In our early days of homeschooling, we would take our children with us everywhere.  Grocery stores, department stores, service stations, hardware stores, all over.

 

Often, someone would ask the children,  “Do you have a day off from school today?”  To save my young children from embarrassment, we would intervene with a well-rehearsed sentence.  “We have one of the state’s approved homeshool prog

 

Mothers have sat in my office and cried that some curriculum they had chosen just isn’t working.  They feel like failures, like they are wasting so much time, and they should have known better.

 

Well, it occurs to me that when NASA sends a rocket into orbit to do a job, they are forced to make mid-course corrections.  Mid-course corrections are used AFTER the rocket is launched to compensate for unknown variables.

 

NASA -- with the greatest math and science minds in the world -- all focused on the mission of this rocket -- even NASA is forced to make mid-course-corrections!

 

If it’s good enough for NASA, it should be  good enough for you.

 

You are not a failure, you are not incompetent.

 

My wife presents a homeschool workshop entitled, “Lessons from the Turtle."

 

She explains how risky it is for us to venture out into unknown areas. Venturing out takes us out of our comfort zone.  Then she observes, “Even the turtle makes no progress until she sticks her neck out."

 

As homeschoolers, we are sticking our necks out.  But we must.  Yes

 

Newcomers to homeschooling can expect to feel stress.  In fact, the stress you may experience in the beginning might bring you to tears more than once.

 

When we began in 1984, we wanted to make sure we were doing enough, to make sure our children were progressing.  So, we had them tested at the end of each year by a certified, licensed tester who came to our house.

 

In anticipation of the day, my wife would cry with anxiety.  On the day, she would cry again before the tester arrived.  When the tester scored the standardized tests and gave us the results, my wife would cry again.

Homeschooling (note to HUSBANDS)

 

No matter how many times you hear, “This is not a contest,” it seems we are just too tempted to compare our children with other children who are also homeschooled.

 

Those haunting questions of “competence” can drain a mother over time.

 

Then, your wife comes face to face with another homeschool mom who has a shining star child, who does all kinds of things.  Your wife’s feelings swell up inside and the doubts creep in.

 

This sometimes happens at homeschool support group meetings.  Mothers rightfully want to brag about what their student does, and your wife might come away with the idea that, since she isn’t doing that, she is inadequate, she is behind, and she is not doing as good a job as that other mother.

 

If this seems to happen to your wife, gently point it out to her.

Homeschooling (note to FATHERS)

 

There are people who will attack homeschooling to your face.  Defend it, especially if your children and wife are there.   If they think you won’t defend homeschooling, they might conclude you’re not in favor of it.  They might think that you’re letting them homeschool, but don’t really believe in it.

 

It’s important that your wife and children see and hear you defend you

Homeschooling  (note to HUSBANDS)

 

Do not allow your children to wear down your wife unmercifully.  Your wife will wear-down enough with the normal “wear and tear,” but you can tell when the children are causing the “wear and tear."

 

When you see this happening to your wife, somehow you need to find a way to protect her from the children.

 

Your wife is your lifelong p

 

As the homeschooling movement grew in the 1980’s, there were some problems for children with learning disabilities.

 

Homeschooling was new to most school officials, and the public schools did not like the idea that “their LD kids” were being removed from public schools by homeschooling parents.

 

School officials mailed notices about the Federal law (94-142) to the par

 

During the 1984 hearings process on homeschooling, the Maine Dept. of Education learned that homeschoolers EXPECT to be consulted about any proposed changes to laws or regulations.

 

At the huge public hearing, I reminded the Commissioner’s representatives (and the other school officials) of a little New England history.

 

About 150 miles south of us, in a harbor in Boston, there was a party one night involving some tea.

 

That little Tea Party was about no taxation without representation -- it was about the consent of the governed.  Homeschoolers are the governed in these proposed changes, so we expect government to seek our consent.

 

During a May 1984 administrative hearing at the state capital, I had an opportunity to speak.

 

In front of the Commissioner’s representatives, I addressed the four Superintendents of Schools who had written the proposed new regulations.

 

     “Which of you were homeschooled?”
     None were

 

     “Which of you homeschool your children?”