Homeschooling. You made a declaration, maybe you know you’re 100% commited, that you want to pursue some other form of education besides a brick and mortar School for your child. It could be that this is a calculated and well-researched decision due to dissatisfaction with your current educational options. Or maybe you have young ones who you cannot imagine sending away for the better part of a whole day.

The reasons really don’t matter as much as the fact that more and more parents are finding themselves in your shoes. They sometimes lack a roadmap and a rallying community of homeschoolers around them. Sometimes they even face opposition from family and friends who don’t understand the desire to go against the current. They, and possibly you too, all come to the resting place of…where do I even start?

1. Find out the laws in your state

Not what your neighbor or the school tells you, but research for yourself. The easiest way to do this is to visit HSLDA and locate your state on the map. From there, you can navigate through the intricacies for what your state requires. Some states require very little oversight, some states are more intense in their rules, just learn the law and follow it.

2. Determine when you will transition

If your children are already in school and you are transitioning to homeschooling you need to determine if this will be at the start of a school year, during winter break or some other time entirely.

3. Pick out curriculum

If you plan to do an online public homeschool you will simply sign up with whatever program you choose and provide a withdrawal notice from your current school. You will then proceed with the Curriculum that you will likely be sent. If you choose to be in charge of your own curriculum then peruse what others use, ask for suggestions, and check out Cathy Duffy‘s site or attend a homeschool convention to see what is available.

4. If you are leaving the brick and mortar school system…

Consider a bit of a decompression period where maybe you read, do some fun unit studies or field trips for a month to get used to the idea of being together on a daily basis with the goal of learning something new. You won’t fall behind, you will be just fine.

5. Find a supportive network

We all need this because what you may not know is that homeschooling can be tough. It has good days, and some not so good ones. Sooner or later you may even run into something that stumps you. A supportive network via a co-op, a church group, or community group of like- minded homeschooling moms can be a lifesaver during these times. If you are coming up short, go to social media and try to find a local group, they are out there and growing in numbers.
Gift yourself some grace as you begin this journey, and maybe a few times along the way as well. You will sometimes feel like you are failing. You will sometimes want to quit. Give yourself some grace and revisit your why for homeschooling in the first place, this is a doable venture, and you are likely right where you are supposed to be.

Giveaway Time!

Whether you’re brand new to homeschooling or a seasoned homeschool mom, It’s Back to (Home) School time!!

It’s that time of year when many homeschoolers are busy preparing for a new school year.  Some of you may have already started your new year, and some of you may have never stopped!

I’ve gotten together with a great group of bloggers to make getting ready for the new school year just a little bit easier and hopefully a little less stressful for you.  How does $250 sound in helping you buy curriculum, books, games, puzzles, and educational supplies?  Two people will win a $250 gift card to the online store of their choice (choices are Rainbow Resource, Christianbook, or Timberdoodle).

We know homeschooling can put a financial strain on families – whether it’s from living on one-income or buying curriculum for your children – the financial aspect of it can be stressful.  Our hope is that we can bless homeschool families so they can buy the curriculum and supplies they need (or maybe a want you can finally splurge on) for their school year.

Enter the Giveaway Here:

To enter for your chance to win, just use the Rafflecopter form below to enter.  Now I know that is quite a few entries for you, but each of these bloggers generously chipped in their own money to bring you this giveaway, so I hope you will take the time to do all of the entries.  And hey, the more entries you do, the better your odds are at winning!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway ends August 4th, 2017 at 11:59 pm ET.  Must be at least 18 years of age.  Selected winners will have 48 hours to respond to email notification to claim their prizes, or another winner will be drawn.  Please be sure to read the Terms & Conditions upon entering the giveaway.

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