Creating a School You Love, Part 1

If 2020 and 2021 have you rethinking your child’s education path, you are not alone. The world is out of order and the public school system is facing extraordinary challenges in education. Luckily, you have options, lots of them. Homeschooling is one of those great options and parents are taking that leap, joining the largest boom in homeschooling history and creating schools they love.

So where do you start? Well, if this was 2010 I’d tell you to take your time, do some research, attend the summer homeschool convention and pray over it. Today’s parents don’t have that kind of time. They want their child out of government school and they want them out now. Between school closures, masks mandates, vaccine mandates, 1619, CRT, gender fluidity, and more, parents are simply pulling their child from government school, taking funding from the school in the process, and figuring out how to homeschool in record time.

Deciding to homeschool is likely the biggest hurdle you will face in your homeschool journey. Crazy as that sounds it’s true. The decision is overwhelmeing and full of change. Spouses need to be on board, exes need to be on board, there are finances to consider, jobs to schedule around and every fear you never thought of before has likely led to sleepless nights. Thirteen years ago, I spent three months considering it, reading books, enchanted with The Pioneer Woman’s blog on homeschooling before I even told my husband what I was thinking. It took another three months before I had the guts to tell the grandparents!

What fears might keep you up at night? Will my child learn from me, will they have friends, what about school photos, will they have homecoming dances and prom, will they get into college, will I hate it, will I screw up my child, what they will miss not being in a traditional school, will my child be socialized, and how will I explain this to my family and friends to name a few. Let me put those fears to rest. My children are thriving. My high schoolers are well educated and in their 3rd semester at University; they started last fall when they were 15 and 14 years old. They both hold down a regular job. They are enrolled in club sports as well as high school sports and both are accomplished musicians and singers. They attend dances, football games, date, drive, and see their friends regularly. Given the number of families I have mentored and my own experience, I know you can homeschool and think of all you and your family will gain when you do.

The gains I see in my own school reassure me every year that we made the right decision for our family 12 years ago. For starters, I gain time; the time I would spend in the car simply running drop off and pick up is enough time to school all subjects for early elementary! I get to be my child’s number one influence; they learn to function in a civilized society from me, they are not over-socialized day in and day out, and they have a healthy amount of downtime. We have gained control of our schedule; taking vacations when fit into our lives and we avoid crowds, evening sports no longer feel like a chore because they are part of our school day, and evenings with NO HOMEWORK! Enough said.

So if homeschooling is for you, take the first step. Research the homeschool laws in your state. Depending on the state you live in this could be simple with low regulation meaning no notice is needed or subjects are not mandated. Every state is different and some have more complex laws with high regulation; for example, quarterly reporting, attendance recording, or home visits. Curious where your state lands on the regulation scale? The HSLDA (Home School Legal Defense Association) website is full of valuable information and breaks down homeschool laws and requirements by state https://hslda.org/legal/. In Arizona, a low regulation state, your first step is to submit your affidavit to the county superintendent’s office. For Maricopa County visit https://schoolsup.org/homeschool.

The great thing about deciding to homeschool is that you can change your mind at any time. Take it year by year, figure it out as you go, and find what makes schooling tick for your children. My homeschool currently enrolls children kindergarten to 11th grade equivocal. My school has evolved over the years and just like parenting, I’m not the same homeschool mama I was that first year. I no longer have a homeschool room dedicated to all things learning as I quickly learned I’m a Kitchen Table Homeschooler; we work school along our day in the main area of our home. Also, I now school year-round rather than following the traditional August to May school year. In addition, as life changed with moves and babies, we have been able to adjusted our schooling routine around those changes. Our school looks differnet from year to year and sometimes from one day to the next. My children, husband, and I are happy, grateful every day for the decision we made all those years ago, and together, we created a school we love.

Part 2 will focus on the four main homeschool styles, typical time commitment based on grades and ages, and curriculum options. Other parts could include Co-ops, micro-schools, creative scheduling, costing (include Education Savings Accounts or ESAs), special needs students, park dates and social enhancement…and more. Also, questions could be submitted which could spark topics for future articles. You can find Runaway Mama on Facebook @RunawayMama4 and email questions to contact@RunawayMama.com.