How to Homeschool Your Children

Taking it upon yourself to homeschool your children is a big decision--it has its virtues and drawbacks. By doing so you're taking it upon yourself to educate your child, leaving no possibility that your child may pick up information you don't want him or her to have. However, it's a full-time job and it requires lots of dedication.

Parents are increasingly taking to homeschooling for a variety of reasons. Some believe that public school systems aren't doing enough, that No Child Left Behind curriculum caters to the dumbest, and not the smartest, kids in class. Others are pulling their kids for purely religious reasons, choosing to give their children a religious education at home rather than a secular one in public schools.

For whatever reason, more and more parents are pulling their kids from the classroom and putting them in the dining room. According to HomeSchool.com, more than three million kids are currently being educated at home in the U.S.

Although it's a big challenge, homeschooling is definitely a possibility for any family. The Internet has become an amazing resource for parents new to homeschooling and those that have been doing it for years. Here are some tips and advice to get you started:

1. Get to know your state laws - Homeschooling is currently legal in all 50 states, but each state has its own laws and regulations concerning the practice. Local support groups in your area are an invaluable resource for finding out what is required of you as a homeschooling parent.
   
   
2. Pick up some reading material - There are literally thousands of how-to books on homeschooling, and picking up one of these is a good place to get started. HomeSchool.com recommends "So You're Thinking About Homeschooling" by Lisa Whelchel and "The Ultimate Book of Homeschooling Ideas" by Linda Dobson.
   
   
3. Choose an approach that's best for you both - There isn't one "approved" method of homeschooling children. Rather, many parents subscribe to different schools of thought regarding how best to teach their kids. Some use the traditional "School-at-Home" technique, as if they've simply brought the public school curriculum home for their kids. "Relaxed" homeschooling, on the other hand, allows a parent to focus on the subjects he or she believes are best for their child by using whichever textbooks, workbooks or materials he or she deems appropriate. "Unschooling," on the other hand, is the practice of letting your kids teach themselves, but this method is problematic when your kids take assessment tests or reenter the school system.
   
   
4. Consider the social implications - The biggest arguments against homeschooling revolve around the idea that because your child is not socializing with groups of kids her age, she will become a social outcast later in life. This argument has its merits and pitfalls, however. While it is certainly true that removing socializing agents like peer groups and teachers will affect their development, it is not necessarily true that it will do so in a negative way. Homeschooled kids potentially interact with kids of various ages, helping to teach the younger ones and being taught by the older ones. Also, by keeping them out of public schools you control what information they learn. In this sense, you don't have to worry about your daughter finding out about the birds and the bees from some punk three grades above her. It's essentially a "lesser-of-two-evils" consideration, and you have to determine that answer for yourself. Whether you homeschool or not, take your kids to experience new things and meet different types of people.
   

Homeschooling your children can be a rewarding and enriching experience. By doing so you get to rediscover the things you learned as a child, see things for the first time through your child's eyes, and take delight in the knowledge that you're taking your child's education into your own hands. It can be tough at times, but there are thousands of helpful articles out there that can get you through the rough patches. And if those don't work, give your kids a snow day. You can always come back to it later.