In truth, homeschooling expenses can be greater than if you send your child to a regular public school. Public schools are partially funded by government funding whereas for homeschooling, there is no such funding available from the government. There are several non-profit and support groups who do fund homeschooling but usually it is on a case by case basis.

Let’s look at some of the costs involved when homeschooling. Obviously, you still need to buy or acquire textbooks, course materials, study aids etc. Secondly, you need furniture. Examples are tables, chairs, lighting, computer equipment etc. Thirdly, include accessories such as pens, erasers and paper. Lastly, as your child progresses into higher grades, you may not be able to teach your child. As such you may need to hire a tutor which can be costly. Lastly, you should also consider any other curriculum such as dancing, piano lessons etc as these do cost quite a lot over the long run.

Also, you should also not discount the fact that one of the parents will probably not be working due to homeschooling. That means a loss of household income for the family.

These are just some of the costs associated with homeschooling. The reality of homeschooling is while it can be a good form of education for your children, you should consider the cost of homeschooling very seriously. Homeschooling is a serious commitment in both time and money. Make sure you plan ahead before proceeding.

Everyone has had the experience of having both a good and bad teacher. If you stop and think about it, I’ll think you’ll notice some things that your good teacher’s had in common. The most important is that they were genuinely interested in their subject areas. Nothing makes a teacher better then enthusiasm for a subject. I think you’ll also notice that most of the bad teachers you had didn’t seem particularly interested in the subject they were teaching. It is for this reason that it is crucial that you create a homeschooling experience that interests both you and your child.

While your child’s education should come first and foremost when creating a homeschooling curriculum, you shouldn’t be shy to think of your own education as well. When looking at things to study in particular subject areas, think about things that interested you in those areas that you didn’t get to explore as much as you liked to when you were in school.

It cannot be understated how valuable an experience it is to learn with your child. You will be strengthening a family bond, and your shared interest and excitement in a topic will ensure that your child retains the information. A way to do this is to understand the balance between rigidness and flexibility in a homeschooling curriculum.

A certain amount of formalness is required in a general curriculum: you have to have set goals and timelines in which certain things must be learned. But within those timelines, you have a lot of flexibility, and you should use it to your advantage. When studying literature, for example, understand that the goal is to read and learn about good literature, not necessarily to read a particular book. So instead of studying a “standard” novel that you’ve already read, consider a book that is new to you as well. With both you and your child interested in the book, the experience of reading it together will be enjoyable for both of you, as you will both be excited about the outcome.

This concept needn’t be applied only to literature, think of things in science or music, for example, that you’ve always wanted to learn about. If you make sure that you are interested in the subjects as well, your child will sense your enthusiasm and become more drawn into the subject, ensuring a much more valuable educational experience.