Education tends to make parents nervous…and with good reason: your child’s social, emotional and economic future is at stake. Private and parochial schools may not be an option for your family due to financial reasons or other constraints, and with severe budget cuts starting to curtail learning and activities at our nation’s public schools, parents are anxiously looking for options.

Have you considered homeschooling?

Top 5 home school things a parent must know

Deciding to homeschool your child can be a complicated and anxiety-inducing process. You want to know you’re making the right decision. Being a homeschool parent-teacher means traveling a unique – and unfamiliar – path with your child. The preparation you need to put into it is critical. Here are five things you must know about homeschool parenting:

Whether or not you believe the public school system is broken – or whether you feel it just isn’t for everyone – homeschooling has proven to be a successful education model for families around the globe. I can tell you that homeschooling isn’t a new fad. There was a time when it was virtually the only way to get an education, and up until the 1850′s nearly all Americans were homeschooled. But is there a current trend toward homeschooling in the 21st century?

A reader recently asked me how to handle acting as both mother and teacher.  How do you wear both hats?  How do you switch back and forth between both roles?

My answer: you don’t.

Every day we speak with homeschoolers who homeschool because they are dissatisfied with the public school system.

For some it is because they are unhappy with the undermining of faith that is so prevalent in the schools, for others it is because they believe the school is lacking in academics, and for others it is because the “socialization” is so damaging to their children.

Education that works cannot help itself–eventually people will stand up and take notice.

And that is exactly what is happening throughout the United States. 

Homeschooling works and people are noticing! 
In fact, more and more families are choosing to homeschool for a variety of reasons.

As a homeschool mom, you will learn so much more than you did when you yourself were in school.  History that may have bored you will come alive; math skills that eluded you will come together (especially if you start with a young student and are teaching the basics first); grammar will finally make sense; and science will intrigue you.

I remember my favorite teacher.

Miss McCullough was my fifth grade teacher and she was amazing! She loved to pour herself into us. She was funny; she was loving; she was willing to steer away from the curriculum and delve into some rabbit trail we started down with our many questions; she would have us pile onto the classroom couch after lunch every day and listen as she read exciting books . . . She was everything I wanted to be as a first-time homeschool mom. In fact, you could say she was my inspiration.

“Commit to the Homeschool Lifestyle” may sound a little scary. But I am not suggesting that you rearrange your entire life; instead, I am referring to the fact that homeschooling does not simply occur between the hours of 9:00 and noon or 3:00 (depending on your child).

Homeschooling cannot be put into a schedule box.

You are well on your way! You have selected your homeschool program; you have researched your state homeschool laws; you have found the right approach for your child; you are ready to begin!

What next?

My next piece of advice is essential for an organized and relaxed homeschool program:

Be sure to set aside a specific area in your home for homeschooling.