Home-School Support
Moral support, encouragement, ideas, and practical assistance help home schoolers get started and keep going. Following are areas where we might give and receive support.
God. Others may let you down or fail to fulfill your needs, but not God. Go to Him first and cast your care on Him.
Yourself. Maintain your own spiritual, physical, mental, and emotional disciplines. You cannot get enough support from others to make up for a disregard of the laws of cause and effect that God has ordained.
Your Family. Home schoolers recognize the value of the family unit. Let it support you. Your mate is your built-in support. Of course, you are his support system too. Enlist the help and support of your children. Other relatives or grandparents may offer support as well.
Your Local Church. The fellowship and teaching of your local church provides support in your spiritual life. An ideal support group might also be formed within your church. It is a great blessing to have a pastor who encourages you in your home-school efforts.
Support Groups may be as small as two families or extremely large and have many functions and activities. Area or district groups or networks enable local groups to communicate and cooperate together on larger events that smaller groups could not provide. Involvement with your local Christian home-school group can provide encouragement, fellowship, educational opportunities, field trips, academic training and information, solutions to your problems, and answers for your questions.
State Organizations are vital in watching for unfavorable legislation or initiating favorable legislation. They act as the guardians of your right to home school and should be supported and participated in. They also provide a communication link for the state and thus can direct families to a group in their area as well as inform families of current state laws and how they are being interpreted.
The Teaching Home offers support from the many home schoolers who contribute to each issue.
Mentoring. Veteran home educators should consider what they have to offer beginners. New home schoolers can look for veteran home educators to mentor them through a regular time together or an occasional phone call. A support group may be able to help you find a mentor.