Tips for Homeschooling Through High School

Holly Urbach is a virtual assistant who homeschooled her five older kids from elementary school through high school, graduating four of them. Beginning September 2018 she will be homeschooling her 6 year-old-son, so she is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to having insight into tips and ideas for a strong homeschooling experience.

Meet Holly Urbach

Holly’s homeschooling journey began many years ago and has been a very positive experience for her kids and family. She now has five grown children and is looking forward to homeschooling her youngest son.

Tips for parents and students

As Holly has spent many years homeschooling her kids, she has learned a lot along the way. She highly encourages families to find their community for both support and knowledge: she used to find information in magazines and now it’s accessible online, but the ability to find information and connect with other families has been invaluable. Once she began homeschooling, she quickly realized that her children would be able to have so many positive experiences within the community at large when they’re not in a traditional classroom. So, for any parents who are concerned about the perceived lack of social interaction, she sees that there are more opportunities for homeschooled kids, and with a variety of people. Holly also encourages involvement in civic youth organizations like 4H, cub scouts, and girl scouts to add to a homeschooler’s experience.

For the students, Holly reminds them that this is their journey and to take ownership of it to make the most of it. Being homeschooled allows many opportunities to manage your own time, develop strategies to stay organized, and she encourages students not to depend on their parents to manage it all.

The gifts that homeschooling has given her family are more than she can count, but Holly also knows that homeschooling may not be for everyone. She also reminds parents that you can be a successful homeschooling parent even if you don’t see yourself as the most patient person and that you only need to be one step ahead of your kids. So, don’t stress yourself out too much if you’re thinking of homeschooling your kids and this is new for you.

We’re so glad that Holly shared her experiences and tips for homeschooling through high school with us.

Resources Mentioned:
Visit the Home School Legal Defense Association for more information about homeschooling laws and support in your area
Learn more about civic youth organizations
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