Thinking About Homeschooling? Answers To Your Most Pressing Questions

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Are you thinking about homeschooling?

There are many reasons that you might be considering pulling your kids from the traditional school setting as a Christian parent. When asked, the common reasons Christian parents listed that had them thinking about homeschooling include: 

• Creating stronger family ties
• Protecting their children from worldly thinking for a set amount of time
• Training their kids in the Christian faith more intentionally
• Designing more personalized educational experiences for individual child
• Removing children from unsafe situations in school setting
• Preparing their child for adulthood through practical life training
• Making a flexible schedule for their family to travel and serve others
• Taking advantage of childhood years to grow closer as a family

Each family is unique in what leads them to homeschool. God has created each of you to uniquely fulfill His calling for your family. Don’t worry if your reasons for thinking about homeschooling differ from other homeschool families. That is okay!

Two Sides Of The Homeschooling Coin

Personally, I am so excited to hear about the many families that are considering homeschooling this year. Why? Because I have been blessed to see both sides of the homeschooling coin!

The Homeschool Graduate Side

When I was three years old, my dad was called upon by the local school district to finish the term of a school board member who moved away. What Dad discovered in that year moved him and my mom onto a homeschool journey that they had never considered. During Dad’s year on the school board, he reviewed sex ed curriculum (this was 30 years ago!) for kids as young as kindergarten. What shocked him was that the curriculum was not about the typical birds and bees conversation-it was grooming kids to accept and become homosexuals. To put it mildly, my dad was floored by this discovery. After a grueling year, he told my mom that he could never put me into that system.

My mom took me to the Intro To Kindergarten days at the school anyways.

After one day of observing from the sidelines and seeing me get ignored by the teacher because I wasn’t the “problem child” and watching me get shoved off a slide by another kid, my mom’s protective nature kicked in. She agreed with Dad to try homeschooling.

Twelve years later, they had the joy of handing me my high school diploma in front of our entire church family. It was a celebration that included several hundred people who had been with us along the course of those twelve years. 

Being a homeschool graduate has been one of the biggest blessings of my life!

The Homeschool Mom Side

Currently, we are starting a new journey of homeschooling in our own family. Last fall marked the beginning of preschool for our oldest child. With three kids ages 3, 2, and 6 months old at the time, I dived into our first school year together. 

Honestly, I was nervous because it is different being on the parent side of the homeschooling coin! I had to plan and adapt and reconsider how to explain things when they didn’t make sense. It required creativity and far more organization than I had imagined. Flexibility was a must-have due to the fact that we had to work around the nursing needs and potty training needs of the younger two. 

Somedays were AMAZING. Other days were just good days. Somedays were not good at all and we just stopped and tried it again another day. (Did I mention flexibility?)

Was It Worth It?

Homeschooling was worth every minute. I got to watch my daughter learn to read and see the moments when it finally clicked. My son was able to learn how to control scissors and create his own little “projects” that he cut out for himself. We did it all together and cheered each other along the way.

Best of all was the amount of time we were able to spend learning hymns and singing praises to God. My son’s favorite song that he constantly asks to hear is Rock of Ages (the hymn-not the rock song.) 

I knew homeschooling would be work and would come with hard days but I was not prepared for how truly amazing it would be. These are memories that I will forever cherish.

My daughter continues to pester me daily throughout the summer months because she wants to go to the classroom area and do more fun things. I love watching them love learning and reading rather than dreading school.

Homeschooling my own kids has only reinforced my commitment to promoting homeschooling as an exceptionally wonderful option for all parents to consider!

 

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Common Questions Asked By Parents Thinking About Homeschooling

If you are thinking about homeschooling, chances are you have thought of these questions. Hope these answers help you to make the decision to homeschool your kids with confidence!

Is it legel to homeschool in my state?

Often when you first start thinking about homeschooling, the legal questions will be the first ones that you have to tackle. Homeschooling is legal in every state in America but each state has specific requirements to homeschool legally.

Thankfully, Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) exists to help homeschool parents know how to homeschool legally in their state. Please take time to find your state and learn what is legally required. Make sure to join HSLDA as a member too. They will give you legal representation if needed. Also, membership allows you to have a Teacher ID card which gets you discounts! 

Will my kids be socialized?

Honestly, prepare to answer this question over and over and over and over and over again if you homeschool. As long as I can remember this is the one question everyone asks when thinking about homeschooling.

I sometimes think that people assume that homeschooling means you will never leave your house, your kids will sit in your basement with zero ability to talk or communicate, and that you have no ability to give your kids opportunities where they can see other human beings.

Here is what I can tell you about being socialized as a homeschooler: Socialization will look different than it does in the public school but it will happen!

As a homeschool graduate, I can say I was able to socialize all the time, with all age groups. Rather than only feeling comfortable with those in my own age and station in life, I learned how to communicate and work alongside all ages and personalities.

Homeschooling gives you opportunities to socialize with:

• People younger than them. You get to teach Sunday School or VBS classes to young kids or help babysit younger siblings. This teaches you to be kind and patient to vulnerable young children who need lots of love and care.
• People your own age. Homeschool co-ops, Scouting programs, 4-H and Awanas are a few options that allow homeschool kids to socialize and befriend those that are similar in ages and interests.
• People who are older than you. Since you are with your parents, chances are good that you will interact with their friends who are adults. This means you will learn how to interact in a mature fashion. Sometimes, you can even go to nursing homes and help your kids learn to talk with their elders who might be in wheelchairs. This can be scary at first but it opens up a world of stories and friendships with people who can share faith and encouragement!
• People that you like. You will make friends with other families who share a lot in common with you. These will be your core friendships that you turn to throughout the days and weeks and years as you go through life together.
• People that you don’t like. Everyone has people in their life who annoy them greatly. You get to decide which relationships come into your kids lives that they might not like but will just have to deal with. Personally, one of my first bosses treated me terribly but my parents decided that was a lesson worth dealing with. It was extremely unpleasant but that is part of socialization too.

How will I find curriculum?

Trust me when I say you will find curriculum. SO. MUCH. CURRICULUM.

Seriously, the hardest part of homeschooling for me is narrowing down the options of which curriculum I want to do with the kids. When my parents homeschooled me there was not nearly as many options (or ways to find out about the options.) My mom choose to use the company that sent a representative out to our small town once a year so she could order the next year’s curriculum in person.

My best recommendation is to think about what you want your school days to look like for your family. Then find a curriculum that matches that style. This site has a great overview of several different homeschool methods. Check them out and see which one might be a good fit for your family. 

Finally, this book by Cathy Duffy helped me to put into words what I desired and gave me a vision for our family’s homeschool life. Her curriculum recommendations really helped me to get a starting point when making curriculum decisions. I highly recommend you check out this book! (Look at your local library first as it is pricey.)

 

 

Here is a list of the top Christian homeschool curriculums for you to consider when thinking about homeschooling!

• Abeka
• Bob Jones University
• My Father’s World
• Five in a Row
• Veritas Press
• LIFEPAC by Alpha Omega Publications
• Classical Conversations
• Sonlight
• Easy Peasy All-in-One Homeschool

Remember these are only a few of the bigger curriculum companies. There are many more to consider out there. You can pick and choose from any company you want to. Give yourself grace as you work through discovering a curriculum that works for your family. This is a process that can take time. Expect some trial and error to happen.

P.S. The curriculum we used last year was called God’s Little Explorers. We loved it. If you are looking for preschool curriculum, check it out! 

Is homeschooling expensive?

Yes and no.

Homeschooling can be as expensive or as inexpensive as you would like it to be. There are free homeschool programs out there. Alternatively, you can spend $1,000 per child getting all the curriculum packages and extra curriculars.

Truly, you could always find more things to spend money on when it comes to homeschooling. But, you do NOT have to spend lots of money to be a successful homeschool family. (Interesting side note, there have been studies that show little to no difference in test scores across the economic differences in homeschool families. Spending more money does not link with better results in homeschooling.)

Decide on a budget that works for your family. This can differ from year to year and even from child to child. Make a plan on how to spend your homeschool budget and stick with that budget. Talking to myself on this one… 🙂   

How much time does it take to homeschool each day?

Not as long as you might expect. Growing up it was not unusual for me to finish my homeschool day before lunch, typically less than 4 hours of work. The younger the kids, the less amount of time. Last year, I planned no more than an hour of time spent on all our schoolwork. Sometimes we did that in one sitting but often I would break that up into two 30-minute sessions to help keep the kids fresh.

The main thing to remember is that homeschooling does not need to take the same amount of time as traditional schooling methods. A Facebook friend of mine brilliantly compared homeschooling time vs. public school time in terms of cooking. Basically, think about how much time it takes to cook a Thanksgiving meal for 25 people vs. how long it takes to cook a meal for 2 people.

When you are dealing with 25 kids in a classroom, it will naturally take more time. Once you reduce that classroom size down to individual children in your home, you will find that the time necessary to finish lessons is drastically less with the same or even better results.

Just remember, homeschooling gives your family freedom to use your time how you best see fit. Somedays will take longer and some days will be shorter. Give yourself grace and don’t panic if you are only filling a couple of hours in your day with official homeschool work.

Which leads to the next question…

What do you do all day long?

Laundry. I do laundry all day. 🙂

But more seriously, what do I do activity-wise with my kids all day?

Whatever hits the mood of the day. Sometimes I get organized and plan things in advance to do outside of school hours. Here are some of the books, I use to help me come up with ideas.

Of course, Pinterest is always there to help too. Be sure to follow my Christian Homeschool Pinterest board to find some more ideas!

Here is a list of common things we do with our kids throughout the day:

• Read Aloud time
• Bible study with kid’s Bible
• Games
• Baking/Cooking
• Playdates at the park
• Gardening
• Walks
• Coloring
• Dancing to music
• Tickle fights
• Trips to the library to get more books. 🙂

We also believe kids need to be a part of the family by helping with the workload of running a house hold. Not only does this help teach them life skills that are necessary for them to become functioning adults but it also helps Mommy and Daddy not get stuck with all the household tasks! Some simple chores that our kids regularly participate in include:

• Making their bed
• Putting away their clean laundry
• Placing their dishes in the sink or dishwasher
• Cleaning up their toys
• Feeding the dog
• Sorting laundry by color
• Handing me clean dishes from the dishwasher to put away

 

Most days, I try to leave unstructured time for the kids. This gives them time to explore and play and use their own imaginations rather than be rushed through their day with forced activities. 

Do what works for your family. (And may your laundry piles not reappear as fast as mine do!)

Will being my kid’s teacher harm our relationship?

God designed us to be the first teachers to our parents. You have been teaching them since they were born. Teaching them how to soothe themselves to sleep. Training them to use the bathroom. Guiding them through sibling conflicts. Homeschooling is simply an added area of training and teaching that you do daily with your kids.

Again, think of all the other hats that you have as a parent. You are cook, maid, nurse, cheerleader, and so much more. Adding one more hat to the relationship will not be harmful. In fact, many parents discover that after an adjustment period, they end up loving being the teacher in their kid’s life.

Does being at home all day with your kids drive you crazy?

This question is hard to answer. I have to say Yes because they are kids. They will stretch you and test you, no matter what schooling situation you choose for your family.

Our kids know what pushes our buttons and we know what sets them off too. This leads to a recipe for being annoyed by each other from time to time. This also leads to growth. It leads to growth for me as a parent. God uses my kids to daily grow me through the difficult interactions. And I have to trust that God will step into the gaps that I leave when I don’t parent how I should. 

Again, this has little to do with my schooling choice. This is just life as a parent. Homeschooling just gives me a few extra hours in my day to face those opportunities for growth. 

Do homeschoolers get a high school diploma?

Yes!

You can get a diploma when you homeschool. Different states will have different requirements as to the exact method but it is completely doable to graduate with a diploma. 

As a homeschool graduate, many assumed that I simply had a GED, not an actual diploma. It relieves many parents thinking about homeschooling to know that their child will still receive a diploma.

Will colleges allow homeschooled kids to attend?

Yes. Colleges want your tuition money. As long as you have met the requirements necessary for enrollment at the college of your choice, you will be just as likely to be accepted as any other kid. 

Speaking as a college graduate, I can say that homeschooling prepared me for college in many ways, not the least of which was to face the academic rigors of college. Don’t let fears about college keep you from homeschooling your kids. Be intentionally and do your research to help your kids decide on a college just as you normally would if they were in a traditional school setting.

Is homeschooling right for my family?

Only God knows this answer.

Pray about what God wants you to do for this school year. Remember, homeschooling for one year does not mean you will homeschool forever or with every single child. Do what God calls you to do with each of your children.

As you pray and discuss, here are a few factors to think about:

God commands parents to train up their children. He does not place this on the church or the government. This is placed solely on the shoulders of parents. Whether or not you homeschool, remember you are commanded by God to train your kids.

Regardless of where our kids attend school, we must seek to teach them a Christian worldview.

Currently, the public school system is exceptionally broken. Good and great teachers are being forced to teach unbiblical and ungodly ideologies. Even the basics of good academics are often not being taught.

Consider the fact that even if you had a great experience in school as a kid that the experience has probably changed drastically and therefore you might need to reconsider what will work for your kids.

Your Turn

Feel free to leave your answers in the comments below!

What reasons does your family have for thinking about homeschooling? Please tell us the top three things that are causing you to consider homeschooling!

 

What is the biggest concern you have about homeschooling your child? Face those concerns and find answers that will help you to deal with that concern in a faith-filled, encouraging manner. (Leave a comment below and I will try to help you find some resources that address your concern too!)

 

What is the biggest benefit you think homeschooling will do for your family? We tend to worry about the worst but don’t forget to consider the best outcomes too! 🙂

 

Thank you for stopping by!

 

Items that we have loved in our homeschool adventure include:

 

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