Can homeschooled kids get into college or university?

Do you have to have a teaching degree to teach at home?

How much freedom should I give my teens?

Is writing really that important?

How will my kids socialize if they're at home all the time?

If my kids are home this year because of covid-19 will they end up being behind in their schooling?

So are your kids super smart because they're homeschooled?

When did you give the sex talk?

How do I teach all my kids at the same time?

Come on, don't you ever get sick of your kids?

school & family

Dear Julie,

short answers to some big questions

Homeschooling

Why we got started

When our oldest was four years old and it was 'time' to send her to Junior Kindergarten I wanted to see what alternatives there were for her, she just seemed soooo little. I didn't know anyone who was homeschooling at the time but my husband and I thought we'd keep her home for those 'foundational' first school years and then send her off. That never happened. My oldest daughter was at home right through high school (she's now 21), my other daughter went to a local high school in grade 11 (she's 19) and my son (16) has started at that same school for his grade 11 year as well. For us, homeschooling for all those years was the best decision we ever made.

I don't believe that every family should homeschool. I believe that every family needs to do what works best for them. There are so many awesome kids who are homeschooled but there are so many awesome kids who are in public school or private school. There are kids who struggle in their homeschool just like there are kids who struggle in public school or in private school. There are bullies and troublemakers in all three systems. And there are academic scholars, caring encouragers and dynamic leaders in all three systems.

I believe less in judgment and more in support.

You are already your child's teacher whether they do school at home or not. Keep going mom/dad! It is SOOOO worth it!

I'm right here with you. Use the contact form to drop me a note if you need some encouragement or have a question.

Some Helpful Resources

Whether you're in for the long haul or if your kids are just home for this crazy Covid year

WEBSITES

Ontario Federation of Teaching Parents A great overview of homeschooling in Ontario. You should be able to find a similar site for the province you live in.
Homeschool Methods What kind of homeschooler are you? This is a helpful blog to get a feel for the different approaches to homeschooling - over the years we dabbled in them all :)
Home School Legal Defense Agency of Canada Tons of resources from trusted national homeschool advocates.
The Canadian Homeschooler I've only just discovered this site but wish I'd known about it when I was putting Canadian units together. Lots of great Canadian content, free printables and tips.
Canadian Online Homeschooling Conference I haven't attended one of these online but it'll be as close as you're going to get to attending an in-person conference these days. FREE if you can attend live in February.

BOOKS

There are so many books out there. But don't spend money on any until you decide how you want to school your kids. This is a short list of some of the most recommended books from my homeschool circles. I haven't read/used them all.