Thinking about homeschooling? Just Do It!

Consider this your personal invitation to take the plunge.

We are now about a month out from the first day of school in many states. After spending the last months of the previous school year in survival mode trying to keep up with remote learning, many of the public school parents I know have been yearning for a sense of normalcy in the coming year. Public schools have begun to roll out their plans, and any which you way you look at it, it’s not going to be normal. Whether the schools in your district are opening full-time, offering hybrid solutions, or doing 100% e-learning, it’s not going to be the same as years past. And, truthfully, we can’t expect it to be. The department of education has to prioritize health and safety for both students and staff. If we are right smack in the middle of the worst pandemic seen in 100 years, there will be some compromises.

So here we are, and although you have never in your life given a side thought to homeschooling, you are now wondering if it might be a better option until things do return to normal. You might be apprehensive because all that remote learning last year was terrible. You hated it. Your kids hated it. You do not even want to think of doing that all year long. If that’s how you feel, I’ve got a secret for you: It doesn’t have to be hard.

It was hard because you were trying to implement a never-tested emergency method of learning during a crisis. And, drumroll please, you had to do it THEIR way.

When you do it YOUR way, it’s not that hard. 

 -If-

• You don’t want your child to wear a mask the entire day
• You don’t want them to be separated by plexiglass
• You don’t want them to sit alone during lunch
• You don’t want the roller coaster ride of having to go from brick and mortar to remote schooling due to outbreak shutdowns
• You don’t want your kids and yourself to be frustrated with online learning because it’s full of busy work and little support
• Or, you have a child or family member with a comorbidity

-And –

• You want them to be safe and healthy while following CDC guidelines
• You want them to be comfortable learning and not worried about what they can touch safely or whom they can get close to
• You want to have control over what they are learning so neither of you get bogged down
• You want to provide safe and controlled social interaction

-Then-

Please know there is another option. Pull your children out of the public school system and decide to homeschool them, even with the full intention of returning them to school as soon as it feels right. Relieve your family of the stress this year will bring. There are diverse options to do it your way – a way that works for you and works for each of your kids.

Reach out to me for support if you need it. I can guide you in choosing the right curriculum for your learners, help you structure your day, show you how you can homeschool and also work, or provide unschooling guidance if you want to go that route. If you are local to the Sarasota/Bradenton area, there are also small, private, hybrid schools to support your efforts. I work at one of the best schools around for self-directed learning!  I will also be providing online enrichment courses this year to help existing and new homeschooling families. Your network is here – trust yourself and dive in!