Don't take that the wrong way. We didn't take this decision lightly and I still question it every single day. I know we made the right decision, but there will always be doubts. The same thing would happen if we chose the public school route. I spent many months researching every single detail and every possibility. I spent months trying to weigh the pros and cons. I spent months doing it all over again and making sure I didn't miss anything. This decision isn't as simple as "my daughter gets to stay home and learn what I want". After all, that isn't what I want. I want her to know more than I do. I want her to learn all of the different sides of things and make her own decisions. We didn't choose to keep her home so that I could cram our beliefs down her throat and give her no alternative (this is not what the vast majority of homeschooling families do, but it is what others often think). There are many many reasons we chose this path, but it doesn't make it any less terrifying.
For starters, it is not easy. It isn't as simple as opening a book and telling her what to do for the day. It isn't as simple as handing her worksheets and grading them. We purchased a boxed curriculum. Essentially, that means that 99% of the work is done for me. The worksheets are printed out, all of the books we need came together, the teacher's manual has all of the lesson plans done. It's definitely easier, but there is still so much that goes into it. I can't just hand her a few worksheets a day and call it good. I have to plan activities, crafts, experiments, and then somehow fit all of those in with the school work. Relying solely on some worksheets to teach a kid about the world makes everything seem easy, but it doesn't teach the kid anything.
Another thing I always worry about is if she will be "socialized" enough. This is a problem that arises from something completely unrelated, though. The vast majority of homeschooled children have no problems in society. In fact, it has been proven that homeschooled children do better with people of all ages than those that were in public school. This doubt comes from society. It comes from everyone always assuming homeschooled kids are weird or different. My daughter has no problems with other kids, but because of the stigma that is so ingrained in our culture, I will likely always worry about it.
I fear every day I won't live up to her needs. The entire reason we originally looked into homeschooling is because of how gifted learners are often treated in public school. My time in school was awful, to say the least. I was kept at the same level as others when what I needed was to be pushed and challenged. My daughter is the same. I constantly fear that I will not challenge her enough and she will hate learning like I once did. I know public school won't offer her those things, so I need to try, but it doesn't mean I will be enough.
The amount of money this takes is dreadful as well. Sure, the curriculum is only $300-$700, but that doesn't include the school supplies, the field trips, the extra books, and the hundreds of little add ons. Some families spend as much as $5,000 per year on all of those things. $5,000! For a family with one income, that is a lot of money!
As fearful as all of this is, I can't wait. My daughter LOVES to have school at home. She gets so excited at the very mention of it. I love that I can be the one watching her grow. I can be the one teaching her about life. There are so many benefits to homeschooling that it's insane. For instance, did you know a camping trip (if properly done) can count as school time? There are so many things to learn while camping! On top of that, I get to take her to explore the world! We have so many field trips lined up and I can't wait! She gets to explore and I get to tag along for the ride. Perhaps the best part is that she can learn what she likes. She can learn to garden, cook, sew, research string theory, try her hand at chemistry, or whatever suits her. She doesn't need permission to explore everything around her and she doesn't need to do it on someone else's timeline.
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