I was already thinking about writing this blog post, but now that I have been asked a couple of times about homeschooling, I’m actually sitting down to do it! If you are considering withdrawing to homeschool: here is my two cents. Or rather, my three cents I guess:
- Know the laws of your state!!! Find them on HSLDA‘s website.
- Consider the source of your information
- Write a Mission Statement
Educate Yourself
First of all, know the laws of your state!!! This is so important. We like to think that as parents we have the right to do whatever we want with our child/ren, and to an extent we do. But think of it this way: even though you are free to drive wherever you want, there are still traffic laws in place along the way. So if you want to drive to the store, no one is going to criticize you for taking one street over another, but if you try to go down the wrong way of a one-way, you’re probably going to end up with a ticket.
In that same spirit, there is no one right way to homeschool. There are many, many, many ways to “get to the store” (ahem, that is, getting your child/ren through high school to graduation). But the state in which you reside is going to have a say in it. Not in your route, so to speak, but they want to make sure you’re stopping at stop signs and red lights and yielding to pedestrians.
Okay, enough of the driving analogy. You get it.
Consider the Source
My second piece of advice is to consider your source of information. What I mean by that is do not use your school district for legal information. I am saying this with the utmost respect, not to be snarky or to put down public schools! There are all kinds of schooling choices, and all kinds of reasons that a family would choose one over another. But in this post-COVID era with so many people suddenly thrust into distance education, homeschooling has been gaining appeal to families who have never considered it before (although please note again—I can’t say it enough!—pandemic schooling is not homeschooling! Homeschoolers don’t actually stay home).
The reason I say you should second-guess your school district is because they do not always provide correct, legal information. They could be well-meaning and mistaken, or they could be intentionally misleading you, but either way it’s going to be your family in the hot seat if you are not following the law. Their misguidance and conflicting information can be very confusing and disheartening to new homeschoolers. Remember, neither your superintendent’s secretarial staff nor your superintendent him/herself has the authority to override the laws of your state!!! I like this article from HSLDA because it explains the many reasons a school district might be less than forthcoming to a potential homeschooler. HSLDA is a group of lawyers that are in your corner, and are trustworthy.
Please do not confuse your friend, a Facebook comment from someone in another state, a rando blogger, your school district, and most especially me, with legal advice.
Write it Down
Lastly, I think everyone should write a Mission Statement outlining your decision to homeschool. Think of it as an exercise entitled, “We are homeschooling because…”. Then print it out, sign it, and save it. And re-read it. Frame it if you want!! Have your kids read it and sign it. Here is an excerpt from mine: We should homeschool because…
One Final Note
The rest of it, like choosing your curriculum, creating a schedule, prepping lessons (this video is from a Charlotte Mason podcast with some great general planning advice and practical tips no matter which curriculum you use), etc… Those are just details. There will be a learning curve until you find your groove, so remember that it’s completely fine to change your mind. And please note, you’re going to change your mind, so please start preparing yourself now.
The first time I changed my mind, I fought it hard. I had shelled out $150 on a math curriculum, and there was no way I was going to admit it to myself or my husband that it wasn’t working. I hated it, my son hated it, but by golly, we’re using it! I told my son that we just had to grit our teeth and dig in. I thought, this is what everyone else is using, so what’s wrong with us that we don’t like it? Mind over matter!!
It was a humble day when I finally admitted out loud how much I hated it, but let me tell you: it was a relief, too. A revelation! It was very freeing to realize that we didn’t need to keep forcing something that wasn’t working.
When you’re homeschooling, sometimes you’ll have to go around a construction zone. You might hit some potholes, drive over broken glass, or even need to change a tire. You might completely slide off the road into a ditch. Remember to call for help; you should never try and push your car back onto the road yourself. And always remember the beauty of the scenic route.
I’m sure you knew it was coming that I was going to get a few more driving analogies in there.
Additional reading:
Simply Sunlight 