Stephanie Black

A large part of my job as a homeschool blogger and advocate is helping new homeschoolers get started. Newbies have so many questions and feel overwhelmed with information. How do you navigate through it all to find what will work best for your child?

I am no expert, but I have been homeschooling for more years than I can count on one hand now, and here is the best advice I can give to people who are just beginning their journey.

Plan less than you think you can do. It’s normal to want to do everything, everyday.

My husband lost his job a couple of months ago. He’d been with the company for eight years, basically as long as my children have been alive. This is, by far, the biggest transition we have gone through during our five years of homeschooling. It’s scary.

The adults are worried about money, Dad’s home when he normally wouldn’t be, and it just feels like everything is out of whack. Life is always full of change. There are good changes like a new baby or a new home, and there are bad changes like the loss of a job, an illness, or even death.

By middle school, many of us homeschool moms stop reading with our children. Kids are “too cool” for it, and we parents assume they would rather read on their own. After all, they have full proficiency with reading now. However, I’ve caught my older son sitting nearby, listening in as I read to his little brother. Despite being a middle schooler, he still enjoys being read to!

I have been homeschooling for so long that most of my friends and family are homeschoolers or at least homeschool-friendly. Honestly, I haven’t heard the question about socialization in so long that I forgot it was an issue.

Today, I saw a Facebook acquaintance post a question to her friends, asking what kind of school they would choose for their kids. Every single one who said they would consider homeschooling mentioned joining a co-op for socialization as some sort of disclaimer.

I have a confession: Sometimes my children are crazy. I love them dearly; my life wouldn’t be worth living without them, but every once in awhile— probably when the moon is full— they lose their minds. The chaos that ensues may involve but is not limited to whining about schoolwork, putting off chores, and yelling at and/or hitting each other.

While I'm being transparent, I should probably confess that sometimes I am a little crazy, too.