren’t ready for (like reading or writing at a very young age)
– we keep lessons short
– we do lots of hands-on activities
– we follow their interests
– we let them have a say in their education

Artwork by Aparajitas son

One major concern which parents have regarding homeschooling is the social interaction with other kids. How do you take care of that aspect while homeschooling?

Homeschooled kids aren’t locked up! In India, schooled kids usually do come out to play in the evening. That’s a great way to meet other children. Homeschooling groups and meetups and activity classes are also great places to make friends. And in general, homeschooled kids interact with a lot of people as they are out and about in daily life.

Any other suggestions for parents who are planning to homeschool but are sceptical. 

Be very clear about why you want to homeschool and do your research about methods. Speak to other homeschoolers. Look for local homeschooling groups (lots of Indian cities have them now) or ask away on Indian homeschooling groups on Facebook.

You have a popular Youtube channel related to homeschooling. Can you please tell our readers the reason behind starting it and more details about it?

I started my YouTube channel – That Indian Mom just when I became sure that I wanted to homeschool my son. However, I couldn’t find any information about how to start homeschooling a young child in India or a lot of information about how other Indian moms homeschool. My channel has a video about how to start homeschooling, explanations of the methods and resources we use, curriculum reviews, sneak peeks into our homeschool routines.
It has everything I wish I’d had when I was starting out.
Do subscribe to That Indian Mom on YouTube for videos about our homeschooling life in India and lots of homeschooling tips and advice. I also have a Facebook discussion group where you can ask questions and where we can interact.

A peek into a project about polar bears

Special tip by Aparajita for homeschooling parents – Parents MUST read aloud to their children. Any subject can be covered with reading aloud + it builds vocabulary, imagination, creativity and sparks interests in the child.
Thanks, Aparajita for taking out time for this interview. I hope this interview and your channel will be helpful for parents who are looking for answers related to homeschooling in India.
If you are a homeschooling mom or know any homeschooling moms in India, please get in touch with us. We will share your story to help other parents on how homeschooling works in India.

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