This post is the first of 7 posts that I’ll be writing this week, as my response to Jen @ Conversion Diary’s 2nd Epic Blogging Challenge. To God be all the glory! 🙂

Ever since I started blogging about our homeschooling adventures — previously, on my old preschool homeschool blog and now, here — I’ve received quite a number of questions about homeschooling, particularly here in the Philippines. Here are my answers to some of the most common ones.

Homeschooling in the Philippines — Frequently Asked Questions {that I receive}

FAQ #1: I’m interested in homeschooling my child(/nephew/niece — yes, I’ve received questions where the aunt asks this). Where should I start?

First of all, if you asked this question, let me honor you for your even just thinking about exploring homeschooling. It would always be best to start with your “why’s.”

Think and pray about your reasons for homeschooling. This will be something you’ll be going back to time and again during your journey.

If you want to read more about why some parents choose to homeschool, try reading The Heart of Homeschooling series on The Learning Basket for starters. 🙂 (I share about our homeschooling reasons there too.)

I know many more experienced homeschoolers with children who have transitioned to traditional schools and have adapted well — and are even thriving. One such family is the — their eldest was with Catholic Filipino Academy (CFA) until Grade 6 and is now studying at the Philippine Science High School. The youngest is still being homeschooled.

Another mom, Julie Fuertes, homeschooled two of her children for three years before enrolling them in local schools. Meanwhile, Liza Castaneda, another homeschool mom who I met a few years ago, homeschooled her two kids independently for eight years using Catholic Heritage Curricula, and both were accepted at local PAREF schools.

On the other end of the ‘homeschooling spectrum’ here in the Philippines, the Haos — who are primarily unschooling/doing interest-led learning — recently announced that their eldest child has received her high school diploma from DepEd (under the Alternative Learning System) and is now preparing for college.

Primarily, I believe that the transition can be much easier if you prepare accordingly. This means you more or less need to know what your child will/wants to pursue in the future.

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FAQ #3: What about socialization? Do homeschooled kids know how to socialize with others?

I could write a whole series about socialization and homeschooling but for starters, you should read this post by Joy, this article about the myths and facts about social skills and homeschooling, and this MUST-READ article about why homeschooled kids are so ‘annoying.’ 🙂

Also, if you’ve ever met a homeschooled kid (like my children) you’ll probably notice that they aren’t much different from other children. (In our family’s case, they may be a bit too sociable! Ha, ha!)

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FAQ #4: Are there any orientations or training programs that I can attend if I want to homeschool my kids?  

Yes, there are. DepEd-accredited homeschool providers like CFA and The Master’s Academy have regular orientations for parents who want to learn more about homeschooling their children. (CFA actually has one coming up on March 6.)

For a list of providers here in the Philippines, you may refer to the Homeschool Association of the Philippine Islands’ (HAPI) website. I’m part of the HAPI Core Group but have been inactive ever since I was put on bed rest while pregnant. We will be meeting soon to discuss plans for the year — maybe even for another homeschool conference.

My friends and fellow homeschool moms at The Learning Basket also hold seminars related to homeschooling, among other things. Sign up for their newsletter so you can stay updated about such events. Sometimes I share about our homeschool experiences during their seminars.

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FAQ#5:  Homeschooling seems like such a commitment. How many hours a day do you take to teach your kids? Can I homeschool even if I’m a working mom? 

This is a tricky question to answer. While it is true that homeschooling, like parenting actually, is a 24/7 commitment, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to be teaching your children (formal academics) for 24 hours every day. The number of hours would depend on certain things — including your child’s level of knowledge, the number of subjects you’re covering, what you desire to be the outcome of your homeschool ‘lessons’ or learning time. Here is a general guide based on what other homeschoolers say with regard to this (and our own experience as well):

Preschool-aged kids — 1.5 to 2 hours daily

Elementary — 3 to 4 hours daily

High school  — 4 to 5 hours daily

Of course, the general ‘rule’ is to make sure that your kids cover at least their core subjects daily and to encourage a love and attitude of ‘learning all the time.’ In our homeschool, my husband and I have agreed that one of our top goals is to raise our children to be independent, lifelong learners. (So that when they reach the secondary/high school levels, they won’t need so much supervision but can do their work mostly on their own. ;))

Now, can you homeschool even if you’re a working mom? Again, that depends. Do you work at home? If you do, how many hours a day can you devote to teaching your child? If you don’t work at home, and have a fulltime job, it can be extra challenging and homeschooling may even become burdensome for you and your child.

I know my friend Blessie Adlaon of The Nanay Notebook used to have a setup where she’d work out of their home the whole day then teach her kids at night when she came home. (She doesn’t do that anymore now though, and I believe it was only just for a short period of time.) Thus, you need to weigh things carefully and see what you need to sacrifice in order to make homeschooling work for your family. Go back to the ‘why’s’ of your homeschooling — they will help you make your decision about homeschooling and working, if needed.

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FAQ #6: What if I’m not a patient parent? Can I still homeschool? I don’t think I can!

Parenting in itself requires great patience of ALL of us. Homeschooling parents soon discover that more than teaching their kids, they also learn a few things along the way — including how to be more patient. I am certainly not the most patient mother — my kids (and probably our neighbors too, ha, ha) can attest to this! Ironically, people who find out that we’re homeschooling always think that I am Mother Teresa or something, with truckloads of patience to help me teach my children. This is not true. BUT, by God’s grace, I’d like to believe that I am {a teeny, tiny but} more patient now than when we first started homeschooling.

So can you homeschool even if you’re an impatient person? Alone, you can’t! With God’s help, you (and I) can! 🙂

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These are certainly not the only homeschooling-related questions I’ve ever received about homeschooling but these are a few of the common ones. I hope this helps those of you who are exploring the concept of homeschooling somehow!

{*Coming up tomorrow: 

My usual ‘The Week and Day That Was’ post, which usually focuses on our homeschool days

PLUS (God and time-willing!) an EXTRA post about independent homeschoolers in the Philippines} 

Do you have other questions about homeschooling in the Philippines? Or do you have something to share about homeschooling here? Let’s talk in the comments!