I'm a stay at home mom/artist.  I plan to start homeschooling my daughter later this year for the start of Pre-K.  I'm a bit nervous about homeschooling.  The more I read about it and learn about it the more I feel like it's the best option for my family.  I'll be using an umbrella school for the curriculum so I'm not worried at all about that.  I'm mostly worried about getting my daughter involved in activities with other kids, and my own teaching abilities.  Just today my grandmother said she didn't think I could get my daughter to focus long enough to learn anything from me.  I think I could but really hearing that doesn't instill confidence.  Also I've been trying to find playgroups and other activities in the area but due to my limited transportation I'm coming up with nothing.  Every playgroup I can find seems to meet well out of walking distance.  My daughter already has a few friends but I really want to get her involved with more kids.

Jessica,

I have been homeschooling for 10 years now.  Find some local homeschool groups and visit them as many as possible until you locate one you and your daughter both fit into well.  Groups usually do field trips and fun co-ops at that young age.  The advantage of homeschooling if they cant focus long enough is you can school a little while and play and go back to school.  School does not have to last all day.  In the pre-k through K it should only take about one and a half to two hours of actual school.  Some are what we call unschoolers and follow their childs interests.  You can get books from the library for science and do experiments all day.  There is a book a recommend for new homeschoolers.  It is called home learning year by year the author is Rebecca Rupp.  You will see that science and history repeat themselves every three years.  If you want any more advice feel free to email me.  Its late and I am making many errors.

Carol Stead

carol@brightmindsforkids.com

Carol has given you some excellent advice!  Also if you have a local Library near by there are many different activities that they do to get your daughter involved with other children.  A lot of homeschoolers go to the Library too so you might find someone there to help you feel more comfortable about homeschooling.  The Library also may have a list of local homeschoolers in your area too.  So be sure to ask if they do. 

Jody

There are many activities out there for home shcool children, I know the YMCA here has a program for home school children to get together for, swimming, games, painting  i actually gave them a karate lesson for the YMCA program,ect. you can always do little league baseball, soccer, ballet,Martial arts lessons these are just some ideas and a great way for you to meet parents and start a playgroup. As far as home schooling your daughter, who knows your daughter better than you, if you feel you can do it i say go for it, in public school she will have to work at their pace; at home she will work at her pace, if she loses her attention on a lesson you can do something else and then go back to it, she would not be able to do that in a public or private school. one last thing just remember we are our childrens best teacher.

Thank you all for the excellent advice.  I've been looking up more play groups and programs in my area.  My daughter loved the Visionary Art Museum so I think she'll like the Baltimroe Museum of Art as well.  I was looking at their website and they have some programs for homeschoolers.  They even have a Family Fun sunday program.  I also want to get us back to the library again soon, there are at least two that we can get to easily, so I'll be looking for programs and just spending so time there.  I think I'll start the school year early, that way we can take everything slow.  So even if at first if she doesn't want to settle down and learn we can maybe get one thing done in a day and move on to playing.  I'm really interested in martial arts and so is my husband, I'll actually have to check into age groups for classes.  I've looked into ballet too, though I hadn't thought of the YMCA.  I'll have to look into that.

Thank you for the advice and the confidence boost : )