Families have homeschooled their children throughout history.  Homeschooling fell out of fashion when modern public schools were developed, until homeschooling began again in the early 1980s.  Since that time some of those homeschool graduates have continued their education, but it hasn’t always been easy to go on to college.

Until recently, being accepted into college after homeschooling has been uncommon, but times are changing.  In fact, many colleges now seek out homeschool graduates for admission.  The reasons they do so are varied, but it boils down to the fact that homeschooled students already know how to learn.

Should your child pursue a college education after being homeschooled?  That is a decision only you and your child can make.  While college is different from public school, there are some similarities. If your child has not been used to the structure of public school, you need to realize that they may struggle in college.  Don’t let that dissuade your child; the struggles can be overcome if they put forth some effort.

If your child is interested in furthering their education, by all means allow them to pursue it.  Encourage them to reach for their dream.  Your job, however, will increase as you have to keep very good records.  Your child will need a transcript that you create, or you can sign up with a homeschool cover that will create the transcript for you.

What are the requirements for gaining entrance to college?  Each college has their own admissions requirements.  Check with the college your student is interested in attending.  The college should have their requirements listed on their website, if they have one, or you can write for a catalog or further information. 

Quite often children will be homeschooled until they reach high school so that the student will be able to get a diploma. Others will continue to homeschool through high school and take correspondence courses to earn their diploma.  Begin to prepare your student to take the ACT as a preliminary to entering college.

Seek out the help and advice from the college Registrar.  They will be able to inform you of any special requirements for homeschoolers.  They will also be able to tell you if there are other options for those seeking admission without a traditional education.  An option that isn’t often considered if a student wants to continue their education is to seek admission after turning 19.  This will classify the student as “mature” and changes the criteria for entering college.  In some colleges, the age to classify as mature is 21.  Check the college of your choice before using this option.

Finally, when considering a possible college education, make sure that your child has begun to contact potential colleges in plenty of time for the application process.  They will also need to fulfill the other college admissions requirements.  Encourage them to seek their dreams and do all you can to help them go from homeschool graduate to college student.

When one decides to homeschool, there is so much to consider, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed.  Along with being overwhelmed, you may feel confused about what to expect.  How will homeschooling affect your daily lives?  The homeschool family may choose to create a schedule for everyone to follow, or they may choose a routine that will be effective for their families. 

For some people, a set schedule is the best way to run their lives. For others, however, having everything planned out in fifteen minute increments doesn’t sound like fun.  Where structure might be desired, it isn’t always practical. Conversely, while being relaxed might be great, some routines are needed to be effective as homeschoolers.

Schedules and routines for homeschooling are as varied as the families that homeschool.  Here are a couple of routine types that a family can follow:

1. School at home would have the children keeping a similar schedule as those in public school.  This would include getting up at a specific time every day and then starting their day with either breakfast or chores as the first order of the day.  Following that, the children would be given 45 minutes per subject, just like if they were in public school, and they would have a printed schedule to go by for their day.

2. If you’re not enthused by this approach, a more relaxed routine might be more what you’re looking for.  If this is the case, you may start your day whenever one of the children gets out of bed.  You can work with that one child, undisturbed, until the other children make their presence known.  This type of routine would be more staggered, with mom giving special attention to each child as they rise.

3. Some homeschoolers don’t really have a set schedule or routine for actual schoolwork. They may allow the children to choose which subject they want to do first, and continue in that way until all subjects are covered.  This type of routine is great for those students who are self-starters and can work without supervision.

4. While these routines might be helpful, there are the people that completely against anything planned and live life by the seats of their pants.  This is the type of person that allows the day to happen to them, taking each moment as it comes and living their life to the fullest. They often have more fun, but may have a little bit of a problem finishing projects and school work.

Whichever routine or schedule you choose to follow, just remember that all work and no play make Jack a very dull boy.  Take some time out of your scheduled day to enjoy your children.  Plan some free time on your calendar to allow them to just relish in being a child.  After all, part of the reason you chose to homeschool was so you could spend quality time with your children. Let the schedules and routines slip every now and then.  You’ll be glad you did, and your children will thank you for it.

Homeschooling, while it affords you certain freedoms when educating your child, is not always easy. But there are things that you can do to make homeschooling easier for yourself as a parent.  The following tips may help make your job as a homeschooling parent a little easier.

•  If in doubt, look on the Internet.  If you are in doubt about your method of homeschooling, use the internet to seek another method.  In fact, you can use the internet to help you in regard to nearly everything homeschool related.  Do you need something to keep your little one busy while you’re working with an older child?  The internet has coloring sheets galore, as well as worksheets, mazes, and puzzles.

•  Choose a complete curriculum.  Complete curriculums will also make homeschooling easier on you as a parent.  Instead of having to search through multiple catalogs to find just the right curriculum, choose a complete curriculum.  Not only will it save you time, it may even save you money, in the long run.

•  Cut yourself some slack.  Don’t expect yourself to be the perfect teacher.  Unless you have an education degree, you most likely will make mistakes along the way.  Don’t beat yourself up about them.  Learn from the mistakes and try not to repeat them again.

•  Allow your children to help themselves.  You can’t be expected to know everything, so if your child wants to learn something you don’t know, give them the freedom to follow their interests.  You might be pleasantly surprised to find that they learn more on their own than they did while you were more involved.

•  Seek the help from others.  When in doubt about anything dealing with homeschooling, seek the advice from those who have been homeschooling for longer than you.  Even though they may not have dealt with exactly what you’re dealing with, chances are they will be able to give you advice or point you in the right direction.  Take advantage of your homeschooling peers’ offers of help, there might be a time where you’ll be able to return the favor.

•  Online communities are available.  If you don’t know people that homeschool in your local area, there are literally hundreds of homeschooling communities on the Internet.  Search online for homeschooling groups or forums.  They can be found in every state, and even some outside of the United States.  You may have to register to join a homeschool group or forum, but you can be as active as you like and remain anonymous if you like.

Homeschooling doesn’t have to be hard.  In fact, one of the reasons most people choose to homeschool is the ease and freedom associated with it.  When you have difficulty, however, you may feel as if you need help.  The above tips, when followed, can help make homeschooling a little bit easier.

Direct Answers from Wayne and Tamara

Within His Power

I need some answers to my life. I lost my mother to cancer in the early ?90s and met my wife the same year. Through the years there have been many ups and downs, good times and bad times. There?s been cheating on each other, more on my wife?s side, and we are both victims of sexual abuse.

For a long time I?ve wanted to become a sober person, and I?ve been sober now three months. I don?t know if we?re going through a separation or not. I know in my heart I don?t want to, but my wife continues to abuse alcohol. I pray she gets some help.

I feel I?m in a pause, like I don?t know which way to turn, but I am receiving counseling. Over the years, when my wife hurt me, she wouldn?t say I?m sorry. It has always been like this, and I know a lot of times I feel anger. But there?s a place in my heart that?s waiting for her. I miss her a lot and my children also.

I guess what I?m asking for is some direction, and if there is a message you can send my wife, hoping she will read it.

Karl

Karl, the way to start finding answers is by asking, What course of action will lead to success? The obvious answer is that drinking has no chance of leading to success. It masks problems, and it doesn?t solve anything. So that?s something not to do.

You want a solution. When we have a problem, we always want an instant solution. But with emotionally complicated problems, what happens is that the answer is not an instant solution but a process.

Processes take time to unfold, and that?s why they are hard to follow to their conclusion. It is easier to go with a habit which blunts our pain, so we don?t have to consciously endure it.

The first part of the process is learning how to manage your emotional pain day by day?without resorting to negative behavior. Because dealing with this is so difficult, you will need to anchor yourself on something.

You have a counselor. Your counselor can be your anchor, the person who keeps you from being adrift. The process of talking to this counselor will help you put your life story together in a way that makes sense. He or she can work on immediate problems like managing anger, fears, and pain, and introduce you to new ways to approach problems.

One of the most powerful effects of individual counseling is that it interrupts our usual thought process. That matters because if you continue to think in the same way, you will continue to act in the same way. And, as you know, habitual ways of acting haven?t gotten you anywhere.

We cannot change anyone else. We can only change ourselves. We are the only person we have power over. So the place to begin is with yourself. You have to be the one who wants change; you have to want it more than anything. You can make overtures to your wife, but she must also be responsive and willing to change.

The one thing you have in common is your children. Part of what you will both want to do is help your children to have a better life than each of you has had. So work on common solutions which benefit the children. That may lead to you and your wife being together, or it may not. But whatever happens, you must honestly face the problems between the two of you.

Stay anchored to the process which can change your life. Realize that processes take time to get results. Do what you can to ensure your children have a better life. Have faith that you are growing in a positive direction. And see what happens.

Wayne & Tamara

Authors and columnists Wayne and Tamara Mitchell can be reached at www.WayneAndTamara.com.

Send letters to: Direct Answers, PO Box 964, Springfield, MO 65801 or email: DirectAnswers@WayneAndTamara.com .

Homeschooling is legal in every state, but the choice to homeschool should not be made lightly.  Research and discussion are required to make a wise decision.  How do you tell if homeschooling is right for your family?  Here are a few questions to ask yourself when considering homeschooling as an option for your family.

Am I comfortable spending all of my time with my children?
One of the main reasons that people homeschool is because they love their children and want what’s best for them. They also genuinely like spending time with their children, which is good since you’ll be spending all of your time with them.  If your children frustrate you easily, homeschooling might not be a good match for you.

Will questions bother me?
Homeschoolers are usually asked a lot of questions.  Those questions could be about what curriculum they’re using or about socialization for their children.  If you homeschool, it helps if you don’t mind answering the same questions more than once.

How can I find out about homeschooling?
Check out books from your public library.  There is more than likely a large selection of books that will tell you everything you need to know.  The librarian might even be able to tell you if there are any homeschoolers in the area, since most homeschoolers rely heavily upon the library for source materials.

Is there a support system available?
After you’ve read some books, find local homeschoolers, or do an online search for “homeschool groups (your city)” or “homeschool groups (your state).”  There are homeschooling co-ops available in many places, as well as opportunities for families to get together and have fun.

What if I have other questions?
After you’ve found some families that already homeschool, and ask them about the pros and cons of homeschooling.  Most families will be honest about their reasons, and will be more than happy to help you make an informed decision.  Ask them what types of hardships they had to deal with when starting out.  Should you be concerned about socialization for your children?  What about curriculum?  Do they have suggestions about what to use or not to use?

What curriculum do I choose?
Curriculum choices are astronomical – in the variety available, and often in the price.  While it is possible to have “school at home” by choosing books very similar to what are offered in public schools, it is also possible to homeschool without using a set curriculum at all. The library books you checked out earlier should have explained about the different methods, and should have given you an idea of what your child should learn in each grade.

If you are considering homeschooling your child, or children, answering the above questions should help you make an informed decision.  Not everyone will choose to homeschool after investigating the option.  However, if you want to be more involved in your child’s education, homeschooling might just be right for you.