When Can I Ride the School Bus?: The First Day of School for Homeschoolers

Last year my daughter witnessed the Back to School sales, heard about friends going to “real” school, and watched educational programming speak about the bricks and mortar place. As she observed the right of passage of those around here, both in real life and in that electronic box, she inquired “Mom, when can I ride the school bus?” For us the answer is simple due to our proximity and no busses until high school. For other homeschooling parents, that very question can make them doubt their choice to educate their children at home. How do you handle the first day of school—especially for the younger kids?

Well for starters—you can do what our homeschooling group is doing this year. On the first day of school for the county, our group is staying in their pajamas and convening at a local venue for a “Not Back to School Breakfast”. We will have a yummy breakfast while their peers in public and parochial schools are sitting in their first or second class of the day. The students in our group will be bringing their reading lists from the summer to exchange for ice cream coupons. These will be redeemed the following week at the Book Ball where we will dress up like storybook characters and the kids can enjoy all the ice cream and toppings they earned courtesy of a locally owned Marble Slab Creamery.

So what can you do if you don’t belong to a homeschool group or co-op? You can make it a family affair. For most homeschoolers, educating at home offers flexibility. Depending on the laws of your state, you can pretty much set your school year as you wish. The first day of bricks and mortar school need not be the first day of your home school. In other words—summer does not have to end!

Things to do on your “Not-back-to-School” First Day: