Homeschooling Is a Pathway to Success

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.

I’ve been asked so many times “What about sports? How can my child be involved in sports if I homeschool?”

The other common question I hear in reaction to homeschooling is “how do you socialize your child? Doesn’t she need friends and activities and sports to be ‘normal’?”

I often speak with parents who are convinced that they are unable to homeschool. Whether it is because they are afraid of the academics or sure their personality is not a good match, they all say the same thing: “I just don’t think I can do it!”

This blogger was once one of those fearful parents, and she has done an outstanding job of capturing the many reasons why parents are unsure that they can homeschool.

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.

This is step one in a ten part series on the ten steps to starting homeschooling.  To skip to step two, scroll to the bottom of the page.

Step One-Commit to Consistency

1. Be sure to commit to a full year-one year at a time. For many first time homeschoolers, the thought of years of running a homeschool can be daunting-in some cases, so much so that they have trouble making the decision. And although we believe that you will continue for years to come, your level of commitment should be one year at a time–one full year.