My six year old (the youngest) has been officially homeschooling for one year (not counting what she learned prior to Kindergarten). And I’m glad she started early. She just turned six and is able to read all of her Dr. Seuss books, as well as rattle off all fifty of our United States in song. And being able to read to her from the Bible, teach her apologetics through simple acronyms, and sing songs to help her memorize scriptures and how much she is loved by God has allowed her to ask questions without being silenced, as she would in public (and even some private) schools. She is creative, inquisitive, and instead of being told what she should be interested in, she has developed her own interests. When she has a question, we go to the web and learn until she is satisfied. It’s simple and learning isn’t associated with unpleasant memories, but quite the contrary. We have decided recently that we will have a Stone Soup Party with her homeschooling friends after reading the good old book, Stone Soup. It’s all about sharing. I could go on and on, but I think you get the idea that I thoroughly enjoy being a homeschool Mom. And my husband loves that I am home with her, as he trusts she is not being arrested, shot, talked down to, or left behind.

Everything the first three responders said is true. It is WELL worth it, and highly recommended by me. A ton of information is available on the web, along with some inexpensive (especially now) used curriculum via Amazon, Ebay, etc. I have found much of my curriculum and organizational tools for preschool and Kindergarten free and printable online. Flashcards are great! They can be homemade, downloaded for free, or picked up at a thrift store.

Before they arrive, please consider reading Boundaries for Children by Cloud/Townsend (over and over again) to help you and your wife agree in one of the areas couples disagree about most: raising and disciplining children. This book has helped me to understand how I can raise my children to be socially healthy in relationships, self-sufficient, and capable of solving their own problems. Implementing what the authors suggest helps to prepare the children for getting along in the real world.

One thing I might add also is that homeschooling is better if you start earlier than later. I took one of my children (an overachieving social butterfly that wasn’t properly challenged in school) out of public school. In public school, she was is not challenged with real life scenarios or made to work as hard as she was capable of doing, thus she was bored. She also had already been taught in public school that she is entitled to a good grade for what was , for her, little to no effort. She had also learned that if she could write her teacher’s opinions, rather than her own (which were opposite her teachers’), her grades would reflect that.

Your convictions about homeschooling should remain solid and consistent. And parents must both be 100% committed or it will be even tougher.

Oh, and not only do you need thick skin, but know and rehearse the benefits and refutations for the social skill myths so many ask homeschooling families about. This will come in very handy when faced with warding off the worry of your relatives and friends who may act concerned when you tell them that you are homeschooling.

Regardless of whether or not you decide to homeschool, we’re here for you.

So when the time comes for myself and my husband as well, we’d homeschool as well for the sake of our children.

Our son has some learning disabilities so being able to give him the time that he needs has been phenomenal. We’ve seen great improvement with him over the year.

Advantages? Some flexibility with schedule. You can give your student more time as needed or move more quickly. You can make your faith part of the curriculum. You can take your “classroom” with you. We took our kids to the beach before regular school let out.

Disads? It is quite a bit of work. That depends somewhat on the number of kids you have and their personality, I suppose and early on I don’t think it’s too time intensive, but school is basically always in session. I suppose this could also be an advantage.

Overall I recommend it with the following caveats. Find a good curriculum which means doing your research. There are a lot of materials out there and you can find one that works for you. Do it with a group. Don’t try and homeschool alone. Get a thick skin and a sense of humor. Both will be necessary when dealing with the rest of the world.

It takes a lot of structure to keep on track. It also takes sacrifice as well in time and finances.

Advantages would be this – you can tailor to your child’s learning style. One on one attention. Life learning and flexibility. Lack of busy work, etc. Not to mention you are the one who is the primary influence in your child’s life.