Committing to Homeschooling is a full time job for moms and dads. It is a sacrifice of time well spent around the kitchen table. To take the job is to mean sincere business and success.

The latest numbers from 2007 show 1.5 million kids in the United States are home-schooled, an increase of half-a-million kids in just 4 years according to the U.S. Department of Education.

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Yes, you can home school. God has trusted you to train up your children. Proverbs 22:6 says “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” You have been ordained to be your child’s teacher by the highest authority. It does not say to send your children away from you to learn. This should encourage you. You know your children best, so you are capable of providing the type of instruction your children need for the benefit of their life’s purpose. God doesn’t make mistakes, it is His provided way for us to train our children and He will honor that. If you are a mom and you are home schooling you are in your rightful position. Never doubt yourself!

2. Respect

If you show respect to those around you, specifically to your students, you will likely get respect in return. If you despise those around you by constantly demanding, whining, and complaining to or about them, no amount of that behavior will earn respect for you. Show respect to those actions worthy of respect – praising what can be praised and looking for virtue and goodness in the unexpected areas of life.

When children feel how good it is to be praised, they will strive to please you even more. Remember the old adage of attracting more flies with honey than with vinegar. Anyone refusing to submit to the leadership God has ordained (that is you, the parent/teacher) will become rebellious.

3. Behavior Modification

Be aware and recognize areas where the student needs help and guidance. There are many ways to address and practice character building with motivation and stimulation. It may be hard now, but with consistency it is better than having to deal with a bigger issue later.

Try not to compare your children to each other. Recognizing differences instead of perceiving discipline problems or believing a child might be defiant because they do not do things the same way as their siblings will enable you to analyze their progress and better develop individual solutions. One shoe size does not fit all. Sometimes children have more aptitude in certain subjects or skills than others. That is okay. While character building, try reviewing examples that the children can relate to based on their age level. Be patient and don’t give up. Your children are worth your diligence.

4. Encouragement

Praise your children often. Build your children up, never tear them down. There are many ways to offer the encouragement that they need and when you do this they will praise you back twice as much. Don’t lose your joy. As a parent/teacher our mood and attitude sets the stage for a successful home schooling day, week, month, year and life. Galatians 6:9 encourages us as parents saying “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

5. Focus

Keep what is best for your family and the needs of your children in the forefront of your mind. Too often we are distracted with attractive situations that will only take you off your path. Be on guard always reminding yourself what is important and best for your home school. Sometimes you must be ready to say no.

Remove anything that comes your way as a negative influence to your home school such as too much T.V., computer, friends, time off, phone calls, visits etc. Checks and balances on a regular basis will help you recognize such things. Remember to pray and ask God for revelation.

6. Socialization

This may be different for every home schooling family. There is not a required maximum or minimum amount of socialization for the development of well adjusted children. Also, the amount of socialization that is appropriate may change with the age and interests of your child, provided that the activities and peers meet your approval. It may prove helpful to seek the advice of experienced homeschoolers on matching curriculum and extra curricular activities to your students.

Consider allowing your children to have input on what specific interests they would like to pursue. Set aside time for interaction with other home school families – you will all benefit from the fellowship. Do not over commit yourself at the same time that you are learning to home school, since home schooling is a full time job all by itself. Socialization is a controversial issue when it comes to homeschooling. Many people assume that homeschooled children do not know how to communicate or “get along in this world” because they are not stuck in a classroom with the same aged peers all day.

On the contrary, home schooled children are quite apt at communicating… even with people well above their own age because of the exposure to diverse ages and people through the many activities, home school groups, churches, clubs etc. that they choose to participate in “in the real world!” Do not give up right after you’ve learned how to do the job of homeschooling. The first year is the toughest and the amount and types of socialization you and your family will have should change based on the season of life you are in (toddlers vs. teens).

7. Flexibility

If for some reason you are behind according to the wonderfully planned schedule you spend hours working on, it’s okay. Don’t lose your cool. Unexpected situations will come from nowhere. This in itself is a lesson for your students. Life can not be planned. We are not in control. God is. If your children see you graciously accepting life’s challenges and trusting God, they have learned a greater lesson than how to divide fractions haven’t they? Every night I pray “Lord help me teach my children what you need them to know for their life’s purpose you have planned for them.”

Since doing this, I have noticed that “spontaneous lessons” arrive daily. Don’t brush them aside. Stop and teach, explain, and discuss. Your child will learn more from you and remember this lesson for the rest of his/her life. It could be a lesson about making peace with a neighbor or baking a cake. Do not rush thru life. The school books will always be there but opportunities to make a lasting impression and build a lasting relationship with your child may not be. God will provide these opportunities in your home school, just be open to the call when it comes.

8. The Family TEAM

Can anyone help? Of course, even the little 2 year old can perform miracles given the opportunity and responsibility. Our home sweet home is filled with chores that should be distributed among everyone. I once read that “we should never do for a child what a child can do for himself.” This robs him/her of self esteem.

Besides, if we allow the child to help at a young age and continue with tasks appropriate for their age, we are teaching good stewardship, confidence, participation cheerfully and willingly through team work. Yes it does take patience, but better now so the child will grow up to take care of and train his/her own family, thus in the process you are leaving a legacy. Go with the flow. Make the best of every moment of the day… as a family.

9. Example

Be a good example to your children. They need to see God in you and working through you. Mom should be a help meet and dad should give confidence and support to mom. A good habit is to pray with your children and begin the day with the Pledge of Allegiance. This shows your children that you start your day honoring

God and showing gratitude. Also sometimes it is easy to let our children have all your attention because they may not have learned patience yet, but remember your own prayer time and the needs of your husband first. You are better equipped to handle the tasks of the day if first you focus on Jesus and then your marriage. If you and dad are united by a strand of 3 (with God) as priority, then the mountains you face that day will become molehills. Furthermore, by setting this example you are teaching your children the importance of the family roles and purposes for each in God’s plan.

10. Trust. Trust God

Trust that you are led to do what is best for your family and home school. Yes, you may make mistakes. We all do, but God’s grace is sufficient and will fill in the gaps we leave. Romans 8:28 says “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” So if your intent is to homeschool your children according to God’s will, then you can feel confident that you will be the BEST teacher for your child.

A little bit of planning and scheduling ahead of time can save you a lot of precious time and money

I have found very helpful planners for homeschooling  and weekly menus in the donnayoung.org website.

The flylady.net has a great page on how to use a calendar.

Knowing the goals for each day and delegating whatever possible will help you maximize your day. You’ll be able to homeschool, keep the home clean and teach the children valuable lessons on planning.

When people learn that Kathleen Ford of Erie home-schools her 6-year-old son, the question that follows, she said, is usually “What church do you go to?” And while religion is one of the top motivations for those who educate their children, the reasons are as diverse as the households that home-school.

A 2003 federal survey showed a variety of reasons why people choose to home-school, including concerns about safety, drugs and peer pressure in other schools; dissatisfaction with academic instruction at other schools; religious or moral training; a child’s physical or mental health issue or other special needs; or a child’s request to be home-schooled.

Four area parents share their stories about how and why they home-school.

Finding the spark.

Read More….

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Staying physically fit has always been important to Stephanie Rhodes, and she’s committed to encouraging others to make fitness a priority in their own lives.

Rhodes and her four children moved to Silverhill a little over a year ago. Her husband, Don, moved down a year earlier for a job with Daphne High School, but Rhodes had to stay with their home in Birmingham until it sold. Recently, her husband made a job change, now serving as a training officer with the 161st Army unit in Mobile.

A couple of months ago, the homeschool mom was led down some new paths. Rhodes, who received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in physical education, now teaches a homeschool P.E. class for teens and works with homeschool moms in a “Commit 2 Fit” program. Rhodes is also a distributor for Advocare nutritional products.

Read more….

I promised my 8 year-old daughter she could post, once the website went live. ~Perla

HOMESCHOOL 101 – FOR THOSE PLANNING TO HOMESCHOOL

1. Pray for God’s guidance and wisdom. Read the Bible for direction. Some passages to meditate on are Deutoronomy 6:4-9, Proverbs 22:6, Ephesians 6:4 and Luke 2:52. A suggested daily reading/devotion is the book of Proverbs. There are 31 Chapters, 1 for each day of the month. Proverbs is God’s instruction book for daily living, including parenting! “A proverb a day keeps the devil away!”

2. Husband and wife, discuss and agree together on homeschooling.

3. Sit down with your children and discuss your decision to homeschool.

4. Get your house in order. Establish routines, chores, and consistent discipline. Limit time spent on TV and computer games. Recommended parenting resources are available at Growing Families International, Focus On The Family, or DoorPosts. We highly recommend Growing Kids God’s Way Parenting Class and the book For Instructions in Righteousness by DoorPosts.

5. Get your marriage in order. The primary support for your homeschool is the husband and wife relationship. If there are unresolved issues between you and your spouse, it is more likely that your homeschool will be unstable, distracted and disorganized. Suggested resources to strengthen your marriage and family are available through Family Life and Gary Smalley. Try to go to a Family Life Marriage Conference. Also read the following books by Gary Smalley – “For Better or Best” and “If Only He Knew.”

6. Read books on homeschooling (i.e. Homeschool – The Right Choice by Christopher Klicka). Click Here for Recommended Books.

7. Talk to experienced homeschooling families, ask lots of questions! Join homeschooling online message boards and forums.

8. Investigate your local homeschooling laws. Great resource is HSLDA – Homeschool Legal Defense Association or your local State Department of Education.

9. To protect your right to homeschool, join HSLDA. Without any legal plan in place, it can cost you thousands of dollars to defend your legal rights. Bad things can happen to good people! Homeschoolers are not immune to legal troubles.

10. Join Homeschool Support Groups for great ideas and support from other homeschoolers.

11. Subscribe to a homeschooling magazine or publication.

12. Research and order your curriculum materials. Check out Satellite/Correspondence Schools for full curriculum package and services. For independent curriculum and record-keeping, visit Curriculum Publishers and Suppliers. Request the most current printed catalogs available and read them.

13. Plan your school year. Set up lesson plans and daily schedule.

14. Set up your clasroom or homeschooling corner with proper furnishing, supplies and record keeping materials.

15. If applicable, send your Letter of Intent To Homeschool to the local public school. This letter is in accordance to your state’s homeschooling laws.

16. Lastly, praise God for all the many wonderful and memorable homeschooling days that you will spend at home with your children!

Copyright 2007 by Bing Howard of www.ChristianHomeschoolers.com.
Permission is granted to freely print or distribute by e-mail, unmodified and up to date version of this document. On the WEB, you may re-print this article unmodified provided you keep this resource box intact.

Other times these problems are indicators of learning difficulties and disabilities.

A Lazy, Uninterested Reader or a Learning Problem?

Often parents tell me their children have trouble getting started with reading assignments, that their children are not interested in reading. These parents didn’t know what to do to encourage their children to read more.

Keep in mind that sometimes a child isn’t interested in reading because they are not interested in the subject matter of the books. In that case, parents can have their child pick out their own pleasure reading books. One thing I did was to go to the library and talk to the children’s librarian.

I told her that I needed a “guaranteed good read” for my son. The children’s librarians are well versed in children’s literature. The librarian asked me his grade level and his interests. She showed me several authors that had really interesting books in his grade level on those topics. I gave five books to my son to choose from. He then made his choices and really “got into” reading books.

If a child is struggling to read, the parent needs to identify why they are struggling so that they can address their needs. Then parents can instruct them in the best way for them to learn, to succeed, and to enjoy learning. Additionally, the parents can pass on the love of learning and reading by reading books to their child, and then talk about the books they are reading. A struggling reader will also benefit from family reading where each takes turns at reading. If they are truly “nonreaders,” they can talk about the pictures on the page or tell the parent how they visualize what’s been read to them, describing it in as much detail as possible. That way they are active participants in the reading process.

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For any parents concerned about the implications of a Homeschool Diploma in today’s job market, this is an important article to read.

Jacob Harden was thrilled to get the job at Iowa Telecom, but he became somewhat concerned when someone from human resources asked him to verify the authenticity of the high school diploma his parents gave him. He was told they routinely do background checks on all employees to verify their education, and they had some questions about his diploma. His parents offered an explanation, but it did not resolve the issue.

It sounded like Jacob’s job might be on the line, so his parents asked Home School Legal Defense Association for help.
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It’s hard to compete, unless you consider your health. Studies have shown carbonation can rob your body of nutrients, not to mention caffeine headaches, and the big tummy that comes with a routine of drinking sodas! Considering the disadvantages of sodas, you’ll save money and improve your health by competing against them.

Portable plastic-ware filled with premixed drinks works very well. My favorite is the Rubbermaid brand, one pint (500ml) container. It’s one of the only brands that doesn’t leak, it’s graduated and very durable. Get a few containers and fill them with juice concentrate or health drinks at one-forth the cost! Keep a bunch in the fridge for instant use.

For longer storage, premix frozen concentrate for the one pint mix and add the concentrate to the container, but don’t add the water. Freeze and when needed, remove and add water to the pint level and shake. An instant drink!