The "Correct" Way to Set Up Your Day

With the decision made and the worry (mostly) put to rest, it's time to get down to business.  Believe it or not, the hardest part is making the decision to homeschool.  So now that you've taken care of the hardest part,  it's ok to relax a bit.

Phew!

Another bit of good news, there is no right or wrong way to homeschool.  Homeschooling offers such flexibility that whatever works for your family, is the right way to do it.

Would you describe your family as morning people?  

Great!  Get up early, do your book work and have the rest of the day to pursue your interests.

Are you night owls?

Great!  Sleep in.  Have a more leisurely start to your day and work into the evening.

Very Structured?

Lots of curricula out there to choose from.  Pick one or combine several.

Not very structured at all?

A more relaxed, hands-on, learn-by-doing approach may be best for you.

Somewhere in between of all these?

Great...pick and choose the parts of each that works for you to custom design your learning day.

Gotta love the flexibility that homeschooling offers --- I know I do!

But....What about Socialization???

Ugh!!!  That dreaded "S" word....

A thorn in the side of every homeschooler.

Socialization.

But...what *about* Socialization?

    At first thought, it would seem homeschooling means children are in their homes, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with no outside connections or chances for any socialization whatsoever.

     Not so and the reality is quite the opposite.

     Most people are surprised to learn that homeschooling actually allows for a lot of socialization opportunities and across all age groups...from young children to the elderly.

Let's look at just a few of such opportunities:

1)   Homeschooling Groups -- These are groups of homeschoolers that get together (some very structured and some with no structure at all).  They offer a wide variety of events...such as field trips, sporting events and parties (Christmas, Valentines and other such holidays).  They attend workshops, take classes and take part in community events.  Some have co-ops where a variety of skills are learned.

  2)  Community Groups  -- These are endless, but include things such as soccer, hockey, ballet, church groups, brownies, guides, cubs, scouts ...... to name but a few.

 3)  Living Every Day Life --  This is one of the best areas to experience (learn) socialization.  This is the type of socialization most of us encounter in every day life.   Talking to the bank teller at the bank, the grocery clerk at the grocery store or the people behind you in either of these line ups.  The people at church, the people encountered while volunteering, the service man who comes to the door, the neighbour and their not-yet-school-aged children.  Everywhere we go...there are all kinds of people.

   4)  Extended Family and Friends -- Cousins, neighbourhood children and kids of our friends and co-workers.

     The list of opportunities to socialize goes on and on...
 

     So what about socialization?

     As you can see, it's really a non-issue for homeschoolers.

Decision Made .... Now What?

     You've scoured the internet, read as many articles about homeschooling you can get your hands on and finally taken that big step of making the decision to homeschool.

     Now what?
   
     More second guessing?  Panic?  Stress?

     No...none of the above.

     First of all....take a deep breath and relax as you ease into this incredible journey.

     Many things can help you achieve this level of confidence, things such as:

     Attending a homeschooling conference (or two!).  The bigger ones offer many seminars, with a topic (or 10) for everyone.  Most times, there are more interesting seminars than there is time to attend them.

      Also, these conferences usually have a vendor hall, with many vendors selling lots of curricula.  Allow sufficient time to look through here, meet the vendors and discuss your needs with them.  If possible, do your research before attending and find out who will be there.  Make notes of books and programs you are interested in and vendors who carry them.  Make sure you get to their booths and check out the books.  It's so much easier to make a proper decision when you can actually look through the whole book.

      Talk to other homeschoolers there.  It is so refreshing to connect with others at various stages of their homeschooling journey..  Makes you realize you're not alone in this decision!

     Look for other homeschoolers in your area.  There are various websites that list local homeschooling groups or homeschooling field trips, sporting events and the like taking place.

     The local public library is  also a good place to meet other homeschoolers.  Check with the librarian ...she/he may know of some (homeschoolers tend to use the library....a lot ;) ).  Leaving your contact info for him/her to pass on to local hs'ers can open the door to connect with others.

     Finally, it's time to take a deep breath, relax and enjoy the wonderful journey you've undertaken to embark on!

Homeschooling?? Who Me?

This was my first thought when we decided to investigate the wonderful world of homeschooling....

Sooo many questions filled my head ---

   Can I do this?        

         Will I ruin my kids' futures?      

                        What about socialization?

                                What about college or university????????  

Can I do this?  Did I mention this one?  Probably...there are several that I asked myself over and over

          What will people think?

                      Which curriculum will I choose?

                                     How do I know which one is the best?

      Socialization?                    Can I do this?                      How will I teach Math?

The list of questions seemed never-ending!

Ack!!!

I would soon learn that yes, I could in fact homeschool without ruining their futures and I'm here to tell you

YES  You Can Too!

Welcome to the wonderful (well...most days) world of homeschooling.  We hope to inspire and encourage you through your homeschooling journey.