One of the first steps you’ll need to take once you’ve decided to pull your child out of school and start homeschooling is to talk to your child about pulling them out of school.
Pulling your child out of school can be a bit nerve-racking. Between coping with your child’s school and any pushback they may be giving to well-meaning family members that really have no clue, it can be overwhelming.
The good news is that when you sit down and talk to your child about pulling them out of school there are a few things you can do that will help to make it all a lot less scary.
5 Tips for Talking with Your Child About Pulling Them Out of School
- Talk to your child about the benefits of homeschooling
When you first bring up homeschooling your child may not look at it from the same angle as you do. They may not know or see how many benefits there are to being homeschooled.
Talking to your child about the benefits of homeschooling should include positives such as; how they can learn what interests them, no longer having to deal with school bullies, more time to pursue the things they love, build their hobbies or work on career skills, etc.
- Discuss with your child how they will get to see friends
Most kids will be concerned about how they will get to talk to classmates and friends after you pull them out of school. Take the time to have your child give out a phone number and email address to friends before you pull them out of school.
Knowing that they will still be able to contact friends and possibly arrange to hang out after school or on weekends is a great way to make this process feel a lot less scary for kids.
- Talk about what your child wants to learn
Show your child that their opinion matters, by putting an emphasis on what your child wants to learn as part of their education.
This will encourage them to take an active role in their education, build upon things they care about for a future career and simply find their groove to make them want to spend time learning.
- Choose the right setting to talk to your child
On the way home from school after a rough day is likely not the best time to bring up homeschooling. Instead, talk to your child in a calm situation. Taking your child out for ice cream or having them join you in the kitchen baking is a great way to tie the conversation into a happy memory and help make the whole idea feel a lot less stressful to your child.
Kids tend to cope with change better when it comes from you as a positive and even exciting thing.
- Ask your child to not talk about it with others
Ask your child to not talk about homeschooling to their teachers and friends before you pull them. This can help prevent issues caused by the school when they feel threatened that you will be pulling your child out. While your child needs to know ahead of time to not shock them, your child’s school is best informed after everything is ready and you are prepared with your state’s rules and requirements.
This is a whole new experience for your child and they don’t know what lies ahead. Navigating the waters of this transition well is important.
My advice for the immediate future? Be patient. Give your child time to deschool. Most of all, be thankful for and enjoy the extra time you have together.
