When homeschooling a teenager?

What are the obstacles to taking a teenager out of public school and homeschooling?

• Answer:

  The difficulty depends on the state in which you reside and its laws. Please consult the "Homeschool Legel Defense Association" (HSLDA) for legal advise concerning your particular state laws. They are very helpful and are highly recommended for all homeschool parents. Do this before you take any children out of school! This ia a big question, Rhonda! I guess it depends on the reason your daughter is removing her from school. Many people are taking their children out of public school to educate them along Christian principles, which are lacking in schools, and perhaps this is a strong reason for your daughter. My own children I removed from school because I didn't like what was happening there and the very negative influences surrounding them daily. They were doing quite well then, but are extremely happy now and achieving much. I feel it is important for a thirteen year old to have a say in whether she remains at school or not, however sometimes a parent can see something more developing that they're not happy with and must have the final decision. In relation to your "I feel that everything she is, her identity her likes, desires and goals in life will be hindered and suppressed and she will have such hatred and rebellion toward her parents that homeschooling will only hurt her and not help.", I can only relate to you the experience of my children, and that is, they have developed in ways they would not have had done in public schools. They now have time to pursue a multitude of interests and still keep up with their school-attending friends. If your grand-daughter is not at all happy to leave school, then yes, perhaps there will be some rebellion, and perhaps it may be that your daughter leaves her where she is and homeschools the younger children. I truly believe that communication is the key and I hope that you can find a way to talk with your daughter and both come to an understanding of each other. Educating your child at home is often not an easy task (but very rewarding) and ideally would be best done with support from immediate family. However, the public school system isn't working anywhere near satisfactorily enough for me ever to send my children back there. All the best, and God bless...