The other day I took the kids to the pool and an acquaintance asked if they start school soon. I knew that question implied that she thought they attend the local public school system. So I replied, “We homeschool, so we start whenever we want. But yes, we started Monday.”
Our son starts third grade.
She said, “Oh, cool. You homeschool. Is this your first year?” I said, “No, it is our fourth.” She said something positive about it again.
I never know with people if they are positive just to be nice or if they really mean it. And I am aware that homeschooling can be done poorly. Teachers in public and private schools have shared with me that some homeschooling parents do not do anything with their children. After a few years, they put them in the school system and the teachers have to deal with the results of a bad homeschool.
Homeschooling can be done in many ways. There’s a homeschool flavor for everyone. But not teaching your children how to read, write, and do basic math is not acceptable. And money should not even factor in. Public schools ask for money at every turn of the semester, but they fail to produce results.
I have shared here several times about free homeschooling curriculum or inexpensive homeschool curriculum. The library is a treasure trove of living books which homeschoolers should prefer anyway over dry textbooks.
Our daughter starts first grade.
Homeschooling does not have to take all your energy and time, either. When children are small, they can only do phonics for 10-15 minutes at a time. As they get older, they require less and less supervision from mom. Sure, it’s a commitment, but it does not have to overwhelm you because it is so efficient.
Homeschool schedules are flexible because you don’t depend on a committee to make changes. Also, because you want to give your children the power to make decisions to an extent, especially as they grow older and develop preferences.
So I encourage you to start your new homeschooling year with courage. Set your goals and write them down. Research shows written goals get accomplished more often than those we only think about.
