New to Homeschooling?

Are you considering homeschooling?  Do you have questions about it?  Are you confused with all the choices available?  If so, you are at the right place.

The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew is participating in a six-week Blog Cruise and the first topic of the cruise is “What advice do you have for those considering homeschooling or just starting out?”

 Officially, this is going to be our second year homeschooling.  Unofficially, we have been homeschooling since our first and only child was about two years old.  I have been researching the topic of homeschooling now for five years, so here is my advice.

• Find a local homeschool group to participate in.  Meet some people and ask questions.  There are sure to be some other moms who will be glad to help. 

• Contact your county to find out what the homeschool laws are in your area.  Each state is different. 

• Try not to go to a large homeschool convention until you have researched curriculum on your own.  Conventions can be very overwhelming and may add to your confusion.

• Take it easy your first year, especially if you are taking your child(ren) out of school to homeschool.  The first year can be a big transition for a child.  Try different things to see what works best for your family.

• Don't worry about what other families are doing.  Reading other blogs and talking with friends can be encouraging, but can also be discouraging.  You may feel like you are not doing as much as other families.  Look for encouragement and ideas when talking to other families, but don't compare yourself.  Each family is different.

• Be flexible.  There is no reason you have to follow the school calendar.  Take off when you want, start and end when you want, start late in the morning or early in the afternoon.  Take your own spring break when the schools are back in session.  It is your schedule so you can do what you want.

• Relax and enjoy your kids!  You will be around them all day, so add some fun to your day.  Play games, do crafts, or take the day off for a field trip.  

I'd love to hear from you so feel free to leave a comment on this post.  If you would like, you can follow my blog by clicking on Google Friend Connect on the right. 

Thanks for stopping by and come back next Monday to hear more.