I homeschooled our oldest child (now 20, doing fine on his own in another state) from 3rd grade up through high school, and I’m now homeschooling our other children, as well (ages 17, 10, 6, 4, 3, and an infant).
I must respectfully disagree with
pianistclare about homeschooling little ones. I have done it, and it can be difficult, but not at all impossible, to homeschool even with a toddler (or two) and a newborn! In fact, we often included the toddler(s) in “lessons,” and no one got shortchanged. It did take some flexibility and creativity, though!
We generally take homeschooling a year at a time, taking into account each child’s needs and our available resources. So far, homeschooling has worked well for all of them–whether advanced or struggling learners, introverts or extroverts, task-oriented or people-oriented, early risers or night owls… I simply
love that I can adjust to meet our family’s (or even each child’s) needs.
Our oldest son was hired by his current employer, and recently promoted, based mostly on his
people skills, and my teenage daughter can hold her own quite well in conversations with adults and has often been complimented on her wisdom and maturity… so these days, I tend to find the “what about socialization” question rather amusing! Still, it helps to have a homeschooling support group and a Catholic youth group nearby, as well, for camaraderie, shared knowledge, and support.
A lot depends on the resources available to you (especially locally) and your willingness to
find and make use of those resources. Kindergarten, especially, is a great year to “dig in” and figure out what works well and what doesn’t work for your child and/or your teaching style. Kids at that age are generally eager to learn, can sit still and work at a desk or table for a reasonable amount of time, and will often be willing to try new things without too much difficulty. Plus, some of the stuff they’re learning is just plain FUN, even for the educator!
For the OP, since you’re talking about a four year old here, perhaps your wife would consider you homeschooling through preschool and/or kindergarten to see how it goes and then you two can reassess the situation before 1st grade begins?
If you’re in the U.S., most states don’t require attendance records and such until 1st grade (age 6-7). Be sure to look up the homeschooling laws for your state (HSLDA is great for this) and begin complying (as much as is appropriate) now, to get into the habit and to have an idea of what to expect if/when you “officially” begin homeschooling. And see if there is a local homeschooling group or co-op in your area, as well. One of the BEST resources you can have as a new homeschooler is a group of other homeschooling families who are willing to share their stories, recommendations, resources, and experiences with you!
Another great resource is your local library. I’ve often been surprised at what is available there–besides tons of great books and DVDs on just about every possible subject, there are also group meet-ups, weekly or monthly classes, activities and events for kids, and sometimes even subscriptions (online or offline) that library-card-holders can use for free!
Someone mentioned Science, so I wanted to point out that there are options for homeschoolers for Science, too. Most experiments at the grade-school level can easily be done at home; it’s generally only the more advanced high school science that requires more “specialized” and/or expensive equipment and supplies–and if your student doesn’t have a strong interest in Science, you may not need all that much to cover the basics. Some homeschool supply companies offer kits for some things, such as dissection and chemistry kits. There’s also the option of co-op classes if you have those in your area; some homeschool groups are even allowed to use public- or private-school labs or other resources. And another option, especially for children who are especially interested in the more advanced topics, is to attend college classes while still in high school (sometimes even for college credit) or vo-tech classes. I’ve even heard that in some school districts, homeschooled students can attend just one or two specific classes at the public high school, rather than being enrolled as a full-time student.
And the OP hasn’t even started yet, so who knows what will come? Nothing says we MUST homeschool through a certain age or year or grade level! I’ve known parents who homeschooled all the way from the beginning through high school and even through some online college courses; I’ve known parents who homeschooled for as little as one semester for a specific (temporary) reason; and I’ve known many, many families that fall somewhere in between the two.
OP, if you have specific questions about my experiences with homeschooling, feel free to PM me (if you don’t want to just post them here). It may take me a couple of days to respond, but I’ll do my best to give you an answer.
I’ve had a hard time finding a more balanced approach to the idea of homeschooling.
