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5 Things To Think About When Moving A Child From Public School Into A Home School

If you discover that a child is having difficulty in the public school and is becoming more depressed as the year progresses then home schooling could be an option which you should consider. If so, be prepared for a period of transition after removing the child from the public school system before diving into 'full-time' home schooling.

If your child is presently in public school then you must begin by studying the home schooling laws in your state. Ensure that you are able to comply with all of your state's requirements before going any further. As soon as you are confident that you can meet all of the state laws you must get in touch with your child's school and inform them that you are withdrawing. If you do not formally remove your child then this could result in problems with truancy at a later date. You also need to be ready for them to ask questions and perhaps to resist your action.

The manner in which you withdraw your child will be dependent on where you live but it will normally mean simply writing a letter to the superintendent of schools. You should inform the superintendent that you have elected to school your child at home. You will also be required to provide proof that you are following your state's laws and are legally permitted to remove your child from public school. If you are able to quote part of the state law in your letter then this will show the superintendent that you understand the regulations and your rights as a home schooling family.

After you have taken care of the formalities you ought then to think about the following 5 points:

1. Your child is no longer a prisoner of the rules of the public school system and will need to be given a little bit of time to get used to the change. Consequently, you should not rush into schooling but should let your child have a little time to adjust to this change in lifestyle.

2. Permit yourselves a little bit of time to get to know each other. You may consider you know your child but you might be surprised to discover that you do not really know him at all. You could find that there are elements of your child's personality which you never knew were there and he may also learn some new things about you as well.

3. You might notice that your child does a few things which he has become accustomed to doing at public school. A few new home school children will put their hand up if they want to ask a question or when they need to use the bathroom. It might take a little bit of time but those habits will eventually be broken.

4. Try to hang on to the better habits which he has gained at school. For instance, if your child has been in the habit of doing spelling tests on a set day of the week then add this into your home schooling plan. If you permit him to stop doing all of the things he did in public school then you might end up with more problems than you solve.

5. Do not forget to enjoy home schooling with your child. Deciding to home school is of course principally for the student but it should also be pleasurable for you as well. Try not to take things too seriously and cut yourself some slack and enjoy yourself. Possibly most important of all remember why you decided to home school your child and enjoy the freedom which home schooling offers you and your family.