Updated August, 2022
Twelve years ago we brought our first born home from the hospital. We were scared to death. We had no idea what we were doing or how we should parent this little dream come true. Despite all the parenting books I read, nothing compares to the real-life moments of looking at that precious child and knowing that no matter what you will provide him with the best life possible. Our decision to homeschool has been much the same.
We read the books, the blogs, the opinions and suggestions of those pioneer homeschoolers that have succeeded at this before us. Now it was time to start.
I was only a few semesters away from having a teaching degree. Then I decided I wasn’t going to finish school. I didn’t learn anything in my college courses that a determined parent couldn’t learn for free (or nearly free) on the internet.
Khan Academy is a great free resource for all ages (K-college level courses). Udemy has a wide range of topics. You can pay $24. to learn coding to make video games or you can gain access to free astronomy courses. I have used numerous free online resources and love them. I found Coursera, and am finding it very interesting that I can take a college level course from Duke, Stanford or one of the other 100 schools offering courses for a small fee. My kids use Preply to talk to a Spanish tutor and she works at their own pace when we want to schedule a lesson. (Use my link to get a discount on your first lesson.) I have friends that swear by Outschool for learning subjects they aren’t well-versed in.
You can do it!!!
If homeschooling is something you think you may want to try, I urge you to do the research. Now, armed with that knowledge teach your kid. You didn’t have all the answers when you decided to become a parent. You won’t have them all before you begin homeschooling. The love for your child is what got you up in the middle of the night when they were infants to tend to their needs. That same love and passion for their well-being is what will push you to succeed in your homeschool journey.
If you are feeling unqualified to teach your kids at home, just remember, you clicked on this link because you were curious. That curiosity is all it takes to arm yourself with everything you need to become a home educator. You CAN do this!
If you are curious about the curriculum we use, check out this post on Bookshark.
We are now in our ninth year of homeschooling and I think I am just as “qualified” today as I was on day one.
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“That curiosity is all it takes…” Love these words! We don’t “traditional” homeschool simply do to schedules. Our son attends a public school but has numerous delays so we supplement his learning from home and continue with a nature based homeschooling approach throughout the summer. He is keen to learn so we capitalize on the tremendous resources available looking local homeschool groups.
Thanks for visiting, Christina! I love your approach to homeschooling him. Not everyone has the ability to go the traditional route, and I love hearing from someone that chooses to supplement at home. What a beautiful gift you are giving to him.
I use Khan Academy sometimes for tutoring, although for math I have also used Yay Math (more for middle school/high school math). It’s also amazing how much material is on Youtube. I recommend parental screening first, but there are old educational videos plus videos that tutors & teachers have uploaded as well.
Josh, thanks for all the information! I have not heard of Yay Math before. I will have to check that out. We currently use Saxon for math. I do like it, even though it typically takes us two days to do one lesson. What do you typically do for history. We are still in early grades and Alabama is not strict on curriculum. So I am shopping for history that a 2nd grader will enjoy. I have to switch it up next year or he may grow up with my same ickiness toward history.
Always have so much respect for homeschooled children and their teachers, who are often the mom.
My wife considered it 20 years ago, but thought she would have been over her head. Great to know there are resources out there.
All the best to you. Thank you for sharing! 🙂
~Carl~
Hey, Carl! Thanks for visiting! I am sure it was quite a different venture 20 years ago. There are so many resources for help today. I am thankful for all the trailblazers that made it possible! Many homeschooling families have worked hard to get it where it is today.
wow, awesome blog post. Cool.