When I began homeschooling, I thought I would only teach my oldest child at home for one year for kindergarten. I didn’t think homeschooling would be a good fit for us. But, after that first year, I found I loved homeschooling. So, we continued. The more we keep going, the better it gets! One of the reasons I hear parents frequently say they don’t want to homeschool is, “I’m afraid I will mess my child up.

I have been homeschooling for a long time. I know what to expect from my children and from myself. I know how to set up our schedule to succeed. New homeschoolers, especially those who are beginning to homeschool after public schooling for some time, often say, “What if I mess everything up?” Truthfully, I haven’t had much sympathy for this fear. This is probably because I eased myself into homeschooling, starting with one child and adding the others as they aged in.

If you are considering pulling your child out from Public School and plan to begin homeschooling your 7th grader for the first time this January, here is my advice to you! Expect Challenges No matter how excited you are today, there will come a day when you want to quit. Homeschooling is optional, after all. Decide before you start which day you will reevaluate your commitment. Maybe you will wait until Saturday, or perhaps you can wait six weeks.