How Do I Get Started Homeschooling?

Recently, I spent some time on the phone with a friend that was wanting to get started homeschooling. We talked over most of the FAQs. So I thought I would go over some of the basics.

1. Look up the homeschool laws and requirements for your state. Homeschool Legal Defense Association has a tab on their website that has all the states listed with the laws and requirements. Just find your state and read through. 

2. Talk to a few trusted friends that already homeschool. Do not join Facebook groups right away. You will get overwhelmed with all the different opinions and how differently everyone does their schooling. 

3. Know your why. Know why you want to homeschool. Your why is important.

4. Change your mindset. You are not going to fail your kids. They are not going to miss out on anything that you don't want them to. Jamie Erickson wrote a brilliant Facebook post the other day that summed up everything I've ever wanted to tell some one and couldn't manage to get the words to come out of my mouth. She says, 

One of the questions I often hear from parents considering homeschooling is, "Will my kids miss out on anything by not going to public school?"

"Anything" is a very nebulous word and could mean any number of things to any number of people. But I think it's fair to assume that "anything," in this case, means things like prom, after-school sports, clubs, theater productions, field trips, etc.

While I can't speak to every town or homeschooling community, I can say that MY kids have been to homeschool dances, played (and are currently playing) sports for local teams, been members of numerous different types of clubs, been invited to participate in community theater (none of them took the bait), and gone on field trips with friends several times a year.

And yet, it's fair to say that they have missed out on many things. I can't deny it.

They've missed out on being offered alcohol hidden in a water bottle at lunchtime, getting a sext from the girl in their biology lab class, having hours of tedious homework after an already long school day, or getting bullied on a school bus when no one else was looking--all of which happened at our local district this past semester. Admittedly, not to every student, but to some.

Here's the thing: There is no perfect schooling choice, including homeschooling. Regardless of which one you choose, your kids will miss out on some of both the good and bad things of the other option.

But that's how life goes. You can't do it all, have it all, be it all. Every day, you have to make a million, mostly inconsequential, decisions and then be willing to accept whatever blessings or burdens come with those decisions. But even if the choice feels especially weightier than others, like homeschool vs. public school, the outcome of the choice will be the same. There will be blessings, and there will be burdens.

Am I saying that every family should homeschool? Nope. Am I saying that homeschooling is always the unicorns and rainbow sprinkles that Instagram shows it to be? Also no. What I am saying is that schooling choice should never be made from a scarcity mindset. There are plenty of pros and cons in both camps.

So the question you should be asking isn't, "Will my kids miss out on anything?" because either way, they'll miss out on something. The better question is, "Which list of good and bad things is worth missing out on?"

So all of that being said, you are not going to mess up your kids by not "sending" them to school.

5. Pick your curriculum. One of the least overwhelming curriculums I've used is MasterBooks. And it's wallet friendly! It's the curriculum I recommend for those just starting out.

6. Rip off the band-aid and just start. Once you've chosen your curriculum, just go for it. It will probably be rocky at first, but everything you do for the first time takes time. You didn't learn to walk in a day, did you? Give yourself and your children grace and remember that you are learning together.

If you need more help or more information, please feel free to email me at jenn.raisingmightycedars@gmail.com.