Is Homeschooling For Us? Yes Or No

The single hardest decision facing homeschoolers is not what topics to discuss, or even which programs to use in your school. For homeschool moms and dads, the decision on whether or not you will home school your child is by far the most challenging obstacle you will have to face.

Home schooling is not just a classroom - it is a commitment. It is also a parents way of sharing what they know and what they believe with their own children. It also shows that the parents will commit their time and their efforts to teaching their children, even when it is inconvenient or difficult.

There will be ample time for activities, spending time with the kids, limitations of the topic areas which are of concern for the parents; but there will also be times when parents won't want to be around their children, will have to address topics which will be controversial, and ways to find socialization for their children. These topics and events need to be thought about long before a commitment to home school your child is ever made.

The decision and commitment to homeschool a child needs to be made between the parents long before a program of study is picked, if you have children that are already school age you also need to talk about this with your kids. You will have a major fight if you don't. This is one of the major decisions that, if possible, needs to have been made long before your children are old enough start school.

Changes in your childs school status can be made if later if necessary but overall it seems that it is always easier to introduce your kids to public school after being home schooled than it is to introduce them to home school after being in public school. Homeschooled students normally interact differently with their peers than do kids brought up in the public school system.

Lets think about this even more. During the process of deciding whether or not to homeschool your kids, probably the second largest obstacle you come across will be your family. This is a decision that involves everyone in your household and they will also need to be sold on the idea. This isn't the just kids who will be homeschooled we're talking about; it is also the grandparents, the siblings, other family members of the parents and there will also be the nay sayers - the people who have seen the parents fail in the past. These people can easily either be your greatest asset - or your greatest liability.

Research in making this decision is a definite necessity and nothing to be taken lightly. Check with your local school system, teachers in your area, families who have done homeschooling in the past and those that are doing it now. You'll need to know all the requirements to do homeschooling before going any further, and there are many. It isn't just as simple as suddenly deciding to keep the kids home today. There are many legalities to consider as well in making the decision to homeschool.

Talking with others who are homeschooling their own children will help make this decision easier in the long run, but it won't make it a breeze. This is a huge undertaking. Remember, home schooling is more than just a classroom - it is a commitment to your child and their education.