Fall is an anxious time for a lot of first-time homeschooling parents. In the fall of 2005, as I was coming to the realization that I simply could not get comfortable with the idea of sending my daughter off to a full-day kindergarten, comments from others such as, "You're brave!" or "Oh, I could never do that!" only fueled my anxiety. I began to wonder if I really could homeschool.

If you find yourself questioning your homeschooling abilities this fall, take heart. Like me, you may come to realize that you have pretty much been 'homeschooling' your children since the day they were born! So much of what we learn is gained by observing and participating in everyday life experiences. As a baby, I would talk to my daughter about the things we saw or what we were doing, whether it was at home or out and about. As she's gotten older, a fun morning of baking cookies becomes a math and science lesson - measuring the ingredients, setting the temperature on the oven, watching what happens as the heat affects the cookie dough. Everyday errands, like going to the grocery store, bank, or post office, are all learning opportunities. Conversations about a child's questions or observations can cover multiple subjects by the time you're done. By spending time with your child every day you have a good idea of their interests and their learning styles, as well. Whether you're an independent homeschooler or part of a charter program, being able to tailor the way you present a subject/lesson to the individual child is one example of the flexibility that homeschooling offers. You don't need a teaching degree to be an effective homeschooling parent, but it does help if you can think outside of the box a bit.

This adventure is a learning curve for many of us, but you don't have to feel like you're out there on your own! No matter what age your child is, there is a lot of support in our community for homeschoolers, whether it be through websites, groups that offer park play dates and other homeschooling families to share ideas with, or organizations that offer classes to supplement the home learning environment. I've listed a few at the end of this article as well as a couple of books that I found helpful when I first began this journey. Next month, I'll talk about the different ways to legally homeschool your child in California.

There are still moments when I wonder if I can really do this, but then I realize that I AM! and I wouldn't trade it for the world!

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