My husband and I both felt God was calling us to homeschool. We spent at least a month researching on-line and talking with complete strangers to try and get a definitive answer. Seeing as God no longer speaks to us from a burning bush (I wish He would; it'd be so much easier!) I guess we were looking for someone to say, "Yes, this is God's calling for your family. You are doing the right thing and all will go well." Like that ever happens...
We finally came to the conclusion that it would take a leap of faith. Thus began our journey AND 6 months of preparation. So, here are my thoughts on what we did and what I wish we had done.
First, google homeschooling and your city. We found websites, blogs, co-ops and articles that kept us busy reading. Second to reading on the internet, I encourage you to go to the library and peruse the books they have on homeschooling. I think I found that more helpful than googling. My favorite book is Real-Life Homeschooling by Rhonda Barfield. She profiles 21 completely different homeschooling families. It's a real eye-opener and I wish I had read it back when I was starting. Keep in mind, not everything will appeal to you, but it helps to see all the possibilities. There are many forms of homeschooling: classical, traditional, un-schooling, ecclectic, montessori, waldorf, and probably more (I'll go more into that later). Finding the books on the subject and reading them and using them as a discussion tool between you and your spouse is very helpful as you strive to paint the emerging picture of what your homeschool will look like.
I was fortunate to know one or two homeschoolers in the area (if you don't, look on the websites of the co-ops and there should be some contact names and numbers/emails) and called them to "pick their brain." Homeschoolers are generally eager to help other families. We've all been there and we were all, at one time, filled with questions about it. These women I originally spoke to, in turn, would put me in touch with other homeschoolers. I had to have the guts to call complete strangers and ask for a little of their very limited time to help me by answering my questions. Talk about a thirst for knowledge; I was parched! Thankfully, they were all happy to help. Sometimes, I struggled to not feel overwhelmed by all the "make sure you do this" or the "it won't work if you" or "you have to" etc. All well-meaning, as is this blog, but my advice is to take everything with a grain of salt. Mull it over, discuss it with your spouse, and pray on it. What works for one family, may not be for you. You will have to sift through the abundance of information and find what is a good fit for your family. Understand, I have had to do this at least 3 times since we began this journey. As our family grew our needs and "flavor" changed.
Some thought needs to be given about where your schooling will take place. Some families have a school room; we never did. I didn't think it necessary when we started, but in retrospect, it would have been nice to have a room where everything is located and you can go and work and then leave at the end of the day. However, that being said, it is not necessary. We mostly did our school right at the kitchen table. When I was first pregnant with our 5th child, I was SO tired and we literally did our school work on my bed. I would prop myself up with pillows, my 4 kids would come in with their books, and we did school work right there on the bed. So, the size of your house may dictate whether you have a separate room, area of the basement, etc. or whether you get the work done at the kitchen table.
Wherever you homeschool, you are going to need to prepare for the onslaught of curriculum and supplies, etc. So, give some thought to space. We have always had bookshelves and each child has their own shelf where their books and supplies are kept. Then, we also have some common supplies available on my shelf; yes, I get my own shelf, too. I know one mom whose kids have desks in their room and their school supplies are all kept in their room. Take a look around your house and decide where you'll put all the books and things that you will be using. Even if you are un-schooling, you'll end up with magazine subscriptions, educational games, etc. that will need a place to "live" in your home.
Lastly, part of my preparation was to give some thought to how our life-style would change or be different from others. After we decided to jump into homeschooling in January of 2000, I went to a homeschool conference in March. I sat in on a talk for new homeschoolers and remember the woman (who was from Chicago and had homeschooled her dozens of kids for thousands of years) remark how it was difficult for her to give up her mornings with the ladies in the neighborhood. She had been in the habit of having coffee with the neighbors after the school-age kids got on the bus. She knew her decision to homeschool meant no more of that and with tears in her eyes, admitted it was the hardest sacrifice for her. I feel the same way. I am a social person and LOVE to get together with other moms and chat. So, I left that conference giving serious thought to how this decision would change our, and specifically my, lives. I've known other moms who lament giving up their time on the computer, quiet time, daytime t.v., and a clean house. Whatever difficult changes there will be, remember there will also be good changes. Your family will be closer. You will enjoy much more flexibility with your time and every day will be an Adventure!
One more thing. Set a time period. Especially if you are pulling your kids from traditional school, it is going to be an adjustment. I don't know if you are starting from the beginning if this is an issue at all. We committed to a year, but I've known people who commit to only a semester or less. I would strongly recommend that you give it AT LEAST a semester and preferrably a year.
In my next post, I'll talk more specifically about the realities of homeschooling. Sort of a "what to expect when you're expecting to homeschool." In the meantime, I hope some of this post gives you some food for thought and I encourage you to comment with specific questions you may have that I can address in subsequent posts. Thanks for reading!!
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