Dear Parent, Be assured that you have our prayers. Based upon your email, you have several factors in play. Let's look at each one in turn. You would like to home school your children through high school, but your son is showing some resistance. Do you know exactly what is causing this resistance? Is it a desire to be among other teens his age? Is he feeling lonely or just different? If he is feeling different, acknowledge that feeling, but as a Catholic, he should be different. That is part of being Catholic. If he needs/wants more time around teens his age, then try compromising with sports or parish activities in his age group. Math and science are issues for many home schoolers, so you are not alone in those areas. And you don't have to teach them all. Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II are sufficient for a high school math background. Basic biology, physics, and an introduction to chemistry will cover the high school science requirements. You have various options in teaching any high school course that you are not prepared to teach. You can hire a tutor (including a university student tutor), you can look into some of the excellent video courses available, and possibly look into community college courses. You may want to fill in science courses with Catholic views on science and research. Don't forget that students can learn a great deal on their own by working on science fair projects and by reading current scientific journals. Community colleges often offer pre-algebra and algebra classes, which are really high school level math classes. Yes, you can assist your high schooler in preparation for college. You don't have to know everything, but you do need some cooperation from your high schooler. If you have not yet previewed High School of Your Dreams Guidebook you may wish to look into this guide, which is available from CHC. This book can walk you through the process of designing a high school curriculum that fits your children's needs. In addition, if you and your son decide that you would like to enroll in a Catholic high school, you can almost always be assured of being accepted even in the middle of the year. Unless the high school in your area is very elite, the administration would be happy to have a new student on board. People don't always remain throughout the entire school year for various reasons, so there is movement in and out of the school. Making the adjustment in the middle of the year is more difficult for the student, but it can be done if necessary. You are on the right track with acknowledging your son's feelings. Keep communicating with him and let him speak about his feelings or misgivings. May God bless you and your family as you continue this journey, Sandra Garant
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