Did you know that homeschooling was a growing trend? I live in an area that has decent schools, relatively speaking, and still I meet a lot of parents who are new to homeschooling or who are considering homeschooling.

I believe that “the establishment” is not reporting correct numbers of homeschooling children. Part of the reason for this is the fact that there is no national rule under which homeschoolers are defined. Each state determines the definition of homeschooling. In fact, some states do not even have a legal designation of homeschooling, even though it is legal to homeschool your children in all fifty states. Some states require that children educated at home be educated under an “umbrella school” and because those home educated children are in a “school” they are not considered homeschooled.

Other states require that homeschooled children be part of a charter school, and so like umbrella schools, or cover schools, these children are not counted as homeschoolers, but under a type of school. See how that could mess up the overall picture of homeschool statistics?

Don’t get me wrong, I do not want a national rule, or any oversight at all by the government, be it local, state, or federal. I currently live in a state that has minimal oversight or control of how I homeschool my child. Next year, (probably, hopefully, keeping my fingers crossed!) I will be moving to a different state. That state has umbrella schools and private tutors as the only two ways to homeschool my child.

I will still be able to homeschool, fortunately, I will just have to learn how to do the administrative, legal stuff with the state differently. And you want to know the beauty of homeschooling? Her homeschool curriculum will remain the same, so she will not have that stress to add to the stress of the move.

All of this is just wild talk at this point because we are currently on Christmas break and will be until after the first of the year. Reason 975 why we homeschool…we are in control of my daughter’s schedule, and our family time.

I hope you are having some down time during this holiday season with your children. Do some fun things, uphold some traditions, and make some great memories!! Children grow up so fast, enjoy them! Happy Holidays!!