And the Green Grass Grows All Around

Photo credit  www.lexingtoncenter.com

As I look forward to 2015, I look back on 2014 and realize just how much things have changed. I decided to finally homeschool for the 2014-2015 school year.

I started out with a bang and ended with a slap across my mental face. Who are these crazy people who homeschool their children AND some of them work!?????  ME!  I have made mistakes. I have went weeks without doing much of anything. I have went days with giving my kids a "day off" so I can catch up. I know you've been there before, deciding to unofficially "unschool" so if anyone asks, your kid is not sitting at home doing nothing, but using everyday life to learn and enrich their lives.

*sniggers here

So I have come up with my Top 10 pearls of learned wisdom when starting homeschooling.

1. Decide to decide.  Quit bouncing back and forth, pray over this thing, don't mull over it.  It will drive you crazy. When you feel confident to move forward - MOVE YOUR BUTT!
2. MOVE  YOUR BUTT. And then read The Pioneer Woman
3.  If I really wanted to make money off homeschooling, oh boy there is a market for it but alas, most parents are not allowed to homeschool other peoples children - and that would equate to a private school. Which defeats the purpose. Join a co-op instead.
4. If you are willing to shell out thousands of dollars on YOUR education or extracurricular activities, bite the bullet and buy some curriculum.
5. Join a Facebook homeschool group
6. Join 3 more Facebook homeschooling groups.
7. Don't make it so hard! Having a proper schedule makes a ton of difference.  This is a job. Children are a job - invest your time. 
8. Don't get caught up in all the different ways to homeschool. Un-schooling, de-schooling, road schooling (I wish, I wish!!!) relaxed schooling, co-ops, classical, unit studies - whatever - find what fits for your family and go for it.
9. Join another Facebook support group.
10. HAVE FUN. If you are crying and hiding from kids, you're not having fun.