With seven kids at home, our family touches on every level of education at any given time. As with much of the rest of the world, we're on the tail end (hopefully) of a massive quarantine. Combining education with a quarantine has been a daunting task for a lot of families. Parents have been forced to become teachers while also working from home or, worse yet, stressing because they can't work at all. 

As a result of the rapidly changing circumstances in our communities and in schools in particular, a lot of these families are now considering homeschooling full time. Perhaps they found that homeschooling fits into their lifestyles more easily than they had once thought, or perhaps they're not excited about the plans the local schools are implementing as children return to campus. 

As a homeschooling dad, one of the things I most enjoy about our lifestyle is the lack of major transitions that we face. When quarantines or summer vacations come our way, there is very little change to the daily routine. Our kids read, they write, they play, they do chores, they help out with life regardless of the season. With the exception of the occasional  five year old who's in a bad mood, we never hear a kid say, "I'm bored." 

Throughout our homeschool journey, we've found that it's a lot easier to mitigate boredom with a big family. If you are considering homeschooling, my first recommendation would be, if at all possible, have more kids. If you don't have a large family, you might want to consider teaming up with another homeschool family or getting involved with a local homeschool group. 

Opportunities abound for the homeschool family. Seek them out and enjoy the robust homeschool lifestyle! 

Don't forget that you can order a copy of The Love of Learning from Amazon to help you get started. 

I won't waste your time by painting doomsday scenarios and saying things like "We are living in tumultuous times" or "The world is rapidly changing all around us". You've read those headlines on a daily basis for the past several months now. I'll just get straight to the point and say that the time has never been better to give homeschooling a try. 

The stereotype of the isolated homeschool life has long since been shattered. Today's homeschoolers have rich social lives and robust opportunities for experiential learning. One of the biggest complaints I hear from homeschool families is that they never have any time at home! 

No two homeschool families look the same and I can  guarantee you that there is a style and format to meet the needs of every child.. Like many parents, you may not have the first clue about where to start. If this is you, I'd like to offer a few suggestions. First of all, research local homeschool groups in your area. I think you'll be surprised how many there are.

Here in California, we have several charter schools that offer support to homeschooling families. There are also homeschool co-ops, part time private programs, and homeschool groups that exist just for fun. As for the legal aspects of homeschooling in your area, you can contact the Homeschool Legal Defense Association . Their website has a link at the top that will get you pointed in the right direction. 

The Love of Learning Book and Website can both offer you tips on how to get started. If you prefer to talk to someone, feel free to send me an email at lovinglearninginfo@gmail.com. I'd be happy to connect with you and help get you started.