I don’t have a crystal ball. But if I took a guess, I would say there’s a 50% chance you’re reading this because you have seriously considered homeschooling your child(ren) for the coming school year.
You’re not alone.
Families choose to home school for a variety of reasons. The few most popular: to provide a better education; to learn in a healthier schooling environment; freedom for religious instruction; a job that requires traveling; children with special needs; to remain a close knit family; and now we can add–to provide safety and sanity during a pandemic.
I homeschooled mostly because I’m rather quirky and creative and so are my kids. Every year it felt like I was homeschooling on a wing and a prayer. I have come to believe that most mothers or fathers who take on homeschooling do so with an attitude similar to: Dear God, Please don’t let me screw this up!
Although we ended up homeschooling two daughters all the way through high school graduation, our son attended private and public schools during his schooling career. Let me say upfront, homeschooling is not for everyone. I’m going to say that again. Homeschooling is not for everyone.
You may be thinking: This pandemic is not going away anytime soon. If schools do open in the fall, it’s very likely the number of virus cases will spike and all the kids will be sent home again. I don’t want my child to go through a negative experience that resembles anything like last spring. I’m going to keep my child home and wing it.
Or maybe you’ve been telling yourself: I’ve always wanted to homeschool and this is kismet. It was awful having to leave school abruptly in the spring, but we finished the school year the best way we could and we grew closer as a family. I think it’s best for all of us if we try homeschooling–at least for this year.
Some are feeling “the call” to homeschool, and are reasoning: My children are young and I miss them terribly when they are at school all day. I know a lot of homeschooling families and their children are so well behaved, kind, and confident. I’m smart and resourceful, and I think I could do an excellent job. It might even be fun!
Whatever your reason, if you are seriously considering homeschooling during this present crisis, you are going to need help. Let me repeat that. You are going to need help. This means, you will need to connect with other long-time homeschoolers, and meet a couple of new homeschooling families like yourself. Fortunately, there are many ways to get the help you’ll need.
If you have already made up your mind, and are planning to homeschool next year, consider the following:
- Have you included your spouse or partner in making the decision to homeschool next year?
- Have you weighed carefully your children’s wants and needs as part of your decision process?
- Have you thought of a plan B if homeschooling ends up driving your whole family crazy?
Did you answer “yes” to all three questions? Good for you! You might be a rock star in the world of home education.
If you have not yet included your significant other, your kids, or your sanity in your (likely, hasty) decision, but you still want to homeschool, you’ve landed in the right place! I’ll be sharing my experiences with home education, while providing clear direction and endless resources to help you get through a year of crisis homeschooling.
Have you indeed made the decision to homeschool next year? If yes, where are you in the process of preparing for next year?