With the current state of the educational system in this country, more and more families are turning to homeschool. Families are finding that not only are their needs not being met in traditional schools, but they also disagree with the recent politics, such as a bill introduced to lower the national grading scale rather than improve teacher conditions and the learning environment. In addition, Betsy DeVos introduced a bill to enlarge classrooms and reduce the number of teachers in schools. How insane is that?
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Did You Know You Can Educate Your Own Children?
Homeschooling is definitely a great choice as an alternative to public and traditional private school education. But, you and your children need to be both prepared to be tough. This may be an excellent choice but could be more difficult than you’d expect if you don’t think preparing is important (trust me, it is). There have been many times when I’ve been asked for advice, tips, and resources and it is my goal to be able to provide those here. Many times, you can feel overwhelmed, but just relax. You are not alone.
1. Check your state homeschooling laws before you set up your curriculum. Laws differ from state to state about how you must homeschool your children. I recommend doing this first so that you know what you are up against. Rules may vary from one state to another; therefore, you must know exactly what the rules are in your state. The rules range from having to take specific training to just submitting to certain tests. Some states might require you to register your name as the owner of a private school before you can homeschool your kids. Some states have minimum days of instructions and also requirements in reporting. You may be able to get a standard curriculum from your state; however, some states require you to create your own curriculum. You may follow the school district’s calendar when organizing your homeschooling lessons for the year or create your own calendar. Personally, I like to do what feels natural to me and my kids. I do follow the formal calendar in my area for the required days, I then add in/schedule any family trips, field trips, or sports we may have, and then I plan my lessons around those.
2. Socialize and have field trips with other homeschooling families. While socializing comes naturally, this allows your kids to socialize while learning with others. You can also save some money by getting group rates at different locations. There is a common misconception that homeschooled children are not socialized or not capable of interacting with others. Such a lie. Homeschooled children play team sports, have regular meetups, and some even have hosted classes (like a co-op) on a regular basis. Not to mention the fact that they socialize with their siblings and families. Truth is, many people don’t know the difference between socializing (interacting with others) and socialization (learning to follow rules and prompts, like in school). Some states even allow homeschooled children to participate in afterschool extracurricular activities.
3. Before homeschooling your children, be sure to educate yourself on the subject. There are plenty of resources available to you online, at your local library, your local homeschool association, and or you can get ideas from veteran homeschooling parents. All of these can help you to decide if this is really the right choice for your family. No matter how much you may like the idea, you need to be sure you have the time, energy and financial resources to give your children a great education. If you can, you can partner with another family and co-educate your children together.
4. Know when to stop. If your child just isn’t getting it, pushing isn’t necessarily going to work. Look for other ways to teach the concept. One method of teaching DOES NOT work for every child. You have to be aware of this as a parent so that you are able to reach all of your children. There are many resources you can use, including apps, movies, and online tutors. Trying to force them to learn a subject in a way which does not work for them will most likely only leave them and you feeling frustrated. This may be a common practice for teaching multiple students in a traditional classroom, but it doesn’t have to be that way at home.
5. Do not isolate yourself. It is important to network with other homeschoolers in your local area. Meet those other parents, get involved with homeschooling support groups and participate in online forums. A group of contacts with the same interests can offer a source of valuable information, diverse perspectives, and insights that can offer a rewarding experience. I can’t emphasize enough how wonderful it is to meet and be able to talk with other like-minded individuals. Sometimes, you just need some adult conversation after talking with children for hours. Other times, you can get some really good tips and advice.
6. You have to understand that you can’t make everything fun, at least not for every child. That is just the truth. Not everyone is going like everything or always want to participate. Because of this, prepare for the fact that you may have to reinforce with your children the importance of learning and studying. Some parents give options. I’m not one of those. However, I do use rewards for effort and great work. Studying flash cards and reading long books about subjects they aren’t interested in isn’t fun for anyone. To help make it easier on you and your child, use a rewards system. It can be as simple as 15 minutes of free time, a snack, a small prize (like a puzzle or even toy from the local $1 store), or whatever you can come up with.
7. Go on nature walks with your child. You can incorporate many different lessons into your nature walk. Little ones can gather leaves. Counting practice can be had by tallying the number of tree species they see. If your children are more advanced, they might enjoy learning more detailed information about each species and its habitat or collect different types of flora for microscopic examination. You should also document your journey. Nearly every subject can be incorporated into this and there are no limitations to your creativity.
8. Nothing is absolute. There are going to be ups and downs, trials and errors, good days and bad days. No matter what today is like, you have the power to make tomorrow better. Some things that worked today may not work tomorrow. Sometimes, you are able to recycle topics and methods. But at the end of the day, your commitment to your child and their education is what matters.
I hope that with these tips, you can now be a little more prepared to get into taking control of your child’s education and begin homeschooling. This will prepare you for giving your children the best education. With your expert planning and teaching, your child will be able to meet all the challenges he/she will face in life.
Hasta Pronto!

Please feel free to share your comments or suggestions! I would love to hear from you. If you enjoy reading my blog, make sure to sign up so that you can always be alerted for new posts, tips, and recipes. You can also find me at Wombology (A Safe Place for Women to Heal) and Being Mama Dot (Chronicles of a Homeschool Mom).
If you are a homeschool mom needing some new ideas and encouragement or if you are completely new to homeschooling and you are looking for ways to get started, click here to apply for a Strategy and Brainstorming Session with ME! Let’s work together to get you to where you want to be!
Hi! I’m Kat aka Mama Dot! Nice to meet you. I’m a homeschooling mom of three boys. By day, I run a mom’s blog (Being Mama Dot) and subscription service (Wombology). In my downtime, I create resources for families homeschooling children of color at Our Learning Curve. I love coffee, reggaeton (music in Spanish), knitting, and reading. My favorite thing to do is to feel my feet in the sand. #beachbum. Currently, I am an MA/Ph.D. student in Africana and Latin American studies. When I am not in school, I spend my days running my online business and taking care of my little ones. Make sure to check out OLC’s Instagram, Twitter, or join us over at Facebook.