New and trying to plan ahead

[defenderinfaith]

Hello everyone,

I am very new to homeschooling, and trying to get as much information as I can. My husband and I actually are expecting our first child in August, so we still have a ways to go before we start with formal homeschooling anything. However we are trying to get information and see if we can do as much early learning with her as we can.

We are definite on home schooling and want to connect with other homeschoolers. We are also looking for legal information as well as ideas and links for what we need to do.

Thank you for your time.

[fairylover]

Welcome to the forums. At this point I would say to get familiar with your state laws. Find others in your area who are homeschooling. Start collecting books for your little one. The most important tool you need with very young ones is books. Read to the baby. Let him or her grow up seeing you read. They will develop a love for books if they see you enjoying them.

[lovehmschlg]

Hello, defenderinfaith. Welcome to the Time4Learning forum. Congratulations on your pregnancy and soon-to-arrive baby.

It's great that you have already decided to homeschool. You have plenty of time to do research and become familiar with your state laws. For that, the best website to visit would be the Homeschool Legal Defense Association.
If you plan to stay where you are living now for the next few years (when you start to homeschool), you can start visiting homeschool support groups and attending their meetings. I would also suggest you visit homeschool blogs. You can get a lot of information that way...get a picture of how families homeschool. You don't want to imitate 'school' at home, but find your own way of 'homeschooling'. Each family is different.

Best wishes!!

[ManyBlessings]

I am also considering homeschooling my child. She is 12 years old and I'm a bit torn on whether to homeschool or not. My main purpose for wanting to homeschool her is because I may decide to split equal time parenting her with my child's father. He lives over 750 miles away, so it is impossible for her to change physical school systems every 6 months. I'm thinking that homeschooling her is our best option if we decide to move forward with 50/50 joint time parenting/visitation. Any advice?

[katshu2]

I am also considering homeschooling my child. She is 12 years old and I'm a bit torn on whether to homeschool or not. My main purpose for wanting to homeschool her is because I may decide to split equal time parenting her with my child's father. He lives over 750 miles away, so it is impossible for her to change physical school systems every 6 months. I'm thinking that homeschooling her is our best option if we decide to move forward with 50/50 joint time parenting/visitation. Any advice?

Hi there! And welcome! If your child's father is on board, homeschooling could definitely be a great option for you. Here is a wonderful resource that I would recommend you read through: How to Homeschool ebook.

Also, I would recommend you check out the state laws in both your state, as well as the state that your child's father lives in. Homeschooling laws can vary greatly, depending on the state, so you want to make sure you know what would be expected of you and your child's father.

Lastly, please feel free to check out all of the different boards on the forum here...like the Homeschool Families board. You may find others who are homeschooling in shared custody situations that can offer advice.

Good luck! Definitely check back in with us and let us know what you decide and how it goes!