I'm a Teen Mum - How can I Homeschool?

Question
I'm 16 and with my husband, of whom is 20 and currently studying at university.

I have chosen to complete my A-levels and put my daughter into childcare, despite this being, we feel, unfair to our little girl. As she grows up I feel it would benefit us as a family unit for her to be home schooled, however I am unsure as to whether I myself and my husband would financially and educationally be able to support her and teach her in an appropriate manner.

We would have liked to have been able to send her to a private school, however childcare costs are proving to be expensive as it is, so we feel this would be an uneducated and irrational decision to make.

I would very much appreciate advice on support groups, both local and online, and information about teaching very young children as I would like to give her the best start in life.

She is currently only 8 months old however I read to her daily and have loaned toys from our local toy library which stimulate all of her senses. She is a happy lively child and I would love to be able to push her further and allow her to develop as a person.

Home education seems to me to give the best opportunities for children to grow up into articulate well mannered and conscientious young people in today's society. It proves to give excellent life experience from which of course knowledge and understanding of the world and life around us is gained.

Please could you advise me upon how to broach this topic with my family; and prove to them that all I really want to do is to give my daughter the best possible educational provision and strive to provide her with the opportunities and education which she deserves.

Thank you very much, any information would be much appreciated.

Answer

Thank you so much for your question. I hope I can do it justice in my answer.

Firstly, please don't feel bad about putting your daughter into childcare so you can continue your studies. Or about putting her into school later if you need to for financial reasons. Instead, think of homeschooling as an 'attitude of mind' of doing the best you can for the whole family - and using all the resources that are available to you - including childcare and school.

You asked for support groups - I am guessing you are in the UK? Home Education UK has a list of online groups here and as your daughter is so young I would also recommend the Early Years HE list. They will be able to help you find local groups - or try looking here.

You are doing exactly the right thing with your daughter in reading to her and getting access to toys that stimulate her. Just make her environment as interesting as possible for her at this age. Talk to her and play with her. You may like to try some baby sign language with her, if you think that would be fun for her.

When she gets older, let her bake with you, and take her on walks. Try not to push her - just let her unfold naturally. Doing fun things together is the best way to keep her interested and learning.

I recommend you keep researching and studying homeschooling. See if your library has 'Free Range Education' by Terri Dowty or any of John Holts books (particularly 'How Children Learn' or 'Teach Your Own').

Becoming an authority of home education will help you approach your family too. I am sure that they will see that you only have your daughters best interests at heart - but it might help them to read some books about it or meet up with some homeschooling families.

Finally, with regards to your financial situation I wonder if you may be interested in SBI's Website program. This is not a get rich quick scheme - it can take a few years to start bringing in an income - but I cannot recommend their program highly enough. You can read about my friend Alicia's story with it here and I would be happy to answer any questions about it if you contact me.

I hope that all helps. You sound like you are already doing a wonderful job with your daughter, so just keep going. And I wish you all the best. Julie.

Further Reading

How to Start Homeschooling

How to Homeschool

Can I do Homeschooling?

Homeschool Socialization

What age to start Homeschooling?

How many hours to Homeschool?

Do I need a Curriculum?

How to Homeschool FAQ

How to Homeschool in 3 Steps

Getting Started with Homeschooling

Homeschooling for Beginners

How to Get Started


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