By Ginger Kelley

Homeschool is an option for teaching your children, but it is not a cure-all. Many parents in Utah and Cache Valley have chosen to teach their children from home. It is not an easy decision to make or one that should be taken lightly, said Sharon White, district leader for Logan, North Logan and River Heights for the Utah Home Education Association (UHEA).

There are many resources for parents who do choose to homeschool. One of those resources is UHEA. Its website has information on the legal aspects, contacts for people in your area, a sign up for their newsletter, and much more.

But teaching your children is hard work, said White. It is a lifestyle that she and her husband have made together.

Having a committed spouse who shares in household chores, is involved with the children, who is really an equal, makes all the difference, White said.

As with other aspects of life, homeschooling is fraught with stereotypes like "oh, you're homeschooled." Just because children are taught from home does not make them weird or so terribly different from other children, White said.

"We don't want people to put stereotypes on us [as individuals], but we'll put them on others, no problem," White said. She remembers when she was newly married and knowing of a family with a single child who homeschooled their child and thinking that they were strange. Then she remembers going to her first homeschool convention sponsored by UHEA and thinking "everyone here is so normal," she said.

Support is not just found at annual conventions or through communities, but also on the Internet. There is an abundant supply of resources and information for parents trying to make the decision to homeschool a child, or for parents already homeschooling.

One website, Homeschooling in Utah, offers resources for parents living in Utah. It has a link to state curriculum guidelines, ways to contact various support groups in Utah, and a list of activities held by parents who homeschool.

And besides websites that have resources or links to just the legal things you need to do, there are websites for every different kind of homeschooler, including ones that focus on religion as part of educating their child.

"Part of pointing our children to Christ is teaching them the standards of God's moral law and instilling godly character qualities and habits, traits which reflect their Creator," said Cathy Steere in an article on Crosswalk.com.

There are even websites out there done by homeschooling parents who are looking to help out the new homeschooling parent by sharing insights into some of their methods and sharing helpful resources at personal webpages like Jon's
Homeschooling Resources.

Even within the community there are resources available. Activities are
held once a month in White's district where children that are
homeschooled can get together and have fun. There are spelling bees,
Halloween activities, and picnics, said 11-year-old Devin White, who is
homeschooled by his parents.

Devin is also good at art, Sharon White said. It is something he can
spend more time working at than other aspects of school that he maybe
doesn't like as much, like math, White said. While math is still part of
his curriculum, more time is spent encouraging and working on the areas
he enjoys most and excels at. This is one area he probably would not get
to spend as much time on in a public school environment.

Homeschooling your children is also a way to spend more time with them
said Tana Clark, area leader for Cache and Rich counties for UHEA.

"It develops the patience," Clark said.

Teaching your children at home means lots of work and dedication and gives parents an opportunity to instill in their children values they grew up with, Clark said.

Making the decision to homeschool your child should be one made with them, but a decision ultimately comes down to the parents, White said.

The best thing about homeschooling, White said, is spending time with her kids.

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