How to get started when you’ve made a quick decision to homeschool.
Sometimes life throws a curveball and we find our circumstances needing to suddenly change.
If this is how homeschooling has started for you, you might be feeling nervous, overwhelmed, and unsure where to start.
Your mind might be swirling with all the things you need to think about:
What is the best curriculum?
When can I take my kids out of school?
How do I register for homeschooling?
It can be hard to find a sense of calm and confidence amidst all these thoughts. But if we can settle our minds and focus our thoughts, then our suddenly-new homeschool can be perfect from the beginning!
What we are really worried about
When you have suddenly decided to homeschool your thoughts are generally revolving around two separate issues:
1. The legal side of homeschooling
- how and when to take your kids out of school
- how to register for homeschooling
2. The day to day side of homeschooling
- what curriculum to use
- how to meet your child’s needs
- how to find friends
- how to handle criticism
In the rush to get started it can be very difficult to tell these two issues apart, so we stress about them both at the same time. That just means twice the stress!
Let’s get started by breaking down our concerns and tackling them one by one.
Legal side of homeschooling
Whether your child is currently in school or not, you might be feeling anxious about the legal consequences of homeschooling. This is all new to you and you aren’t sure how to take the very first steps.
Don’t worry, we have all been there! For now, it is important to take a breath and break the process down into steps.
1. Every state and country has different rules when it comes to registering for homeschool. If you haven’t already found who you need to register with, a quick internet search along the lines of homeschooling+[your state/country] is a great way to start. Otherwise, finding local homeschooling groups or families and asking for their advice will get you first-hand experience and information.
2. Ask your regulatory body for information about what you need to do for registration. That information might be on their website, or you might need to call/email them and ask for details.
3. Find out what steps your regulatory body needs you to take before you can remove your children from school – this information will be in their guidelines, or you might need to call or email them.
4. Put together your registration package – but don’t forget that the most important part throughout this whole journey always remains: your child, yourself, your family.
Working through the legal requirements of homeschooling can be intimidating and overwhelming, especially when you are moving quickly. The Magic Art of Homeschool will support you as you find your feet.
Tackle your homeschool registration easily and stress-free.
- Overcome the stress of registration
- Put together your learning records (even if you feel like you haven’t done enough!)
- Focus on your upcoming plans
Day to day homeschooling
What we experience in our homeschool on a day to day basis often has little to do with the legal side of homeschooling, so it is really important not to confuse the two, otherwise we’ll miss the joy of the every day.
Day to day homeschooling is all about our child, ourselves, and our family. It is sometimes messy, always rewarding, sometimes overwhelming, always an investment. It rarely ever conforms to strict plans and generally keeps us on our toes.
Planning for your day to day homeschooling means:
1. Getting to know the needs of your child, yourself, and your family and building your homeschool around these factors.
2. Honouring and nurturing the skills and values important to you and your family.
3. Finding and using resources and curriculum that work for you.
The Magic Art of Homeschool will guide and support you through your every day homeschooling journey.
Homeschool Planning Checklist
- Get to know your child’s skills, interests, and challenges
- Choose what approach suits you and your family
- Put together the highest quality learning resources and curriculum
