Let me tell you. You will love to be a teacher to your child.
I never intended to homeschool. I didn’t even know what homeschooling was until my oldest child was 4 yrs old. I came upon it on a website. I had never known anyone that was homeschooled let alone heard the word homeschooling.
But my oldest daughter was very bright. That I knew at the age of 3. She was in daycare and reading the names of the kids’ cubbies. The teacher would have her put the papers in their cubbies . She already knew how to count, and was starting to read, and has an awesome memory.
Anyways when I first learned about it my husband wasn’t so sure. I had to show the research and we decided to give it a try and in the 8yrs of homeschooling so far. I don’t regret ever doing it. I have learned so much from teaching my children its all been worth it.
There is so much out there offered to homeschoolers that I feel that honestly parents who have the opportunity should at least give it a try. There is traditional homeschooling where you chose the curriculum and use whatever style of curriculum you chose that fits your idea of teaching. There is textbook style learning(school at home), classical learning, eclectic( or relaxed), Montessori, Waldorf, Unit Study , Charolette Mason, to name a few styles.
My suggestion is to read up about as much as you can. You can purchase books , or you can google just about anything and read about homeschooling online. Even though I’ve been homeschooling for 8yrs I’m still learning all of the time.
Learn your state’s laws about homeschooling. Some states require very little of you , and some require a lot. Since your child is young now is a good time to learn.
Find a co op in your area. If you have one , join. These groups are so helpful in helping you understand your state’s law. Learning about different curriculums and learning styles, and helping you get that adult interaction and your child friends.
If you don’t put a search out for other homeschoolers in your area, through churches, or other community activities ( the YMCA’s sometimes do homeschooling activities as well as gymnastic centers and even librarians get to know many of them :>)
You will learn just as we all have. Just think many of us do not have teaching degrees at all. Some of those parents who were past teachers say that their teaching degree sometimes was a hinderance rather than a help. Because your teaching less children, so no crowd control, your learning about your child’s individual learning style and so forth. Some felt it has helped. Either way your still going to be at the same learning curve as many of us without degrees. But somehow and someway you will learn how to make it work for your family. You will if it is something you WANT to do. Just like anything in life.
Also remember its not set in stone. I think some people get nervous about it because they think that if they start homeschooling that they have to do it for the rest of their child’s natural school life. Not so at all. Should you feel its not for you, that its not working for your child, or you chose to go back to work or whatever the reason. They CAN go to school. LOL
My daughters attended private school last year. They did just fine. They adapted fine , they learn just fine and the school loved them because they are such good kids. This year I’m back to homeschooling my oldest and youngest. My oldest because the school dropped the 7th and 8th grade due to lack of enrollment in those grade levels. And my youngest because she has to many health issues right now to go back.
My two middles are attending one more year of school and will be back for next year. Not because the school is bad. Not so at all, its a fine little school. But just because homeschooling worked so well for us. But I always know that if things aren’t working out , that my daughters can always attend, well at least to the 6th grade. We have one public high school in our area, and its NOT a good school at all so high school for my girls is NOT an option as long as we live in this area.
Once you get going you may find that you enjoy homeschooling just as much as you did teaching. You can use that same energy and creativity to teach your child. Homeschooling , if you can and are able to , is one of the best gifts you can give your child today. Times are changing and peer pressure , bullying and so forth are just to great these days.
Remember to take a deep breath. Sit down and write the pros and cons of homeschooling, or sending to school. See which you have more of. Then take it from there. I’m sure you were just as nervous when you first became a teacher and taught on the very first day of school. Im sure. I can’t imagine that you didn’t have those thoughts of " Will I be a good teacher? " " Will my students learn from me?" , " Will I get through the day in one piece?" We’ve all been there, and the great thing about the internet is that we can all look , search , and turn to each other when we need to.
When corny mommy shows up, it’s best to walk away from the computer lol