10 Ways to Prepare to Homeschool

If you’ve decided to homeschool your children, you may feel overwhelmed with all the decisions you now need to make. Teaching your own kids is a huge responsibility, but it is also entirely do-able, especially in this day and age where so many resources are right at your fingertips.

When making your plans, remember that not every decision must be made all at once. Similarly, if you find a decision you made isn’t working well, the great thing about homeschooling is the ability to adapt to what works best for each child.

The following ten tips will help as you prepare to homeschool.

You can also get a free homeschool checklist to make sure you don’t miss any important steps by clicking here.

Write down a list of the pros and cons of public schools in your area.
Write down how you’re going to overcome the cons and include the pros in your own classroom.
Create milestones and goals you want your kids to reach as you teach them.
Create a timeline for those goals so you can be sure they’re attained.
Be certain your kids have a study spot that is quiet and free from typical distractions. This area should not be near an area where you child plays. If there is no built-in storage where your child studies, provide a box to hold all of your child’s supplies and learning materials.
Know your shortcomings. It is unlikely that any parent can single-handedly teach their child everything they need to know from kindergarten through 12th grade. There are several options for upper-level courses. For instance, online high school and distance learning programs can help your child succeed in the later grades and prepare for the GED and college.
Be persistent. If you are trying to teach your children something, don’t give up after one failed attempt. There is a time and a place to move on, but make sure you give it your best effort before you go back to the drawing board. Sometimes children just need to be exposed to something for a little longer before it “clicks.”
Any effort you spend on creating homeschooling activities for toddlers is not wasted.
Prior to starting homeschooling, try spending time with your little one. Reserve some toys and materials like coloring books, crayons, and paper for school time use. Use your own judgment when determining what is safe and effective for your toddler’s activities.
Don’t fear getting help for housework when homeschooling. Adding an extra responsibility like homeschooling may mean that you need to delegate some of your household chores to another person. This other person could be another family member or even a friend. If you can afford it, look into hiring a cleaning service.

When your kids grow up, they’ll be sure to find great success thanks to the exceptional education you provided. We hope that your journey is a smooth one!

For online tools to help prepare your children for kindergarten and beyond visit www.misshumblebee.com.