If you discover that a child is stressed in the public school and is getting more depressed as time goes by then home schooling may be something that you should consider. If so, prepare yourself for a period of transition after taking the child out of the public school system before diving into 'full-time' home schooling.

If your child is in public school at present then you will need to start by determining the home schooling laws in your state. Ensure that you are able to comply with all of the state's requirements before embarking on any home schooling plan. After you are confident that you can meet all of the state requirements you must get in touch with your child's school and inform them that you are removing. If you fail to formally withdraw your child then this may lead to problems with truancy in the future. In addition, be ready for the school to question your action and perhaps to attempt to talk you out of this course of action.

The process for the withdrawal of your child will depend on where you are living however it will normally involve simply writing a letter to the superintendent of your child's school system. You will need to state that you are opting to home school your child. You may also need to furnish proof that you are following your state's laws and that you are legally allowed to withdraw your child from the public school. If you can quote part of the law in your letter then this will show that you are familiar with the regulations and with your rights as a home schooling family.

Once you have taken care of the formalities you ought then to think about the following:

1. Your child is not imprisoned by the rules and regulations of the public school system any longer and will have to be given some time to get used to the change. For this reason, you ought not to throw yourself into schooling but ought to let your child have a bit of time to adjust to this new lifestyle.

2. Allow yourselves a little time to get to know one another again. You might believe you know your child however you might be surprised to discover that you do not know him at all. You may find that there are elements of your child's character that you did not know were there and he might also discover some new things about you too.

3. Do not be shocked if your child does a few things that he has grown used to doing at public school. Some new home school children will raise their hand if they have a question or when they want permission to use the restroom. It may take a little time to do but those school habits will disappear eventually.

4. Hang on to the better habits that he has gained at school. If, for instance, your child is used to having spelling tests on a particular day then continue to keep that plan. If you permit him to stop doing all of the things he has become used to in public school then you may end up making more problems than you solve.

5. Do not forget to enjoy home schooling with your child. Electing to home school is of course chiefly for the student however it should also be fun for you as well. Do not take things too seriously and cut yourself some slack and have fun. Possibly most important of all do not forget why you elected to home school your child and take joy in the independence that home schooling offers. Parenting4dummies com provides information on everything from home schooling requirements to practical home schooling