VBS has been a huge brain drain this week, so I am just going to make bullet points rather than attempting cohesion and clarity.  :)  This post if part of Kelly's Homeschool Tips and Advice Collaboration.

• Find a homeschool network to plug into.  We have a wonderful homeschool group in my area, and they have field trips and activities and park days and all sorts of great ideas.  They also have a yearbook and a spelling bee and neat stuff like that.  If there isn't one in your area, try to connect with some other local  homeschool families for encouragement and support. 
• Don't be afraid of making bad curriculum choices.  You can change your mind.  you can try something different next year.  You will not irrevocably harm your child by using the "wrong" grammar book.  Most subjects have built in review and overlap.
• Realize that your lesson plans are just a guide and life will get in the way.  Sometimes you have to go to the grocery store or take care of a sick child.  Sometimes a field trip is more valuable than a day of lessons.  Some days you just need a break.  Learn to be flexible. 
• Don't let your curriculum dictate to you.  This was the number one piece of advice I got the first year I homeschooled.  I had no idea what they meant.  Until I spent 2 years letting the curriculum dictate to me and then "broke free."  We used lifepacs our first 2 years, which helped me immensely as I learned whatI was doing-- there was a structure to them and I trusted the scope and sequence and it wa s a good adjustment period for us all.  Then one day I added Writing Strands for my son and realized I couldn't make it all fit.  So I went through his lifepacs and marked out some pages for him to skip.   At first, I was terrified:  Oh no, he will miss something vital.  Then I felt oddly liberated: I am the teacher and I get to pick what he needs to learn.   After that, I threw all caution to the wind and picked all new curriculum for the next year.  Lifepacs had served me well, but it was time to move on.
• Don't be limited by a scope and sequence or by 3rd grade standards in your state, or by standardized test material.  When I decided that we would all do history and science together, I realized that Reed would be "missing" what other 3rd graders were learning.  We were starting ancient history and she would not be getting American History until probably 5th grade.  We were starting biology and she had not had earth science.  I suspected this would affect her ITBS scores, but my big picture was more important than test results.  I know in the long run, she will get it all covered, and I decided I don't care in what order she gets it.  Plus she is an avid reader, so I know she gets alot of history that way, although not in a cohesive, chronological way.   I warned her before the ITBS that it may cover some things she hasn't had yet and not to worry.  I think she did fine-- the questions were general enough that she could answer most of them.  I will let you know when we get the scores back :)
• Use the internet to save money.  You don't necessarily have to buy a handwriting book-- you can find a zillion handwriting pages online to print for free.  Same for preschool stuff-- there are so many resources to be found for free. 
• Don't be surprised at how hard it is some days.  There will be days you want to quit; there will be days you want to run away; there will days you want to cry.  You are not alone.  Call a friend; plan a field trip; go to the library; take a break.  Remember why you are doing this.  Evaluate your progress objectively and consider what they would be doing in public school.  You are probably doing more than you think.
• Have fun. At  the end of the year, you probably wont remember all  the struggles (although a few may stand out LOL).  Instead, you will remember the fun stuff and the days you saw the light come on, and the 1440 hours you spent influencing your child that they could have spent with someone else. 

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Posted by Anonymous

Great post Leslie! Thanks so much for joining us for the project!

Kelly
www.2passthetorch.com

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Posted by Alexandra

You are so fortunate to have a good homeschool group. We don't have any cohesive support groups. Ours are just field trip/enrichment groups.

I love your pictures...your children are adorable! You are truly blessed.

http://happyheartsathome.blogspot.com/index.html

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Posted by midwifemom

I really wish I had payed more attention to #1 my first year. This year I have made it more a priority. It was amazing that I looked forward to Park Day more than the boys did.

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Posted by Jimmie

I'm popping over from Pass the Torch. Nice tips! :-)

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Posted by Anonymous

What a great post, Leslie! Have you submitted it to the Carnival of Homeschooling? If not, you should. It would help a lot of people.

So glad you stopped by my blog. My son's wedding put me behind on my blog-visiting, but now I hope to remedy that ;)

Take care,
Barb

http://barbaramfrank.blogspot.com

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