PURPOSE FOR PARENTS

The first purpose of middle school for parents is to spend time learning how to homeschool high school. This is your job. Home education is your chosen vocation. You need to include continuing education in order to avoid a crash and burn during the high school years. Learn what you need to know so you do not panic. You have to invest.

You're not only investing in college for your child, you're investing in yourself and your homeschool. Take classes about homeschooling high school and go on a business trip for homeschool parents; that is, attend a homeschool convention. Take parent education training classes online, read books about high school, and buy books about college admission and scholarships. This will all help you afford college and help your child go on to life beyond homeschool - college and career.

Middle school is the best time to learn about homeschooling high school. Identify your fears and educate yourself. If you're petrified of teaching algebra, you can educate yourself on algebra and the different curriculum available.

Learn more about high school while your child is in middle school. This is training time for you, not the final exam. This is your opportunity to get better at homeschooling.

Your job as the parent is not to panic. Fear of high school is usually what causes parents to quit homeschooling. Don't let fear rule your life. Become more educated so you can make informed decisions about your child's future, instead of fear-based decisions. Knowledge is power. Knowing more about middle school and high school will remove the fear so you can make an educated decision. Learn more to help you become more confident over time.

The second purpose for homeschool parents is to practice your record keeping skills. Begin to learn all about record keeping before your children are in high school. Keep great records and move forward with confidence. This is an opportunity for you to learn without any possibility of failure.

Practice keeping records as if your child was in high school. Begin working on a transcript and write course descriptions. Learn what type of attendance records homeschoolers must keep in your state. This will prevent panic when you face high school. For more information on record keeping, you might want to check out my book, Setting the Records Straight. It describes how to keep records and create transcripts and course descriptions.

Your most important purpose during middle school is to enjoy learning with your children. Enjoy this time with them while they're young. These are the last few years they will value your opinion and won't insist on having their own. Value this time; learn to love and cherish it.

Your role as parent is to work yourself out of a job within the next six years. Train your children to become young adults who can live independently. It is a six-year process; you won't create an independent young adult instantaneously. From the time they're 12 until they're 18, it's going to take a lot of effort on your part.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HOMESCHOOLING MIDDLE SCHOOL?

This article is the first chapter of my easy-to-read, affordable Coffee Break Book, Homeschooling Middle School with Powerful Purpose: How to Successfully Navigate 6th through 8th Grade. Available in Kindle or paperback version on Amazon.

Learn more about the purpose of homeschooling middle school my video review below!