Cat over at Dreams of a Country Girl has just revealed that she is maybe, might, kind of, sort of, possibly, perhaps considering homeschooling. I have been there and know from experience how frightening this decision can be. So I will attempt to answer some of her many questions from my experience as a former teacher who turned homeschooler only three and a half years ago. And who still remembers how scared I was and how nutty I thought you all were.

What will people think? I am such a people pleaser and the circles I run in are public school people. What will they think? Will they think I do not believe in public education? That is not true. Will my family think I have gone off the deep end?

What they will think depends largely on how you present yourself and what kind of relationship you already have. There are people who, at the mention of homeschooling, will immediately become defensive and list all the reasons they keep their children in the public schools. I really am not sure if this is because they are actually pondering this decision themselves and are nervous, or if they assume I am judging them for their decision. It is good to find a nice, non-threatening response to this and the “socialization question.” Both are probably inevitable so it is good to be prepared. That said, most of the conversations I have had regarding homeschooling with strangers have been pleasant and I’ve never had any actual confrontation in real life. My children do not file into the library in a quiet line in their handmade clothes, nor do those of any homeschoolers I know. That stereotype is fading fast as people have more opportunities to meet real homeschoolers.

Family can be a different issue. Some find great support, others a continual challenge. Some family members may take it upon themselves to informally test your child every time you see them, and others may ask how they can help. I think the key to remaining sane through it is to remember that objections are coming from someone who genuinely cares about you and your children. Therefore, it is best to answer questions openly and lovingly but remain strong in your convictions. Concerns fade quickly as they see your children develop normally.

But what if I suck? I only have one chance of getting this right. And what if I don’t?

You will recognize it long before they graduate that things are not going well. Either you will improve or you will send them back to school. You are their mother who loves them more than anything on God’s green earth. Do you really think you will sit idly by, watching them flounder for twelve years and then send them off with an apology? Somehow, I doubt it. Here is something that was more difficult for me. I, too, was a certified teacher, graduated with an education degree and had classroom experience. It took me a year to realize this was not what qualified me to teach my children. But it is all part of the learning curve. You will likely change quite a bit over the course of the first couple of years, becoming more relaxed or more strict, moving more toward what works for your family.

What if my kids hate being homeschooled? What if they do not want to be around me all the time?

There will be days. They will hate it. You will hate it. You will seriously consider marching everyone down to the school to register today. Those are good days to go to the zoo. Things always look better in the morning. I do not know what ages we are talking about here, and the issues are different if we are talking about children who are being removed from school. My daughter used to want to go to school, but the real reason was because her best friend does. Not enough reason for me to scrap homeschooling, and now she seems to be content with her educational situation. What you allude to here happens to be one of the greatest potential fruits of homeschooling, however. Because of the amount of time and effort you invest in each other’s lives, you grow closer. Sure, there are still arguments, disagreements, and days you are not sure this was such a good idea. But your family has a chance to really be a family, sharing some of the most special moments of childhood discovery together.

What if I miss the opportunity to do what I feel like God has called me to do? What if this passes me by and I regret it?

Something to definitely consider. I do not really like telling people to “try it out and see how it goes.” Homeschooling takes commitment and work. It also takes conviction if you are to be successful over “the long haul.” But it is how I started and I developed my convictions over that first year which have helped me to stay focused since then.

The real question is, “What do you hope to achieve?” What do you want for your children, educationally speaking? After you can answer this, you can determine whether homeschooling really would be the best option for them. And one last link, from the last time I wrote a post for someone “flirting with homeschooling.”

Did I forget anything? And what were your thoughts going in to this adventure?

[tags]homeschooling, homeschool, home school[/tags]