How do you get started in homeschooling?

I have gotten several emails recently asking the question: how does one go about getting started in homeschooling? For those who have been homeschoolers for a while, it perhaps seems like an odd question. But it can be intimidating and as a family who has only homeschooled for a while, I can attest that it is a daunting proposition initially. It is so culturally ingrained that you stick your kids on a bus and the state takes care of the rest that I think a lot of people don't homeschool even when convinced of it because it can seem impossible to even contemplate anything else. My intent here is not a dogmatic defense of the theological foundations of why you should homeschool. I have plenty of posts on that if you are interested. This is more a practical, once you decide how do you make it happen post.

This is not how we got started. It is how I wish we would have! We are just starting to get the hang of it, and still have a long way to go. I think the following points will help make your transition easier and will be a good base to get started in the very exciting, very tiring but infinitely valuable practice of educating your children where they should be educated: in a Christian home by those who love and know them best, their parents.

Find out about the laws in your state

Every state has different laws regarding homeschool. Some states, like Michigan, have very loose laws. You pretty much tell the local school "We are homeschooling" and that is all she wrote. Other states, like Ohio, have more restrictive rules and many are borderline draconian. The Home School Legal Defense Association has a great database of state laws here. No sense in getting in trouble with the law or being intimidated by local school bureaucrats. Be armed with the laws and your rights, join the HSLDA and exercise your right as a parent to educate your own kids.

Find a support group in your area

Many areas have local homeschool groups. In central Michigan we have CHESS and in Northern Michigan there is a more loose knit group. I would bet that most states at the very minimum have a state wide organization. This is important: you need to find a support group. You will find that many people in your community, in your family and even in your church are not going to be keen about you homeschooling your kids. You need other godly parents to talk to and to support you. We have all been frustrated and it is incredibly hard when it feels like no one understand or supports you. Guess what, lots of people have had those same feelings. It is eminently Biblical to learn from those who have gone before. Homeschool does not need to be a recreating of the wheel in every home.

Talk to your kids

Getting pulled from school can seem like either a huge problem for social kids or an enormous occasion for celebration, either "when will I see my friends?" or "Sweet, I don't have to go to school tomorrow!" Homeschooling is not a punishment and it is not an endorsement of being ignorant. Make sure your kids understand why you are electing to do this, what your expectations are and what they can do to help. You don't need to ask permission but you should make sure they are in the loop.

Have a plan

Looking at curriculum and lesson plans and methods can be bewildering. There are so many choices and you can spend a bunch of money on something only to find that it doesn't work for you and your circumstances. Be realistic about what you can accomplish and what you want to accomplish. I would recommend going to a convention and talking to the vendors. Spend time with them, they are enthusiastic about their products and about homeschooling. Start simple and don't be afraid to try different stuff and don't assume that works for the Jones family will work in your family. We use a computer based curriculum because frankly we aren't very organized. Our days are very loosely structured. Some people have the day broken down virtually to the minute. There is not a right or wrong way to do it, the beauty of homeschool is that you do what works best for you and for your kids. Don't ruin that by trying to conform to what others do.

Don't seek approval from your family

Many families that elect to educate their own kids find that their own extended family is cool to the idea at best and outright hostile to it in many cases. You are not homeschooling to please your family and you don't need their permission. It is doubly hard when your family is not a Christian family. It is best if they support you but their support and their approval are not necessary. Inform them gently and politely why you are homeschooling and ask for support.

Have fun!

Homeschool is not an onerous duty, it should be fun! Enjoy the fact that you can go to the zoo whenever you want or change the topic for the day to address recent news or adapt your day as you need. Enjoy that your kids are with you, not a stranger, all day long. You can never replace with quality what you lose in quantity. Parenting takes time and homeschool gives you lots of time, infinite number of teaching opportunities each day for lessons formal and informal. Is homeschooling hard? Yep. Is it frustrating at times? YES! Is it worth every frustration? Absolutely!

These are just a few ideas I came up with. I know there are lots of homeschoolers who read this blog, so please post your experiences. If you are considering homeschooling and have questions, please post them and let others who have far more experience than me give you some advice.

(The HSLDA has a great webpage, You Can Homeschool! that I recommend you check out if you are considering homeschooling and are not sure where to start)
How do I start homeschooling

Homeschool laws by state

Homeschool resources

homeschooling