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Perhaps you've thought about homeschooling, because the schooling your kids are getting isn't a good fit. But you aren't serious about it. After all, you aren't a superwoman! Guess what the main qualification is: it's love for your kids. You CAN do it if you are dedicated to them. You can learn the skills you need gradually, as you need them, the same way you learned mothering skills. Jugglers start this way, first juggling just one item, then two, then later three. Homeschooling may even be easier than not homeschooling. Instead of driving your several children to several same-age activities after school, you'll be able to concentrate on activities you can all do together. Instead of spending evenings helping with homework, you will spend mornings going over academic subjects, using curriculums that are tailored for self-study. Your evenings will open up. Here's one option for larger families: study topics, such as ancient Egypt, that their kids can share, working with the fact that their ages are different. For example, you could all read the book Mara, Daughter of the Nile together. Then each child could write about it. You could study some math related to pyramids. You can do art projects that look Egyptian. This unit might last a month or so, and then you would move on to another. This structure is called a unit study. You don't have to invent them, either--plenty of moms who have invented one have published it. Other options include using workbooks and curriculum so that each child has something to work on that is appropriate for his age. These all come with an answer key--you don't need to be a college graduate to make sure your kid is getting the right answer. In fact, many homeschoolers do almost no direct teaching--their kids learn from the book or workbook. (This is a great study skill for college!) Correspondence schools will teach your child, too. These can take the form of videos, workbooks, or online. Structuring your day is a question for you to ponder. Many homeschoolers get all their less-fun schoolwork done in the morning, leaving the afternoon for projects, goofing off, housework, or whatever. If you want to include your child in an organized activity, you can join regularly schooled children in their sports teams in the late afternoon. But there are daytime activities too. You can also ask around--some of these activities providers are creating daytime classes (in gymastics, for example) for homeschoolers. You do have to be careful to avoid burnout here, though. People who don't homeschool always ask about socializing. Are the kids getting enough socializing? One of the best things about homeschooling is that you get to choose whom your children socialize with. You can make sure the socializing is well supervised. Bullies are not a problem. In fact, you can even choose adults. I have observed that most homeschooled kids are very comfortable talking to adults, much more so than schooled kids. Your kids will enjoy a homeschool co-op. These might meet once a week for classes, or go out for field trips periodically. Kids learn appropriate social interactions because they are well supervised. You can find a co-op by networking with other homeschoolers. Your local homeschooling convention might be a good place to start. Keep networking until you find the co-op that is right for you--or start one. You will need support as well. Homeschooling provides unique challenges, and it helps so much to have others to talk to who are doing it too. You can find plenty of homeschool moms online, in discussion forums and email groups. You should try several! The answer to the homeschooling question is simple: yes, you can do it.
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Phyllis Wheeler creates enjoyable computer science curriculums for self-study. Check out her free short e-book on World Wide Web information searching, the World Wide Web Scavenger Hunt! And take a look at a sampling of articles on homeschooling she has for you.
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