One of the first questions you need to ponder when deciding whether to homeschool your child is to define to yourself what exactly is homeschooling to you. What does it mean to you to homeschool your child? If you can't pin down exactly what your definition of homeschooling is, then you will struggle with the very decision you are trying to make. And that's just the beginning. You won't be able to make clear cut decisions on the other aspects of homeschooling that need to be answered down the road. Such as: what type of homeschool curriculum (pre-packaged or non at all)? What type of homeschool teaching methodology do I use? If you can't answer these questions then you won't be able to determine what type of resources should I target to research or what type of homeschool materials and homeschool supplemental materials should I purchase? Another critical question to ask yourself is how much do I enjoy being around my children? Now wait a moment... You're probably saying... What on earth kind of question it that! Of course, I love my children! Understood, but think of that question in the context of being around your children 'round the clock with sometimes... no breaks. If two parents are involved are you both in agreement on the decision to homeschool. I can't tell you how important this one is. It's huge. Homeschooling is going to affect your entire day. All of the household chores with now a homeschool schedule are going to change the way you and your family move about during the day. Depending upon your current job schedule, think about how homeschooling your child is going to affect your income. With the family potentially down to one income, how will this be budgeted out? Crunch the numbers folks. It's very important. Hopefully these few questions will get you started down the path of asking and answering more and more. Have these discussions with the rest of your family and make sure that all those affected by your homeschooling decision are on board with the plan. Plan for success and work your plan. |
