But I Can’t Teach My Child ____________ (Physics, Calculus, Trigonometry…Or Just Fill in the Blank)

A common protest that I hear, when it comes to homeschooling, is: “I couldn’t homeschool. I could never teach my child math!” My answer? “Psh, I can’t teach my child math either.”

Which usually results in a dropped jaw. And a follow-up question:

“But who teaches it then?”

There are so many possible answers to that question.

If you look, there are people all around us; friends, acquaintances, people in our community, that can teach our children what they need to know (and help them to have a well-rounded education).

There are also programs online (or programs that you can purchase), to teach your child certain subjects.

For example: I don’t teach math. Math-U-See teaches my daughter what she needs to know. It’s a fantastic program, taught by someone who knows what he’s doing. (And Becca's very happy with it.)

I learned this the hard way when I was trying to teach Becca fractions, and we both ended up in tears. Even this “amazing” homeschooling mom knows her limitations!

I had an incredible creative writing class in high school that I NEVER could have duplicated for Becca. But I do know a homeschool mom (and local newspaper reporter) who can teach it. (And she did…for Becca and 7 other kids.) It was a great experience (and at a minimal cost to us).

And yes, getting help outside the home does sometimes require paying someone to do it. But if it works (and it’s within your budget), then why not?

That’s not to say that you can’t find what you need without paying for it. That’s what co-ops are for. When you’re part of a homeschool community, chances are you can find someone who knows about math. Or science. Or history…

And there are ALWAYS older kids in the homeschool community who can help out.

Again, here in this state, we also have Florida Virtual School (which is a free program that is open to homeschoolers as well as public and private school kids).

Chances are, the state that you live in has a similar program.

So, yes, you CAN homeschool. Even if you think there’s a subject (or subjects) you can’t teach, all you need to do is look to your friends, your acquaintances, your community and even online.

All it takes is a little bit of ingenuity, elbow grease and the drive to find the resources that you need to help teach your child.