The Grafted Tree

Answering the Questions I Wish Someone Had Answered for Me-Am I going to ruin them? Am I even legal?
Another year is upon us. As I reflect back on my 19 years of homeschooling, six kids in two states-California and South Carolina-I still remember how terrified I was that first year.

Will Homeschooling hurt my kids’ Education?
No. Think back on your own education — do you remember what you learned in 1st grade? 4th grade? Even 8th grade? You might remember an incident on the playground or a favorite teacher, but the material itself was just building blocks, preparing you for high school and college. Science and history in those early years are really just tools to reinforce reading and writing skills. Reading and writing will come. Several of my kids who joined our family through adoption did not read fluently until 2nd, 3rd, even 4th grade. Today, one of them carries a 4.0 GPA at a major university. One is studying HVAC in their senior year of high school. Another is in retail management.

So my first piece of advice: just breathe.
Have fun. Get messy. Enjoy your kids, and enjoy the process. I wish I hadn’t tried so hard to recreate school at home. There’s a time and place for structure, but kindergarten through at least 6th grade is a season to let them simply enjoy learning. Lean into the subjects they’re strong in, and don’t panic over the ones they struggle with. You can teach long division in a weekend in 8th grade. In 4th grade, that same lesson might just leave you with a sobbing child who hates school.

How do I know I’m following the correct laws?
Every state has its own laws and regulations. I’ve homeschooled in two states — California and South Carolina — and even though their rules differ, my approach at home has stayed pretty much the same. HSLDA.org is a great resource and will tell you exactly what’s required to homeschool legally in your state. Some states are quite strict, but surprisingly, California isn’t one of them. South Carolina is also a fairly easy state to homeschool in — you need a high school diploma, but you don’t need a certified teacher overseeing your program. Other states are much stricter, though, so know your state’s laws, and I highly recommend paying the membership fee to join HSLDA to protect you and your rights.

I’ll be continuing this Q&A as a series — if you have specific questions, let me know and I’ll tackle them in a future post. For now, just know this: you will not screw up your kids. My six kids are all out there living their best lives, each in their own unique way.
Cheers to a brand new year of homeschooling — whether you’re brand new to it or you’ve got 20-plus years under your belt.
Mommas, we can do this.