5 Points to Think About When Moving a Child From a Public School Into a Home Schooling Environment

If you discover that your child is struggling in a public school and is becoming increasingly downcast as the weeks roll by then home schooling may be an option that you should look at. If so, be prepared for a changeover period after removing the child from the public school system before jumping into 'full-time' home schooling.

If your child is in public school at the moment then you will have to start by acquainting yourself with the home schooling laws in your state. Be certain that you can comply with all of your state's requirements before you take any action. Once you are confident that you can meet all of the state requirements you should contact your child's school and inform them that you are removing. If you fail to formally remove your child then this may lead to truancy issues at a later date. You must also be prepared for them to question your action and possibly to resist your action.

The manner in which you withdraw your child will depend on where you live however it will frequently involve simply writing a letter to the superintendent of schools. You will have to inform the superintendent that you have decided to school your child at home. You will also have to provide proof that you are complying with your state's laws and that you are legally allowed to remove your child from school. If you are able to quote part of the law in your letter then this will show that you are acquainted with the law and your rights to home school your child.

Having taken care of the formalities you ought then to consider the following:

1. Your child is not a prisoner of the rules and regulations of the public school system any more and should be given some time come to terms with the change. In view of this, you ought not to rush headlong into full time schooling but ought to allow your child a bit of time to get used to this new lifestyle.

2. Take some time to get to know each other again. You might think that you know your child however you might be surprised to find that you do not know him at all. You may discover that there are parts of your child's character that you did not know were there and he may also learn a few new things about you as well.

3. Do not be shocked if your child does one or two things that he has grown used to doing at school. Some new home school children will put their hand up when they have a question or when they have to use the restroom. It may take some time to do but those habits will disappear eventually.

4. Try to hang on to some of the better habits that he has learned at school. If, for instance, your child is in the habit of having spelling tests on a set day of the week then add this into your home schooling plan. If you let him stop doing everything he did in public school then you may end up with more problems than you are solving.

5. Take the time to enjoy home schooling with your child. Choosing to home school is of course above all for the student however it should also be a pleasure for you as well. Do not take yourself too seriously and cut yourself some slack and have fun. Perhaps most important of all do not forget just why you elected to home school and enjoy the independence that home schooling affords.