Homeschooling - When To Ask For Help

Most homeschooling parents feel pretty confident. They know they made a great decision to homeschool their kids, are they're making it work for them. The kids are doing well, the parents love the outcome, and all is well. But trouble does arise sometimes, even in the most dedicated and well-organized homeschooling households. If you need homeschool help, you're not alone!  We all need help sometime, but how do you know when it's time to ask for some assistance?

When You're New
Obviously, newbies are going to have some questions. Don't be afraid to ask! Are you wondering about the homeschooling laws in your state? Or how to arrange a Drivers' Ed class for your teenager? How do you teach phonics to a kindergartener, anyway? And what's the best math curriculum out there? If you're new to homeschooling, you aren't going to automatically know these answers, so you'll need to find someone who does. The internet is helpful, but it's a smart move to find other homeschoolers in your local area and join a support group to meet other families who've been through the same thing and can guide you. Homeschoolers are a really helpful bunch, so if you have a question....ASK!

When Something Isn't Working
Is your child just not getting those multiplication tables memorized, no matter what you do? Are they having trouble with handwriting, or reading skills? Maybe you're frustrated by the amount of "busy work" in the curriculum you've chosen not challenging your child enough? There are a thousand reasons you may be dissatisfied with how things are going.

You might consider shopping around for a different curriculum that fits your child's needs better. You might also seek professional guidance, as in the case of suspected dyslexia or seeking occupational therapy for serious handwriting concerns. It could be helpful for you speak with other parents in your support group and and ask how their own kids did with learning math facts and multiplication tables.

When You're Out Of Your League
I have no idea how to teach my daughter Calculus, and I'm not much for Art or Music class, either. So I have my kids taking some co-op classes where other homeschool moms who do know Art and Music are doing a great job at imparting that knowledge to my children. And my daughter is getting help with Calculus there too! The same principle holds for foreign langauges - if you don't happen to speak Spanish or have French immigrants living next door, teaching your kids a foreign language is going to be difficult, even with the most well-intentioned curriculum. Get some help!

Don't keep beating a dead horse. If you don't understand how to accomplish the goal you've set for your kids, or you run into roadblocks along the way, don't be afraid to ask for help. We've all been there, and if you ask for help when you need it, you'll be more confident in helping someone else someday too!