Are You Considering Homeschooling?
When the day arrived that I was actually considering taking this step
with my own kids (for various reasons), this woman was the one I called
for information. She steered me to a homeschool organization in our
state that knows the law. They tell you how to get started and what you
have to do to comply with the law.
My husband was very much
against this idea of homeschooling, having the same thoughts that I
originally had about it. This was 1992, and homeschooling was not
popular yet. Only recently had many homeschoolers come out from
?underground? when states began to pass laws about it.
Well,
God was initiating this desire within me, so my husband didn?t stand a
chance of turning off this idea. Before our oldest daughter finished
her first grade year in public school, my husband agreed that I should
homeschool her the following year. I was so excited! I joyfully quit my
job and started us on a strict budget which was the basis for why I
could stay home and teach our kids. It was tight for many years, but I
can say that I would never trade back those years so that I could have
worked and earned more money. We always had our needs met.
Yes, my first year felt overwhelming at times, but it was a year of
learning, much like being trained at any new job. I had other moms to
ask advice, a real support system, which was so helpful to me. We met
to have fellowship and do some activities together with the kids.
Getting involved in a homeschool co-op can make a huge difference for
you and your kids. Being organized also makes things run more smoothly.
If you do not have a naturally organized personality, you just try to
keep things done and in order to the best of your ability. My second
year came in so much easier, as I began feeling like an old hand at it.
Unfortunately, I did receive objections from some family
members, but I knew that this was God?s plan for our family, and I
couldn?t direct our lives according to their opinions. It?s funny that
my mother-in-law who had initially objected to the idea was later the
one to praise it and tell us that she was so glad that we had chosen to
do it! She thought the girls were turning out so well. So don?t give
those objections much weight in your mind. They are usually proved
wrong.
The misconception about socialization is a big
objection. I heard it over and over, well meaning people wondering how
our children could possibly know how to relate to others if they were
not around kids every day. Many homeschoolers believe that their
children are not peer dependent or pressured, as many school children
are on a daily basis. Numerous homeschooling parents report that the
type of socialization their children received at school is the exact
reason why they have chosen to take their children out of the school
system and homeschool them. In addition, many homeschooling families
believe that learning at home actually broadens their children?s social
skills, not hindering them. A Parents? Guide to Homeschooling states,
?In homeschooling, children are truly out in that ?real world? they
hear about in school. They run on errands with their parents, go to
church, join 4H, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, the YM/YWCA, interact with
other homeschoolers in support groups, play and talk with neighborhood
children, take volunteer jobs, play on a community sports team, visit
neighbors and relatives and enroll in any variety of classes. They meet
with people of all ages and types, and even a trip to the grocery store
can turn into a social event.? Reports have shown that many
homeschoolers are very well socialized and most have a positive
self-esteem. These reports also show that homeschoolers tend to have a
broader base of friends than other children as homeschoolers have
friends of various ages, sexes and backgrounds, and they do not limit
themselves to one particular group as is commonly done at school for
the twelve years. Our co-op planned activities in which the kids were
all together since we had less than 20 kids. We had weekly speech
class, field trips, and a water quality class at streams. Now we?re
involved in a more organized, but still small, co-op with other
families. We have classes like history, different sciences, literature,
and gym. I?ve seen my daughters and homeschooling friends? kids handle
situations and relationships with confidence and skill, so I personally
know that this objection is untrue.
It?s important to know
your state law regarding homeschooling. Find it out if you don?t
already know it. You can look at www.hslda.org, a national
homeschooling legal organization. Some states have very low
regulations. Several states require no notice with the school district
ever! My state is far from that. We have the third strictest homeschool
law in the country. We have to submit a notarized affidavit with our
objectives for the year, keep a daily log of activity, logging 180
days, compile a portfolio of samples of their work for the year, meet
with an evaluator, and then submit the portfolio and evaluation to the
school district. Alot to do, but it keeps us accountable, and you
become accustomed to complying with your state regulations.
Learn all you can about homeschooling if you have even an inkling that
you might like to do it. Please don?t brush it off! I hear over and
over, ?I could never do that!? Then they also add, ?I don?t have enough
patience (or some other excuse).? Who among us has all we need before
we start something? I prayed for patience, and received it as it was
needed. I prayed for wisdom in picking out a curriculum or knowing how
to handle behavior, and received that when I needed it. I prayed for
help again and again and always received it.
Give
homeschooling your well-thought out consideration. Many women who
thought they could never do it, and some who were harshly critical of
ones who did, have become great homeschooling moms. Let?s not be
critical of each other, of whether they do or don?t homeschool. We are
each called to something different and have various reasons to or not
to educate our kids this way. Just seek what is best for you and your
family, and the Lord will supply the rest.
About the Author
Debi Kunes is a veteran homeschooling mother of three daughters, one who is now in her second year of college. Debi is a pastor's wife and lives in McDonald, Pennsylvania. She has a home-based business as an XanGo distributor. www.mangosteen-xangojuice.com
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