Every homeschooler has a story about why they chose this journey. Not everyone has the same journey or reasons for starting to homeschooling, but it’s important to know what your personal reasons are. Write them down, make sure they are visible, and then use them to feel confident in your decision. 
Why is this the very first step?
Because you will have days where people question you and make you doubt. Or your child and you fight and you wonder if you should keep going. Or life feels overwhelming and you don’t know if you can do this anymore. Having that clear why means that you can remind yourself of your reasons and can keep pushing through rough days or doubt with clarity.

If you’re considering homeschooling, you need to begin by locating the relevant laws pertaining to homeschooling in your area. Some provinces or states require significant reporting and monitoring while others give parents a free hand to school their children as they see fit. Although homeschooling anywhere in Canada is completely legal, each province and territory has their own set of regulations and expectations surrounding homeschool. It is important that you familiarize yourself with what your province/territory requires. The last thing you want is to have a conflict that could cause big troubles for your family and your intent to educate at home. 
In Ontario for example, homeschoolers are asked to submit a yearly letter of intent to their local school board. There is no requirement or involvement from the government. This province offers no funding to homeschooling families.
The following are just a few resources that offers an overview so you can quickly identify the pertinent laws and regulations.
In Canada: The Canadian Homeschooler 
                          OFTP (Ontario Federation of Teaching Parents) 
In the USA: HSLDA (Home School Legal Defense Association) 

Continue reading for more info and Steps 3-6!

British Columbia
In British Columbia, there are actually 2 main options for learning at home. One is called Distributed Learning (enrolling) and the other is actually homeschooling (registering). There is a big difference between the two – homeschooling being more independent whereas distributed learning requires you to meet provincial Learning Outcomes under the supervision of a teacher. Homeschoolers in this province get financial support with the value dependent on what option they choose and what school board they are with.
Alberta
In Alberta, home educating families are required to register with a willing board somewhere in the province and have their plans approved. There are 3 options: completely doing your own plans, following some government curriculum outlines, or completely following the school plans. You are assigned a facilitator who visits you throughout the course of the year. This province offers funding to families who homeschool, depending on what school board and method of schooling you choose – as long as you are registered by the 30th of September.
Saskatchewan
Homeschoolers in Saskatchewan are required to register with their school board and provide an educational plan for each child. Over the course of the year, they need to keep a portfolio of their work or provide a written summary which they present at the end of the year. Funding for homeschoolers varies according to district.
Manitoba
In Manitoba, homeschoolers need to inform the government that they are homeschooling. In January and again in June, an official report is filed outlining the learning completed. This province offers no funding to homeschooling families.
Ontario
Ontario homeschoolers are asked to submit a yearly letter of intent to their local school board. There is no requirement or involvement from the government. This province offers no funding to homeschooling families.
Quebec
Regulations in Quebec regarding homeschooling changed in 2018, requiring homeschoolers to notify the minister and school board of their intent to homeschool and send in a learning project outlining plans for the year. During the year, parents are also required to send in a mid-year and completion report & at the end of the year have an evaluation done. Sometime in the year, a minister’s representative will hold a follow-up meeting to see how things are going. This province has no funding for homeschooling families.
New Brunswick
In New Brunswick, homeschooling families have to either register with an English or a French board. The Anglophone board requires submission of a fairly basic set of forms and will respond with a letter of approval. The Francophone board is more complex – requiring a more detailed application outlining your homeschooling plans along with an in-home interview. This province offers no funding to homeschooling families.
Nova Scotia
In Nova Scotia, parents are required to register their child using a form that is available on the Ministry of Education’s website. In June, parents need to follow that up with a progress report, outlining what their child learnt throughout the year. This province offers no funding to homeschooling families.
PEI
All that is required for PEI homeschoolers is to fill out and submit a notice of intent form. This province offers no funding to homeschooling families.
Newfoundland & Labrador
Parents/guardians must apply by June for the upcoming school year. Students will be registered in their community school. Progress reports are required up to 3 times a year depending on how long you’ve been homeschooling. There are no financial payments or compensations granted to parents.
Northwest Territories
In the Northwest Territories, parents register their children with their local school, where they are classified as students but are exempt from attendance. Homeschoolers in this province get a portion of the funding from the school to help pay for their school expenses.
Nunavut
Homeschooling in Nunavut involves registering with their local school and working with the leadership in that school. Inclusion of Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (IQ) – or the teaching of Inuit societal values and culture is to be included in a homeschool education. Funding in this province is available on a reimbursement plan.
Yukon
Yukon homeschoolers need to register with the Aurora Virtual School, who co-ordinate the home education program for Yukon Education. Along with registration, submission of a home education plan is required that outlines the plans and learning outcomes for the year divided into four semesters. The Yukon uses the British Columbia curriculum outline for their guidelines. Funding is provided for homeschoolers in this province.

Another very important key to homeschooling success is to build yourself a support system. But why, and how, should you find support?
In today’s technological world, support groups aren’t just limited to the homeschoolers in your local community. We are able to connect with homeschooling families from around the world through online groups – opening up a whole new set of support networks that didn’t exist not that long ago. We’re able to find people from all walks of life who are experiencing the same day-to-day struggles, successes, and questions we have.
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A homeschool support group traditionally consists of several homeschool families that get together in person for various meetings or events, with the purpose of providing opportunities for kids to interact with other homeschooled kids, parents to connect socially, and to get access to things like field trips or classes. Having real-life, in-person friends that you can meet with can mean the difference between success and burn out for homeschooling parents. It’s important to have that support system in place to have your back.

Now comes the part that most new (and many experienced) homeschoolers find overwhelming: Choosing curriculum.
Before you dive headfirst into the (potentially bottomless) world of homeschooling books and resources, I recommend that you start by researching two things: your child’s learning style and the various homeschooling methods. Choosing to consider these two areas first will help you narrow down your curriculum search and make it more personalized to your child’s needs and your teaching preferences.
Learning Styles are typically divided into 3 main options: visual, auditory, and kinetic. This is really simplifying it as learning styles can be very complex, but this is generally a good place to start.

• Visual = seeing.
• Auditory = hearing.
• Kinetic = moving/doing.

You will find you are better able to narrow down how your child best learns as your journey progresses, but for now – it’s a bit of a chance to use your observation skills and see how your child understands the world around them.
Now, it’s time to take what you’ve learnt about your child and combine it with your own teaching style and preference. There are many different ways to homeschool. 
Click “​Read More" for some of the main ones:
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​• School at Home (or Traditional) – Basically the public school system brought into your home, this method involves textbooks and notebooks – just like your child would at school.

• Classical – Dividing childhood up into three segments based on their natural abilities, this language-centred method involves a lot of rote fact learning in the early years when children love memorization, followed by application of logic in the middle years and rhetoric in more advanced grades.

• Charlotte Mason – Following the teachings of Charlotte Mason, who believed that children should love to learn and as teachers we should facilitate that. This method uses living books – typically fiction books that bring people and events to life.

• Unschooling – Also referred to as child-led or delight-directed learning, unschooling allows a child’s interest, passions, and life experiences be the driving force behind their education, instead of a curriculum plan.

• Unit Studies – Focusing on one topic at a time and connecting other subjects such as science, history, language, etc together based on that one subject.

• Online or Video Schooling – Technologically based, this method uses either a website or video that leads the kids through instructions and lessons, with various different activities and reviews.

• Montessori – Based on the research of Dr. Maria Montessori, this method involves creating an environment that fosters and stimulates children to learn through self-discovery and exploration.

• Eclectic – Combining the parts of any of the above methods, or using their own style, this method involves a mix and match approach to learning, personalizing everything to the child’s learning.

Although different provincial regulations and teaching methods require different amounts of detail for plans, actually having some sort of plan is definitely essential to every homeschool. [Yes, even unschoolers!] This could be as structured as knowing exactly what you are going to every day, or it could be a more loose plan of general themes, topics, or a daily schedule. Once you find a planning method that works for you, stick with it. It will make this homeschool journey much easier for both you, your kids, and any record keeping you need or want to do.
​When you first start homeschooling, you need to have a plan about where in your home your child is going to “do school.” Many people just use their kitchen or dining room table, especially at first. When you start feeling more comfortable in your learning – you will probably find that homeschooling happens all over the house (or even not in the house at all!) Avoid the temptation of sinking large amounts of money on a designated homeschool room, expensive furniture, and piles of supplies off the start – wait until you settle into your homeschooling styles and routine to see what would work best for your family. The only furniture you may want to consider is a bookshelf – this will be very handy!

​This section is called “Never Stop Learning” because, honestly, that’s the base of it all: Learning. And I’m not talking about the kids. I’m talking about us. The teacher. We have so much we need to learn as we walk this journey. Homeschooling offers us so many opportunities to develop ourselves in our areas of weakness – whether that be skills in patience, communication, or even math! As parents and teachers, we need to role model a spirit of learning and curiosity so our children will follow suit.

I am still surprised by the number of people who think that it's acceptable to live in a country  where parents have little to no say about how their children should be educated.
In my experience many people have never entertained the thought of homeschooling their children. When I say that people are shocked at the idea, I am not over exaggerating at all. For the majority of people who I speak to, I am the first "real life" home schooling parent that they have ever met. The point that I would like to make is that people shouldn't have to meet me or some other homeschooling family to know that it is not illegal to homeschool. Why isn't the parent's right to homeschool common knowledge for all?  When a parent enquires about education for their child, homeschooling  should be included as an option, along with private, public and religious schools.
 Before taking my oldest son out of the public school system 6 years ago, I spoke to his principal and teacher at the time . I had done a bunch of research and had made up my mind to homeschool. I knew my rights and was ready for whatever guilt trip they were going to send my way. I spoke to the principal first and I was totally shocked by his reply. He told me that he had family members and a neighbour who homeschooled their children. "In my honest opinion, if homeschooling is something that you could successfully do, you would be giving the best gift to your son." He said. 
Instead of opposing my decision, he praised my bravery and desire to bond and be responsible for my son's learning. My son's teacher was an older woman and she too encouraged me to start homeschooling as soon as I could. After speaking with both the principal and the teacher, I realized that they were both losing heart in what the school system was becoming. I knew then that educating my children was to great of a  responsibility to entrust to anyone else. 
 I am not saying that all families should homeschool, only that all families should be aware that it is an option. Having homeschooled my children for 6 years now, I know that it can be challenging and a financial strain at times. Some parents  feel that they are not equip to handle their own children, and actually many just don't want to have the added responsibility. It is not my intention to offend anyone, this is what I have been told. I have met several stay at home moms who still send their children out to school. Upon finding out that I taught my children at home they responded with comments like these: "Are you crazy?" "How do you handle them(children)?" " I would go mad!" " No way! I need a break from them(children)." "I am so happy when they're gone." "My children don't listen to me, so I wouldn't be able to teach them anything." "My hat is off to you!"

 I am not the perfect parent and my children are not always obedient, in fact sometimes I want to pull out all of my hair (I have a lot of hair) Challenges within the family should be overcome by working together not by passing the issues on to others. The home is the first institution and the parent is the first voice of authority that a child should hear. By the time a child enters any system they should have a set of core values instilled in them. It is unfair for teachers to be responsible for what parents should have done or failed to do.
Teachers, on the other hand have said to me "Good for you!" "I wouldn't put my children in a public school" "We have our children in a private school" "All teachers know that they are really just underpaid babysitters" "When we have children I plan on homeschooling them." "it's hard to actually help all the children, someone always gets missed." 
 So there are some parents who feel that they need the school system in order to get a "break" from their children and some teachers who dislike the system but are still a part of it because they need the pay cheque. Sure, it may be great for the children but at who's expense? Exactly whose responsibility is it to educate our children? Unfortunately, not every country supports the parent's natural right to teach their children as they see fit. This is a freedom that we should never take for granted.
I am Thankful that although homeschooling is not the popular choice among parents in North America, those of us choosing to go that route can do so without fear of  criminal charges, fines or imprisonment. 
I am sure that there is much more to this topic than I have mentioned here, but I can only write on what I have personally encountered. I encourage all parents who are able to homeschool their children to do research for themselves in order to make the best decision for their children. 

For more info on Homeschooling in Ontario visit: 
The Ontario Federation of Teaching Parents

Coming Soon!!
What does it mean to Educate?
The "S" word - Socialization
Getting Started? Is homeschooling for you?