The Basics of Homeschooling

The book that gave me a deep sense of yes I could do that, let me rephrase that, yes God could do this through me. Was this book The Basic Steps to Successful Homeschooling. She literally takes your hand and walks you through the steps that make it easier to homeschool. She covers everything from getting organized, state laws and possibly facing being taken to court by our school district or other government agency, to curriculum. She shares what she has done and also what other homeschool parents have done that has worked.

She also suggests for $100 a year you can retain HSLDA www.hslda.org. If you are challenge with your right to homeschool and you have retained them you are able to call them up and they will take your case for no extra cost. Mark and I are highly considering doing this because if we are ever faced with a moment where our parental right to homeschool our children is in jeopardy we want the people with the right tools to come in and fight for us. They have been around since 1983. They also keep an eye on legislation both federal and state wide insuring that parental rights that would jeopardize our right to homeschool are not infringed upon.

She even talks about walking your kids through learning chores. She says for example if you are dusting have your child follow all the places your rag goes. Do this for a couple days, then reverse it, you follow your childs rag everywhere, reminding them if needed where they missed. But being careful to allow them to do it there own way, not just your way. She said then let them do it on their own, check it. After awhile continue to make it a game so they stay interested, she suggested using pennies, as they dust they find the pennies. They get to keep all the pennies they find, however if they miss a couple of places you get the pennies and they dust where they missed. I tried this with maddie dusting her room and she thinks it's a very fun game. She even comes and asks me if we can play follow the leader with the rags! She is learning to get them out, get them wet, wring them out, and then be able to dust her room, and put the rags back where they belong.

I do not feel qualified to homeschool Maddie, but God knows that and he is equipping me with all I will need. He has allowed others to walk before me both friends, family, and in books. What the Lord puts into motion, he will see through.