Diving into Homeschool with Older Kids

Three years ago, near the end of summer, my husband and I decided to homeschool for the first time.

We had moved, but only to a temporary rental, so our children were going to have to switch schools twice. Thus began our homeschool journey. I was somewhat familiar with homeschooling, but I had a lot to learn. And we are still learning (and homeschooling).

That September we enrolled with a school, were assigned a support teacher, ordered all the curriculum, and off we went. With little time to think about how to homeschool, we just started with the books we had and started working through them. There were science projects and a salt map, field trips and outdoor class time. We had P.E. classes in the form of bike rides and walks. Sometimes I made a list of what to do; other times I didn't. The freedom and flexibility was amazing! I loved not rushing out the door to get them to school on time.

As time went on and I spent time online with homeschool websites and Facebook pages, I discovered a world of information and a community of homeschooling parents who discussed everything from curriculum choices to finding educational opportunities in the community. I didn’t even know there were different homeschooling styles (I think we are eclectic!). Anything you want to know is online, and so much more.

Even better than the online communities is the local groups of homeschoolers. Meeting with others who are travelling the same road is life giving. It is so nice to be able to have face to face conversations with other parents. There are groups that meet monthly for the parents, and they also have events for the children. You have a chance to spend more time getting to know the families your children's friends are from.

The time spent with my children is what I treasure most. They grow up so fast and I want to be a part of every moment of it.

If this is your first year and you’re feeling a little overwhelmed, especially if you only decided to homeschool very recently, know that it will be okay, you will be okay. Whether or not you have a support teacher to guide you, you can find so much support, encouragement, and answers to your questions online and in groups like LHEA.