I want to teach my children. I’m excited at the thought of tailoring their education to their personalities and their interests. The freedom and flexiblity of homeschooling is a wonderful thought as well. But I’m scared to death to take on my chilrens’ education, but I’m not ready to GIVE-IN to my fears either. But I’m afraid that I’ve started this venture a little late (to say the least). It never occured to me that there would be sooooo much information and materials on homeschooling.

As a child I hated school….hated it. Not that I didn’t like to learn but that I didn’t like the enviroment. I truely felt stifled as a child. I would do terrible on day-to-day tasks but would come out on top of the class during testing. I plainly remember sitting in class,on many occasions, bored to tears. I already see so many of my childhood characteristics in my son. I don’t want to stifle his love of learning by doing what “everyone else” does. So I’m trying to make up for “lost time”. I now realize that this is something I should have thought much more about. But I cannot reverse time and I need help. I need someone to help me and point me in a good direction. Everything that I’m seeing is religion based. I’m looking for an educational method/materials that leave that out. Something outdoorsey, hands-on, great reading books, flexible. Can anyone help me with where to start? Also I’m wondering if anyone can tell me how I tell the public school system that I’m homeschooling. Do my kids have to submit tests showing that they are being educated? I recently found out that there are co-op groups for homeschoolers. Can someone please tell me what exactly a co-op for homeschoolers is? How often should they go? Do you do a lot of community based sports/programs to get your children socialized? Etc. Etc. Etc.

I have a million and one questions and I can’t keep bombarting my cousin 4 states away with all these crazy questions that keep popping into my head. Someone please help.

I’ll have to look for those follow-ups, the sound great.

As for transitioning from homeschool to college…I’d say from my experience teaching homeschool children at the college level & looking at the sociological data that they do pretty well. I mean it’s not without some challenges, like college offers for everyone, but in general it seems most homeschool students are better at completing independent work & being more industrious at addressing their needs. Probably this is a result from homeschool offering more opportunity for self-direction & seeking out different avenues to meet needs than traditional school settings.
.-= beth aka confusedhomemaker’s last blog: I’m A Mad Housewife =-.