This is written for anyone planning on homeschooling. Whether your child is 6 months old or 10 years old, you can do a lot of this list right now.

 

Some of you might be thinking, “My baby is the size of a blueberry, I don’t need to think about this yet”. However, I promise you that your public school peers are. They are buying homes in the “good school district” (there's no such thing by the way) and getting on preschool waiting-lists to plan for their children's future.

 

As parents, we can start early in creating a future for our children. I credit a lot of the joy and success of our homeschool to some of the decisions my husband and I made before we had children and even before we were married. By planning early and figuring out your overall plan before you need to start homeschooling, you can make life so much easier for yourself and your family. 

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• Click to view our article if you are homeschooling a child age 5 or under. It covers information about ECE curriculum, socialization and other tips to get started homeschooling little ones. 

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• Click to view our article about getting started if you are considering pulling your child out of school in the middle of the school year.

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• Be Social. Immerse yourself with the homeschool community. Maintain friendships with other homeschoolers. Make plans. Go to things. Host things. Join local homeschool groups on social media. You will be notified of local co-ops, micro-schools, friendship opportunities, events and activities. 

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• Familiarize yourself with the homeschool laws in your state. 

• Get your finances and your calendar in order. Budget in time for date nights, hobbies, errands, going to the dentist, meeting up with friends, self care, working out, etc. Homeschooling does take time and you need to organize your life well for it to work. Consider making a daily schedule for your family. Research whether you want to do a year round school model or follow the school calendar. There are pro and cons of each.

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• Research Twaddle, Homeschool methods, curriculum, and the HSLDA. Before you start homeschooling, consider joining the HSLDA. They provide the necessary legal protections in case you live in a hostile school district (which is very likely).

• Many Successful homeschoolers utilize private or part time childcare and education. Nannies, tutors, micro-schools, co-ops, extracurriculars like sports, summer camp, and grandparents can all be used as resources. Think about what that might look like for your family.​

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• Attend an “Introduction to homeschool” class or a homeschool convention to get an idea of what other people are doing. 

• Remember that curriculum is not just books and textbooks. It can be games, math blocks, art supplies, science kits, etc.

• Homeschooling is not "easier" than public school per se. That is not the right word. In some ways it is more challenging. However, it is more peaceful and fulfilling than sending your kids to a public school.

• Keep good records. We use a teacher planner as a diary for assignments and classes they participate in. We also keep dated assignments. 

• Avoid the bad mom/hot mess mom trend. Take care of yourself and love your family by presenting them as an example to others: with integrity and beauty.

• Consider buying industrial school furniture, toys and supplies. These items found in a day cares or commercial schools are also available to the public. 

• A SAHM (Stay at Home Mom) or homeschool mom is a full time job. Take it seriously. Manage your home with your husband. Think of your home like a company. Your husband is the CEO and you are the CFO. Communicate and be organized.

• Take photos. Make sure you are in them too.

• Vote to protect homeschooling. Vote NO on school choice voucher laws. Recently, homeschooling has become more popular and has gotten the attention of legislators. There has been an increase of laws restricting homeschooling. We already have school choice. These laws are big government bureaucracy disguised as “help”. They are creating a huge legal mess for homeschool families and do NOT help our community. ​

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• Our community thrives when we help each other. Participating in meal trains, voting pro-homeschool, and supporting businesses that cater to the homeschool community are a few ways to help our community. For more ways to support homeschooling, click https://www.homeschoolgateway.org/post/support 

 

You can do it!!!

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