Are you considering starting your homeschooling journey? Has the overwhelm set in? Likely you’re realizing there are a lot of choices out there when it comes to homeschooling. Homeschooling and the resources that come with it have exploded over the last several years. If you are feeling overwhelmed and stressed about making a decision, I will break things down so you will know if homeschooling is right for you and your family.
Check Your States Laws To Know If Homeschooling Within Those Guidelines Are Possible For You
All 50 of the United States have homeschool laws that may impact your decision to homeschool. These laws and regulations vary from strict to lax. In a previous post, I listed all the states, organized them into the category that they fall into, and made an easily clickable link for more information. Alternatively, you can visit HSLDA.org for more information on homeschooling laws where you live.
Don’t stress if you live in a highly regulated state. Talk with others who homeschool within your state (via Facebook groups or close friends) to see how they do things. You may find that it’s not as hard as it seems to be in compliance. (I live in a very low/no regulation state, so I can’t say I know a whole lot about the higher regulated states.)
How Much Time Do You Have To Dedicate To Homeschooling?
There is a misconception that homeschooling needs to be modeled after public schools. Let me just tell you, homeschooling is not a public school at home. Once you realize that you do not need to copy public schools in your homeschool, this will melt away half of the stress! Trust me! When I finally stopped worrying about what the kids in public school were doing, how they were being taught, and trying to model my style after them, we finally found our groove and enjoyed learning so much more!
You Do not need to homeschool for many hours a day
Many parents work full-time jobs and are still able to homeschool their children. However, is it an added stress that you can handle? If you do work full-time or have other full-time obligations, will your child’s education fall by the wayside when things get hard?
That being said, do not imagine that you need to be stuck in a “classroom” or wherever you plan to educate, for 8+ hours a day. Depending on the ages of your children it could be anywhere from 30 minutes a day (for much smaller children) to 2-3 hours a day. Of course, your child’s learning style, attention span, and ability to work alone will need to be factored in.
I have a kindergartener and a third grader. My kindergartener has a much wider attention span than most kids his age. He is more independent than his older brother when it comes to working on his own. Think about your children, you may learn more about their abilities when it comes time to sit down with them. The great thing about homeschooling is that you can adjust as needed.
What is your motivation when it comes to homeschooling?
Your children will likely not be eagerly waiting for you, books open, pencils in hand, beaming up at you, ready to start the learning process for the day. (If they are, send them my way and we can trade!) While you may find that you fall into a natural groove from day to day, you will be the one who needs to encourage your children to start the day. So ask yourself, what is my motivation level here?
Everyone works on different schedules. I have even read of parents who educate in the middle of the night due to parents’ work/sleep schedules. Hey, whatever works for you. Maybe you need to get up super early before you start your work day, get school done and out of the way. This is also totally possible. Work around your family’s natural schedules. Are you and your children up at 5 am with some time to spare? By all means, work that into your schedule for school. Do you find you have a lull before or after dinner? Work it in there! The possibilities are endless, but the point is, you have to be motivated as a parent. Your children will likely not be encouraging you in this process. If you’re not naturally self-motivated, this is something to think about.
How To Know If Homeschooling is Right For You: Do You Need A Higher Education To Qualify?
You may feel unqualified because you do not have a teaching degree. Guess what? You don’t need it. You’re the expert on your child. You know their likes, dislikes, interests, abilities and so much more. You know how they learn best, and what is right for them.
(Step into my office….er pantry. Ignore the stash of candy and chocolates in that tampon box, and let me tell you a secret…I was always bad at math in school. I have been re-learning a lot of math concepts by teaching my third-grader from kindergarten…There I said it.)
Thankfully for me, both of my sons are good at math. The concepts just seem to make sense to them, so that has taken a lot of stress out of it for me.
If this is a concern for you, I assure you, there are so many curriculums that are set up so that all you have to do is read and follow along in the book. We use The Good and the Beautiful curriculum, which is so simple to teach. Find a curriculum like this, that is open and go.
how to know if homeschooling is right for you: What if my kids fall behind?
This is a common worry for anxious homeschooling moms. “What if little Johnny doesn’t understand the orders of operation, and algebra by the time he turns three?” (Totally kidding, but some of the concerns that I see about small children falling behind seem crazy.) Here’s how I have come to see it, you can take it or leave it. So what if your child hasn’t learned all of their multiplication facts by the end of third grade? Does this mean that they will never learn their multiplication facts? No. It means that learning is a process and it takes time. Do you know all your multiplication facts perfectly? Now, ask yourself “But did you die?”
Ok, sorry, but in all seriousness, when do they really need to know these things? I am using this example because my son does not know his multiplication facts perfectly. I’m not worried about it, because every day he is using them, and getting better at them. I also know that he will continue to use multiplication in fourth grade, fifth grade, sixth grade…and on until graduation. So when does he really need to master these?
There is a saying with homeschool parents, that there is no falling behind in homeschooling.
How Much Money Do You Need to Invest in Homeschooling?
Depending on the age of your child, and your dedication to finding the right tools, organization, and preparation, you can spend very little. Many programs offered by the government are totally free.
But let’s be honest, when you’re starting out, and before you have found your groove, you may want to explore a lot of options. So the cost of homeschooling can vary depending on several factors. Consider the following:
- Which curriculum do you have your eye on? Is it budget-friendly? I have written a few articles on how to keep the costs down. Find out how to make your own simple history curriculum for free. You might also enjoy my articles on making science study enjoyable, especially when you do not enjoy experiments. And also how to study nature for little ones. Don’t forget my post about a very cost-effective, family-friendly curriculum, The Good and the Beautiful as well as Hooked on Phonics.
- What other resources do you plan to use? Take your children into consideration. Do they work best with hands-on, and if so, will you be purchasing manipulatives to help them?
- Other expenses can include additional textbooks, workbooks, online learning programs, art supplies, field trips, and so on. Of course, with homeschooling these things can all be controlled by you.
What Resources Are Available for Homeschooling?
The cost of homeschooling ultimately depends on your family and their needs. But please, do not feel like you have to do all the things. There will be time for everything you want to do if you prioritize your needs. There are many low-cost, budget-friendly resources such as:
- The library. Some libraries offer extra programs for teachers, and homeschool families, be sure to ask what your local library offers.
- Online educational websites. I have enjoyed using math-aids.com, code.org, typing.com and so many more that you probably use yourself.
- Local bookstores, yard sales, or finding books at Goodwill.
You Should Know Homeschooling Isn’t For Everyone
You should know that homeschooling isn’t right for everyone. Don’t be too hard on yourself if you find that homeschooling just isn’t a good fit for your family. Homeschooling takes a lot of time, patience, organization, and love. Sometimes we just don’t have enough time, patience, or organization to make it work. The main thing is that you have a love for your child, and that will ensure that whether you choose to homeschool or not, your child will get the education that they deserve!
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