Great Reasons To Homeschool Your Child

Why would anyone want to homeschool their child? There are plenty of great reasons to make that decision. If you are “on the fence” about homeschooling, consider some of these great reasons to homeschool your child. Go at your own pace. Your child will never have to face the pressure of struggling to keep up with the rest of his classmates. The teacher won’t move ahead before he is ready for the next skill. He also won’t have to cope with the boredom of waiting for his classmates to catch up to where he is before he can be presented … Continue reading →

Things to Consider Before Homeschooling

Is homeschooling the best choice for your child, your family, and yourself? That is a question that parents must give serious thought to as they are making the decision about whether or not to start homeschooling a child. Here are some important things to consider before you make the transition from public school to homeschooling. Can you afford to homeschool? Parents who are displeased by the public school that their child has been assigned to might be thinking about homeschooling instead. After all, homeschooling is obviously cheaper than the tuition that a private school would charge. Keep in mind that … Continue reading →

Is Homeschool Right for My Family?

Today we have more options than ever before when it comes to finding the best education for our children. Charter schools are being built all over the nation, private schools have gained in popularity over the years, and home school is becoming less of a frightening thought and more of a “thing to do.” But far from being a fad that will go out of style, this alternative is gaining long-term support, and more and more families are choosing this method of schooling for their own families. But how do you make the right choice for your children? I suggest … Continue reading →

Growing Wings

A couple of weeks ago, I had the odd experience of going downtown on the bus by myself on a Friday night. Let’s just say that I am not usually a Friday night partygoer, at least not any more. However, I wasn’t going to a party, just a meeting. On the way, I looked out the bus windows. As we got closer to our destination, I saw a flash of gold coming toward the side of the bus. It moved closer, and a woman dressed in gold with six-foot tall gold fairy wings attached to her bike pedaled past us, … Continue reading →

Why do I want to homeschool?

According to most reports, we live near a great school. My daughter may eventually attend that school, but I’m hoping to avoid it for a while. This has been a great topic of debate in our family, both immediate and extended. I come from a family of teachers and they value the school system. While many people think of homeschoolers as either hippies or devoutly religious, we do not really fit into either category. Why do I want to homeschool? I like spending time with my daughter and she likes spending time with me. She’s likely going to be my … Continue reading →

Gearing Up for Your First Home Schooling Year

So, you decided to make the big leap and home school your children? As significant as this decision was, you will be faced with many more as you embark on this journey. Here are some basic advice to guide you through the first questions and decisions you will face. Of course, things are not always this simple, but it’s best to keep our perspective and not get too overwhelmed. Home schooling is a learning experience for the parent as much as the child. What curriculum should I use? This is the question mainly asked by new home schooling parents. What … Continue reading →

Home School Blogger Intro

I started as a home schooling blogger on Families.com about a month ago. My introduction post is a little overdue, but I wanted to share with others a bit about myself and my background as a home schooling single mother. My two oldest daughters went to public school all the way through high school. A move to a rough area of Baltimore had me quickly pulling my three youngest out of school and home schooling them myself. It was a decision I wish I had made with my older girls. Live and learn though, right? For the most part I … Continue reading →

Home Schooling – A Blessing In Disguise

When people find out that my three youngest girls were all home schooled they look at me with shock and admiration. Then, they always ask why I decided to do it. My answers are probably similar to many other home schooling parents, even if we all have our unique reasons and ways of handling things. We do it because we believe in doing the best for our children. My personal reason for choosing to pull my two third graders out of public school, and never let my youngest step foot in a classroom, was simply because I felt I was … Continue reading →

Bullying may be a good reason to homeschool

If you have been following the news, you are aware that two 12 year old boys killed themselves in the past two weeks in separate incidents of bullying. According to an Oprah Winfrey show on the subject, the boys were hit, pushed, and called names, most specifically, they were called gay slurs. According to experts, harassment based on sexuality is the worst kind of torment for middle school students. I have my own personal history with bullying. It started in the third grade with girls who had previously been friendly becoming distant and cold. In the fourth grade it escalated … Continue reading →

Things You Need To Change When You Homeschool

When you decide to homeschool, it is clear that there are some things in your life that you will need to change. You have to adjust how you spend money. You may have to stop or cut back on working. You will have to be more flexible with your schedule. You will have to change a few priorities. Most homeschoolers handle these changes quite well. There are also some things however that you may not realize at first need changing. You need to change your relationship with your child. The parent child relationship is a bit different from the parent/teacher … Continue reading →