Are you a good candidate for homeschooling?

This is a matter of opinion, and I can only give you mine.

1) You need to enjoy being around your child. This is crucial.  The nice surprise about spending more time with your children is that you will enjoy each other more, so it gets easier and easier to spend time together.

2) Your reason for homeschooling should be because you think your children will benefit.

3) A parent should be home with the children.  This may sound obvious, but I’ve gotten calls from parents working full time who want to leave the child with a paid tutor.  That’s not homeschooling.

4) It’s preferable when both spouses agree, even if one is reluctant, so that it doesn’t become an issue that affects marital happiness.  

5) You should basically be able to cope with daily life before adding the additional demands of having kids home all day.   If you have serious depression, get anxious and hyper stressed by having your kids around, or something similar, leave them in school.  You’ll all be happier.

I also don’t support people whose children have been kicked out of school, who have no desire to interact with their child, are looking for someone else to do it all for them – parents need to understand that homeschooling is about the parent-child relationship, not a way to dump their kids onto someone else. I’ve gotten too many calls like this, and used to spend time helping the parents explore what homeschooling meant, but then it became obvious that they weren’t interested in what was best for their child, just what was an easy solution to their problem. 

I don’t think that you have to be very organized, though it is helpful.  I’ve had two minds about this.  Someone once who was clearly very disorganized asked me about homeschooling, and my first reaction was to discourage her.  But later I heard her interacting with her kids, and she was so incredibly loving that I realized she had the number one criteria in abundance.  Basic organizational skills can be learned, and a chaotic house can reduce the joy of homeschooling for everyone.   So while it’s not crucial to be organized, it is helpful.

You don’t have to be very patient, knowledgeable about whatever you’re teaching, have a teaching background, a spotless house, lots of money.   You can learn to be more patient, and learn new information alongside your children.  A messy house is a sign that things are happening there!  And there are plenty of ways to homeschool on a very small budget. 

It’s helpful to develop a strong backbone and believe in what you’re doing, but this is something that may develop with time and needs to be regularly reviewed and renewed.

Avivah