We began homeschooling five years ago.  Five years ago! I remember how intimidated I was when we set out on this journey.  And I'm not going to lie, it isn't easy!  But I love it - even on the hard days. 
 
So in celebration of our fifth year of homeschooling, I'm posting the most common questions / remarks I get when people find out we homeschool.  Its all you ever wanted to know about homeschooling but were afraid to ask.

1. Why?  This is occasionally followed by "Are you crazy?!?   Families homeschool for lots of different reasons.  Mine are these: 1) to be able to infuse our faith into every day.  We start with Jesus.  We often pray during math when our attitudes go off track.  We memorize scripture.  In science, we discuss the Creator as well as the creation.   2) To shelter my daughters.  Yes, you heard me right.  I said shelter.  They have no idea who Lady Gaga is and I'm ok with that.  Does this mean if I take them to the park, they stand in the corner and don't know how to interact with other children? Absolutely not.  Try us.  We'll meet you at the park any day.   3) We can make our own schedule.  We aren't tied to the routine of a school system.  4) To ensure the girls get plenty of one-on-one attention with their studies.

2. Does the school system give you your books?  No.  We are "off the grid" of the public school system, so to speak.  I pay for the girls' curriculium, co-op fees, field trips, etc.  I report our grades and attendance to a "cover school".   There is the option of registering with the local school system if you choose, but even in that case they provide no support / supplies.  You homeschool on your own dime.

3. How much does it cost?  This varies.  You can buy used curriculum (or piece together your own!) and homeschool very frugally.  Or you can live stream teachers and use DVD drives that are much more expensive.  I have met families that do both very successfully. 

4. I could never do that.   Odds are, you probably could.  You probably taught your child their colors and to count before they went to school.  You trained them to use the bathroom.  Homeschooling is a natural extension of parenting.  Again, it isn't easy....Think of it as parenting on steroids.  But its doable. 

5. I'm not smart enough to homeschool my child!  A sweet homeschooling mom once passed on this gem of wisdom, for which I am forever grateful: "You only have to be one day smarter".  Its ok that you don't know everything.  You don't need to.  You need to know how to learn.  You need to teach your children how to learn, how to search out things they don't know. 

6. I'm interested in homeschooling...Now what? Read, read, read.  Read books on homeschooling.  Read homeschooling blogs.  If possible, go to a homeschool convention or a curriculum display, or visit the home of a homeschooling family.   My favorite books as I was beginning to homeschool were "The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling" by Debra Bell and "The Well-Trained Mind" by Susan Wise Bauer.  I periodically reread these to get inspired.

7. What are the legal requirements?   The legal requirements vary from state to state.  In Tennessee, the requirement is 180 days of instruction, for 4 hours a day.  You must register with your local school board as a homeschooler, or with a cover school.  A great source to find the complete laws for state is at www.hslda.org.  Click on your state on the U.S. map.

8. Do you follow a routine?  Yes.  We have a set time to get up and have breakfast.  I read to the girls while they eat, then we brush teeth and get dressed.  Then we have our Bible lesson, memory verse and prayer, before beginning our academic "subjects".  We do them in the same order every day, but I don't schedule a specific amount of time for anything.  We do have exceptions...on Fridays (if our co-op isn't in session) we have pajama day.  We also stay in our warm pjs any day it snows or is just generally freezing.  I also like to plan surprise field trips that the girls know nothing about until after breakfast when me and daddy say "Field Trip! Get in the car!"

We typically take a week of for fall break, two weeks at Christmas, a week in the spring, and a long summer break.  Other families school year round or adjust their schedule as the need arises due to new babies, illnesses, and extended travel.  As long as the requirements for your state are met, you can do school when / where you want to.

9. Its ok, as long as they get socialization.  Oh, the "s" word.  Socialization.  For some reason, people ( and I include my past self in this group) have the idea that if a child doesn't spend 7-8 hours in a school setting, he/she will be incapable of interacting with their peers.  I can tell you from experience this isn't so.  Homeschoolers have the advantage of interacting with a great variety of people.  My girls get equally excited about a play date to the park or a visit to their great-great Aunt and Uncle's house. Their homeschool PE class groups all ages from 1st grade to 12th in one class, a fact which worried me until I saw how well the older kids interacted with the littles: coaching, encouraging, instructing.  
  That said, I do seek out opportunities for the girls to be with other kids, mostly for pure enjoyment.  We love our Friday homeschool co-op, where they can benefit from the talents of other moms and dads.  We have participated in Girl Scouts, art classes, and field trips.