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We homeschool our son (6) and daughter (8). We knew we were going to homeschool well before our daughter was near school age. Reading and research is good. C

We homeschool our son (6) and daughter (8). We knew we were going to homeschool well before our daughter was near school age. Reading and research is good. Carry on. :) You should read John Holt at some point. I think homeschooling is easier the younger you start. Teens sometimes have a rough time making the transition. Connect with other local homeschoolers. Interacting with other homeschooling families is good for kids and parents both. Helps you stay grounded and helps with the inevitable crises of confidence that happen from time to time. Good luck!

niels_olson 17y ago
could you please elaborate on the "inevitable crises of confidence"? What about? How often? How severe?
- mattchew 17y ago
  You'll probably have moments where you're not sure you're doing the right thing by homeschooling, or that you're not doing a good enough job. Specifics vary. Whoever is the main hsing parent will certainly have days where nothing goes right and everyone quarrels. Several of those in a row and you'll wonder if hsing was the right choice. Sometimes parents get disappointed that their kid isn't learning fast enough or is resistant to teaching. If you lean toward unschooling, you'll probably wonder if that's really "enough" to equip your kids for college/adulthood. You may worry about inadequate socialization. Any area where your kid seems to be lagging behind his peers will probably cause you to question yourself. Once you start homeschooling, it's all on you. It's a lot of responsibility. You'll worry, at least some. From what I've seen, it's common for new homeschoolers to have a big crisis of confidence a few months in, for one reason or another. Some decide it's not for them at that point. Lesser moments of anxiety occur more often. For some folks, nearly continuously. :) We worry about some thing or other every few months. Sometimes we make some changes to try to address it, sometimes we decide it's no big deal or at least nothing that needs immediate fixing.

niels_olson 17y ago

could you please elaborate on the "inevitable crises of confidence"? What about? How often? How severe?

mattchew 17y ago
You'll probably have moments where you're not sure you're doing the right thing by homeschooling, or that you're not doing a good enough job. Specifics vary. Whoever is the main hsing parent will certainly have days where nothing goes right and everyone quarrels. Several of those in a row and you'll wonder if hsing was the right choice. Sometimes parents get disappointed that their kid isn't learning fast enough or is resistant to teaching. If you lean toward unschooling, you'll probably wonder if that's really "enough" to equip your kids for college/adulthood. You may worry about inadequate socialization. Any area where your kid seems to be lagging behind his peers will probably cause you to question yourself. Once you start homeschooling, it's all on you. It's a lot of responsibility. You'll worry, at least some. From what I've seen, it's common for new homeschoolers to have a big crisis of confidence a few months in, for one reason or another. Some decide it's not for them at that point. Lesser moments of anxiety occur more often. For some folks, nearly continuously. :) We worry about some thing or other every few months. Sometimes we make some changes to try to address it, sometimes we decide it's no big deal or at least nothing that needs immediate fixing.