"So I'm Thinking About Homeschooling..."

When someone asks me questions because they are thinking of making the wondrous dive into the infinite possibilities of homeschooling, I generally always have the same advice:

-If you're saved, pray!  Pray that God will direct you to the write method of teaching the precious responsibilities that He has entrusted to you.  Pray that your transition will be smooth.  Pray that your transition will be smooth and that you will make decisions founded in His infinite wisdom and not your own. For His ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts.

-Know your reasons! (In times of discouragement and those moments of understanding of why some wild animals eat their young, you'll need to return to your "why"

-Buy and read "100 Top Picks For Homeschool Curriculum" by Cathy Duffy*. Even if you don't purchase curriculum, it helps you evaluate the type of teacher you are and the type of student each of your children are. You can look at the recommended curriculum's setup and design your own. OR if you do purchase, it recommends curriculum based on learning style, shows you how to blend for multiple children, fortells how much prep is required, whether or not it is writing intensive and more. Then it gives you an overview of the recommended curriculum.

There is a newer version with 101 picks, but this is the one I'm familiar with.

-Decide & Budget. Get a list of what you want and research what all you need. I always look at the publisher's sight, decide what pieces I'm going to need, and take note of  full retail price. That way I know if I'm getting a good deal or not when I buy it used or on sale.

I purchase the bulk of my curriculum off of amazon.com, but there are soooo many resale sites available that allow homeschoolers to support homeschoolers!  Also, if I have to buy something new, I will default to christianbook.com.  They run a lot of promotions and send me periodic deals, like free shipping.

How about you?  What advice do you always give?

What do you wish someone would have suggested to you?

*I have not been asked to review the above materials and did not receive any compensation for my recommendation/review.