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So, can you guess what I've been up to lately? Homeschooling a child not your own...thought I would blog some of the thoughts swirling around in my head lately;

The first important thing to research when considering homeschooling someone else's child is the legal aspect. What are the laws in your state concerning homeschooling, and are there any regulations about teaching a child not your own in your home-school? Find a homeschool group in your area and check their website or call, local state-based homeschool groups are a wealth of information.

The next major consideration is the impact this child will have on your own children's education.
Will the new student's needs, which could be considerable-in light of his current school situation not working-hence the need for you to homeschool..., absorb so much of your time as to negatively impact your own children's learning? Will adding this new non-family student change the birth order in your home? The implications of the oldest son no longer being the oldest son could be huge, or could be a non-issue...but they do need to be considered.

The biggie...can you realistically handle one more student?? really.

The next set of issues are more meat-and-potatoes, the nitty-gritty details of homeschooling a horde... Does the child get along well with your children? Does the child mind you? (a biggie for me) and will the parent enforce your discipline or perhaps become defensive if you report on negative behaviors you feel need to be corrected? If the child has been public- schooled long, will the child introduce teasing or language you do not allow in your home? Or the inverse- will your children plague the life out of and overwhelm a shy only child?

If you are homeschooling to rescue a child in great need, will the greater needs of this child at risk take so much of your time that it will become a compromise between the perfect learning environment for your kids and the educational needs of the new kid?

Will the other parent(s) value your time? Will you ask to be compensated and how much?

If the arrangement does not work out, and you have to quit...will your relationship/friendship with the parent(s) be jeopardized?

I'll share in a later post about our new student...

Labels: homeschool