5 Points To Consider When You Move Your Child From Public School To A Home Schooling Program

If you feel that your child is having difficulty in the public school and is becoming increasingly depressed as the weeks roll by then home schooling may be an option that you should think about. But, be prepared for a changeover period after removing your child from the public school system before diving into 'full-time' home schooling.

If your child is in public school at the moment then you will need to start by determining your state's home schooling laws. Be certain that you can meet all of the state's requirements before going any further. Once you are satisfied that you can meet all of the requirements of your state you should get in touch with your child's school and inform them that you are withdrawing. If you do not formally withdraw your child then this may result in problems with truancy in the future. You should also be ready for them to ask questions and perhaps to attempt to dissuade you from this course of action.

The manner in which you withdraw your child will be dependent on where you live however it will generally involve simply addressing a letter to the superintendent of schools. You should state that you are opting to school your child at home. You may also need to provide proof that you are following the laws of the state and that you are legally permitted to withdraw your child from the public school. If you are able to quote sections of the state law in your letter then it will show the superintendent that you are conversant with the regulations and with your rights as a home schooling family.

Once you have dealt with the formalities you should then think about the following 5 points:

1. Your child is not a prisoner of the rules and regulations of the public school system any longer and should be allowed some time come to terms with the change. In the light of this, you should not rush headlong into schooling but should allow your child a little bit of time to get used to the change in lifestyle.

2. Permit yourselves a bit of time to get to know one another again. You may believe that you know your child however you might be surprised to discover that you do not really know him at all. You may uncover areas of your child's personality that you never knew existed and he might also discover several new things about you too.

3. You may notice that your child does a few things that he has grown used to doing at school. A few new home school children will raise their hand when they have a question or if they want permission to use the restroom. It may take a bit of time to do but those school habits will eventually disappear.

4. Keep some of the better habits that he has acquired. For instance, if your child has been used to doing spelling tests on a particular day then add this into your home schooling schedule. If you let him stop doing all of the things he did in public school then you may end up creating more problems than you solve.

5. Do not forget to enjoy the process with your child. Deciding to home school is of course above all for the student however it should also be pleasurable for you as well. Do not take yourself too seriously and cut loose and enjoy yourself. Possibly most important of all do not forget just why you decided to home school and take joy in the independence which home schooling offers you and your family.