As with any new endeavor, stepping into homeschooling can bring trepidation, second-guessing your decision, and many questions. I’ll address some of the more common questions and set some of your worries to rest.
Legal Homeschool Questions
First, there are always the legal questions, which are easily dealt with. The Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) is an excellent place to start when searching for the basic legal requirements for homeschooling in your state. Each state varies in this, so there isn’t an easy or quick answer for what exactly you need to do to get started. But all fifty states allow homeschooling. Your state homeschool organization website may also be a useful resource, but not all states have one. Searching for your state homeschool organization would be a good place to start.
Homeschool Curriculum Questions
Second, there are the curriculum questions. This gets a little more complicated, because we all have our own approach to education. Every homeschool parent you speak to will have his or her own opinion on what curriculum works best or what the best choice is. Sometimes it takes trial and error to figure out what you want to do, what works best for you and your student, what your student’s learning style is, and more. And the best way I know to help with that is to get your hands on curriculum. If you have the opportunity to attend a homeschool convention, you can check out vendors, look at and compare the benefits of multiple curriculums, and ask questions of people who have used the curriculum.
As a homeschool student, I used multiple publishers each year, and it changed every few years based on what my mom could find. But she had a degree in education and was able to give us consistency from year to year because she would teach us and the workbooks were just practice. I do not have a degree in education, and I was not confident in my ability to effectively teach the required concepts to my students, so I opted to use the BJU Press Homeschool Video Courses for my students. It makes my life easier, I know my students are getting the education they need, and they do well, so I’ve seen no reason to switch it up for the last twelve years.
Personal Homeschool Questions
Third, there are the personal questions. And those are the ones that I want to encourage you to ask a homeschool community, or at least a homeschool mentor. If you’re going to homeschool, you need someone who knows what you’re going through and who can guide you and encourage you when you feel like giving up. But for now, I’ll give you a little encouragement from me, a homeschool student for ten years and a homeschool mom for twelve.
Am I capable of homeschooling?
Not only are you capable, but you can thrive! Who knows your child better than you? Who loves your child more than you? When you homeschool, your days stretch out in front of you. They are open. You aren’t tied to anyone else’s schedule. You can be flexible. If the weather is nice, we have what we call “sun days” when we skip school to enjoy outdoor time. If the weather is miserable, we double up on lessons because there is nothing else to do. If you see that your child has an interest in a topic, you have the time and ability to dive deep into that interest. It’s fun! Learning doesn’t just happen in a classroom.
How much time does homeschooling take?
Honestly, not a lot! As I said, I use video courses, so those keep our days a little more structured. It’s what works for us. But my kids can finish their days in about four hours (3rd–10th grades). When they were younger, the days were about two hours long. If you’re teaching your students yourself, you can adjust the lessons to suit you. And that gives you the rest of the day to do many other things. We’ve explored wood carving, weaving, baking, dinosaurs, music lessons, gymnastics, archery, volleyball, leathercrafting, and more because we have the extra time during the day to do so.
What happens if we fall behind?
There are two answers. 1) It’s homeschooling. There is no “behind.” 2) You may feel like you are behind where you wanted to be in your schedule, and that’s understandable. “Behind” is a myth if you’re comparing yourself to someone else. Behind where you wanted to be is easy to fix. You can look through future lessons and determine whether your student needs to complete them. Maybe skip some reviews or double up some lessons that cover similar topics. And keep moving forward.
What do I do with my baby or toddler while I’m homeschooling?
This was why I picked video courses. However, you can in fact homeschool while also “momming.” If the baby or toddler is napping, pull the schoolbooks out and work through a lesson. Have a special basket of activities for the younger sibling that only gets pulled out when older siblings are doing school.
Do I have to do school every day? What should my schedule look like?
There are so many options and no right answer! The number one thing to check before deciding on a schedule is, What does your state require? Our state requires 180 days between July 1 and June 30. That’s easy. It doesn’t mean 180 days of every subject—just 180 days of education. So, I start tracking activities on July 1. Field trips are great days of education during the summer. But if you want to start on your curriculum, go right ahead. Do you live somewhere where it’s too hot to be outside during the peak of summer? Start school and take a break once it’s more enjoyable to spend time outdoors. Do you prefer to stick to the typical summer off? That works too. Pick a start date. Just be sure that you schedule breaks in and calculate your end date to make sure you get your required days in before you decide to break for summer.
What about socialization?
Thankfully, this question is easy to answer. Most homeschool kids are incredibly socialized. Among my four children, our activities have us out of the house four out of the five weekdays. I know a lot of homeschoolers, and let me just say, we’re as socialized as we want to be. If you want to learn more about my thoughts on homeschool socialization, you can check out this blog post. https://www.homeworksbyprecept.com/homeworks-by-precept-blog/why-homeschoolers-arent-worried-about-socialization
There is a large and supportive homeschool community waiting to welcome you. We come from all different backgrounds and from all different approaches to homeschooling. But we are all here to support you as you make this leap of faith. Find your tribe, link arms with them, and step out into the unknown!
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