Taking the first step

The first step to anything is making a sincere intention for the sake of Allah.

Umar ibn al-Khattab reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Verily, deeds are only with intentions, and every person will have only what they intended. Whoever emigrated to Allah and His Messenger, his emigration is for Allah and His Messenger. Whoever emigrated to get something in the world or to marry a woman, his emigration is for that to which he emigrated.” Source: Sahih al-Bukhari 54, Sahih Muslim 1907

For Muslims especially, choosing to home educate is a big part of tarbiyah and seeking reward in the hereafter. It is our duty to cultivate our children, to provide them with tools and an environment where they can receive that cultivation.

Abdullah ibn Umar reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Every one of you is a shepherd and is responsible for his flock. The leader of people is a guardian and is responsible for his subjects. A man is the guardian of his family and he is responsible for them. A woman is the guardian of her husband’s home and his children and she is responsible for them. The servant of a man is a guardian of the property of his master and he is responsible for it. No doubt, every one of you is a shepherd and is responsible for his flock.” Source: Sahih al-Bukhari 7138, Sahih Muslim 1829

If you have the time to decide and plan whether you want to home educate or not then I would sincerely advise to use it. I researched and prepared for a year before deciding that I wouldn’t apply to any schools for my eldest. Ofcourse you do not have to do the same. You can just decide and do it the next day or if they are already in school you have the right to take them out. However, if you have the time, you can really research and understand what you need to do on this journey.

There are several factors that you may want to consider:

Do you have the time and means to dedicate to home education?

Do you have a support system to aid you in this journey?

Are there homeschooling groups you can join locally or online?

What resources do you want to use?

Have you read the government guidelines on home education?

These are just some questions amongst many that you could explore before starting.

The key thing is to keep in mind that you are not trying to replicate school. You have the opportunity to learn and use the style of teaching your child is more responsive to. You can implement the Islamic subjects from early on and really give a lot of time to hifdh/memorisation.

Another point to note is that everything you do at home is all a part of home education. Going to the park or social activities are all part of the learning process.

Remember you can do this! Try and build that support network, make likeminded friends, follow social media accounts to give you some ideas and of course I am here to help in sha Allah!