Whether you’ve been homeschooling your child since preschool or you’ve made the decision later in their life, homeschooling your teen can feel like a daunting task. It’s important to challenge them academically and let them explore various extracurricular activities while still giving them space and freedom they crave at that age. Here are four things to know about homeschooling your teen.
1. You’re Not Alone
In some ways, homeschooling your teenager can feel more challenging than homeschooling them at any other age. Take the time to research and reach out to local homeschool families or homeschool groups online with parents who are homeschooling their teenagers at the same time. This will help you feel less intimidated by the task and potentially introduce your teen to some new friends.
2. Think Long-Term
Elementary and middle school years are for building an educational foundation, but the high school years need to also have focus on long-term goals. When your child hits fifteen or sixteen years old, start asking them questions about college or career goals. Let them explore their interests and think about where they see themselves after graduation. You can also take the time to give them real-life skills they’ll be able to use after high school, like finance classes and homemaking.
3. Let Go of Some Control
Kids begin to crave independence when they become teenagers, and it can be difficult to give it to them. But the only way you and your teen are going to have a positive and valuable homeschooling experience is if you let go of some control and figure out creative ways to give them some independence. If they’d rather do their homework in their room with the door closed, let them have control over their learning environment. Give them a voice in the learning curriculum as long as it meets state requirements. Allow them to manage their time when it comes to completing assignments and tasks — this will help them immensely in real-life scenarios.
4. Get Them Involved in the Community
Whether it’s sports, clubs, church, or volunteering, homeschooling your teen will be easier on both of you if they are able to spend some time away from home doing something they enjoy. Discuss their interests and see if you can find something in the community they are excited about getting involved in. These extracurriculars are also very important when applying to colleges, so encourage some involvement even if your teen isn’t very excited about the idea.
HomeschoolFacts.com has a complete list of support groups to help support you in your homeschooling endeavors and connect with homeschoolers near you. You can search the list of support groups here: https://www.homeschoolfacts.com/homeschool-support-groups.html