As a mother we always want what is best for our children. So when I first started thinking about homeschooling I asked myself; can I homeschool my child? And the answer is yes!
Yes you can homeschool your child or children, because it is legal to homeschool in all 50 states. Each state has different laws and regulations so make sure to find out what your state requires. Most states do not have parent qualifications, but the ones that do only require a high school diploma or a GED.
I have been homeschooling for seven years and I have learned a lot along the way. It has not always been easy, but anything worth doing is not. We have our good days and bad days, but let me tell you we have way more good days. Homeschooling is the best decision my husband and I have ever made.
Can I legally homeschool in my state?
According to HSLDA it is legal to homeschool in all 50 states, but every state controls their own laws. So make sure to check your state’s laws and requirements.
Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, Wisconsin, and Wyoming are considered Homeschool Friendly States. That means that their laws and regulations are more laid back and do not have as many laws or requirements.
Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Louisiana, Main, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and West Virginia are considered not to be Homeschool Friendly States. This means that they have moderate to high regulations. They are more strict and have more requirements.
What states require parent qualifications?
According to the Coalition for Responsible Home Education or CRHE your are required to have a High School Diploma or a GED in Georgia, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington, and West Virginia.
7 Reasons Why You Can Homeschool
1. You have been teaching them from birth – You may not realize it but you have been homeschooling your child since they day they were born. You taught your child, to eat, sleep, talk, crawl, walk and the list goes on. You can continue to homeschool your child. You will just be teaching them how to read, how to write, and other subjects as they get older.
2. Families have been doing it for years – These days you are not alone on this journey. Families have been homeschooling their children for years and there are so many support systems that are in place today that were not there years ago. Homeschool groups, Homeschool Co-ops, and Facebook groups to just name a few. I am so blessed to be surrounded by such an awesome group of homeschool moms! To be totally honest, most of my support comes from homeschool moms from different states
3. You know what is best for your child – From the first time you held your child in your arms, after you had a brief freak out moment that “I’m a Mom, you knew what was best for your child. I did sometimes second guess myself, but in the end I did what I thought was best and I’m on the right path so far. We as parents have a unique insight into our child or children. This perspective puts us in the best position to help our child or children grow into amazing young men and women.
4. You can teach them a wide range of topics – Homeschooling is not just about reading, writing, math, spelling, science and history. We get to also teach real life experiences. Some examples are how to create a family budget, how to balance a checkbook, how to change a tire, how to meal plan, and even how to run a business. Children that are homeschooled are taught academics as well has life skills.
5. You can teach them anytime and anywhere – Homeschooling does not always happen at home. You can homeschool anytime and anywhere. If you are in the grocery store with your toddler, you can ask them to point to the red apple and help you count them as you put them in your bag. You can homeschool at a museum while on vacation. While at your local park you can learn about the trees. Homeschooling on the go can be fun and the children will not even know they are learning.
6. Children love to learn – Children are like sponges and love to learn. They learn through observation, listening, exploring, and asking questions. Children also learn through playing, singing, reading or being read to. They even learn when they do not know they are learning.
7. Because you love being with you children – One of my favorite parts of homeschooling is being around my children all the time. I know that sounds crazy, so let me explain. I have learned so much more about the little people they are becoming. I get to see how they light up when they are learning something they enjoy. How excited they get when they finally understand something they have been working on. I get to experience all the little moments in their day and make a lifetime of memories.
If you are wondering how to get started homeschooling, checkout this blog post
5 Reason Why You Should Homeschool Your Child
1.To make sure they are in a positive environment – As we all know these days there is so much negativity in the world. It is on TV, on video games, on movies, from friends, from teammates and it is just all around us. Children should be able to learn in a supportive and positive environment.
2. To get a quality education – I believe that children should get a well rounded quality education. They need to know academics as well as life skills. Once they get out on their own, they need to know basic life skills and how to take care of themselves.
3. They can learn at their own pace – Being homeschooled allows children to learn at their own pace. If they learn something quickly, there is no need to keep going over it. They will get bored and lose interest. On the other hand if it is taking them longer to learn that particular skill, you can change up the teaching method to see if they helps them learn.
4. Families can learn together – I love being able to teach multi grades at the same time for certain subjects. As a family we learn Bible, History and Science together. We use My Father’s World Curriculum and it was created just for this purpose.
5. You get to do things on your schedule – I love being able to set my own schedule. We do homeschool 4 days a week. That allows us the ability to go to appointments, field trips, park days or do other things without having to rush to get our school work done. It also allows us to take vacations and time off as needed.
To Learn more about My Father’s World and why we decided to homeschool, checkout the blog post.
The following is advice from 10 different Moms that are currently Homeschooling.
- “Relax. There is no rush.”
- “Never give up”
- “The first year can make or break you!! DO NOT LET IT BREAK YOU!
If you are pulling them out of public school, BE PATIENT, it takes a good year to get them out of the mind frame of even simple things like actually being able to chew their food at lunch time.” - “Know your state laws first regarding homeschooling. Find a homeschooling group in your area to connect with. Don’t stress over trying to find the perfect curriculum because it doesn’t exist. What you plan with most likely not go as planned. Have fun! Enjoy your children and take one day at a time!”
- “Every child is different and learns at their own pace don’t rush it or stress about it.”
- “If you find that a curriculum isn’t working for your child, change it. Be real with your kids, I may not have all the answers but I have a God who does!”
- “Don’t compare yourself to others…just because it works for them doesn’t mean it will for your family. Also- follow the “recommended” guidelines for graduation if you want your child to attend a public university- especially if they don’t know where yet- i.e., Basically 4 English, 4 Math, 4 Science, 4 History…. You will notice that pretty much every public university in MS requires at least that. Everyone has an opinion and they all “know” everything— which means nothing. Do the research yourself. And Join HSLDA. :-)”
- “You can do it. My 1st year for kindergarten I was mortified that I was going to fail him as a teacher. He was reading mid kindergarten. Now in the middle of 3rd I feel so much better.”
- “Don’t listen to others who are misinformed on homeschooling. In fact make sure that when deciding to homeschool you are getting your information from reliable sources. I have some friends who are CONVINCED that if they don’t have an “accredited” curriculum that their children will need to get their GED. All because of listening to ones who know nothing about it. I didn’t even realize myself that most public schools aren’t even accredited. Whatever that even means. They won’t tell you that though.”
- “It may take 2-3yrs to find your groove…& every family’s groove is different. Listen to all the advice u can, however, only apply the advice that truly works for your family. This journey is full of trials & errors but it’s a beautiful journey that’s worth it all in the end. It’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon…we’re in it for the long haul. Also, if you’re planning to homeschool through high school, I recommend looking at college requirements more so or in addition to high school requirements.”
A special THANKS to these wonderful homeschooling Moms that helped me out on this post!
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