I often hear, “Oh, I could never do that! I couldn’t stand to be around my kids all day. I wouldn’t know how to teach them.”

Well, with statements like that, you’re right. You probably shouldn’t try to homeschool your children. There certainly isn’t overwhelming popular support for those parents who do choose to travel this path. So, why do it?

Do you have what it takes? What does it take? Is this the right decision? Will you harm your child and her future life? Can you assume responsibility for your child’’s education? What if you fail? (What does it mean to fail?) Self-doubt, anxiety, hesitation, pondering and questioning should accompany not only the decision to home educate, but the continuation of any home education program on some level.

It is positive to examine your resolution and to evaluate progress along the way. Ahhh, there’s that word — evaluate. Judgment. By yourself, by the school district, the legal system, family, friends, strangers, and the often state-mandated evaluator. That’’s the wonder of the human existence – the ability to judge for ourselves -to think – to make choices. To examine a given set of circumstances and produce a solution. This is how you decide. It is a resolute decision and a choice.

It is not an arbitrary selection. Home educators are a committed lot. This fact alone — that a choice is made to homeschool — is demonstrative of strong conviction and independent thinking. That in itself is a good measure toward success.

If you think you can, you can.