The school year has wrapped up and summer vacation is now in full swing. Over the summer many families will contemplate their educational options for next school year. It is a regular occurrence for me to be contacted by parents who are considering home schooling.

Summer break is the perfect time for parents to delve into the world of home schooling. For many, it can seem like an overwhelming decision and sometimes parents don’t know where to start. I like to say, “It is like eating an elephant, one bite at a time.”

If you are considering home schooling, the following steps are intended to make the decision more digestible.

Familiarize yourself with the home-school laws in your state. Laws vary by state, and it is important to familiarize yourself with what you are legally required to do in the state in which you will be home-schooling.

One of the many questions I see new parents ask is, “which curriculum should I purchase?” I like to caution parents not to put the cart before the horse. Curricula can be expensive, and there have been many a home-school family who have dropped large amounts of cash on a popular curriculum only to find out that it is not a viable fit for their family. Don’t start your journey by choosing one prematurely.

Home schooling can be as expensive as you choose to make it. You can literally home-school with as little as a library card. There are also free curricula available. You can borrow home-school curricula, purchase used ones, and even use the same ones for multiple children of varying ages. There is a viable option for every budget and every home-school method.

You are going to need to unlearn everything you think you know about education. Kindergarten children learn best through play, so you should not be spending hours sitting and doing book work. Their attention spans are short, and traditional public schools present children with information that is not developmentally appropriate, which often leads to frustration in children and, even more concerning, medical misdiagnoses. Learning should be an enjoyable experience. Both you and your children should enjoy the home-school journey. You aren’t going to know everything, and it is perfectly acceptable and very beneficial for you to learn alongside your children. It teaches them that life is a continual process of learning. No one understands the educational needs of children better than their parents. You are equipped.

Parents should also choose their “why.” Why are you considering home schooling? What do you hope to accomplish? What are your long-range goals? For our family, our ultimate goal for our children is to point them toward Christ and to instill in them a biblical worldview which will equip them in defending their faith and leading others to Christ. Every family should define their “why.”

It is also very important for families to understand the different methods of home schooling and decide which method works best for their family and for each individual child. This step needs to precede choosing a curriculum. The method you choose will determine the type of educational materials you will utilize for your children. Home schooling allows you the freedom to customize each child’s education. This is why I tell parents to decide which model you will be implementing before you even consider a specific curriculum.

Plug into local home-school communities in your area. There are a wealth of resources out there for home-schooling parents. You won’t be on the journey alone. There are many organizations that can walk alongside you. Finding a home-school mentor that has graduated at least one child is also a valuable asset. If your church is home-school-friendly and supports home schooling, that is an even bigger bonus. Tap into all of those resources. Don’t be afraid to ask questions.

I also highly recommend that parents do a deep dive into the history of education in the United States and the history of school choice. That research will help parents better understand why we have what we have today in government schools. The system isn’t broken. It is actually functioning just as it was intended to. The last thing we want to do as home-school parents is to attempt to recreate the public school system at home and for the government to fund home schooling. We want to remain free from government shackles to educate our children as we see fit.

I also encourage parents to focus more on the “home” part and less on the “school” part throughout their home-school journey. The definition of school is: an institution for educating children; but the definition of education is: knowledge, skill and development gained from study or practice. As a home-school family, everyday life is the classroom. We are not an institution. We are not doing “school.” We are families who are leading and directing the education of our children.

This summer, think outside of the box. Use the next few weeks to consider an educational option for your child that will put you in the driver’s seat and allow you to lead and your direct your child’s education. The benefits of home schooling are numerous. We only have a very short window of time with our children. Make the most of the time you have been given.

I have met many families over our 20 years of home schooling. None have ever expressed regret at having home-schooled, but I hear over and over from families who wish they would have taken the leap, yet they allowed fear to hold them back.

“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” — 2 Timothy 1:7

Step out in faith. Take the leap and don’t look back. You can eat the elephant one bite at a time. If you are considering home schooling and have questions, I am available for private consultations. Contact me at freeyourchildren@gmail.com.

[Photo courtesy of Gustavo Fring / Pexels]