Yikes! It's Expensive!
If you
think deciding to educate your children at home will save you money you are in
for a big shock - it can get very expensive. Not only is there the prospect for
many families of losing an income, but things that you never considered, like
having to purchase curricula or study plans, rear their head and it suddenly
becomes abundantly clear why schools so often appeal to parents for art
materials or have drives to raise money for the purchase of equipment.
Increased expenses can arise in unexpected ways: "My food bills skyrocketed!" said one mother who started home-schooling her twin 8 year-old boys last year "The boys were out and active so much more, it was a real challenge to keep up with their appetites"
The following tips were all passed to me by those who have educated children at home, and are ones they they found most useful not just for saving money but as important resources.
Use Your Public Library
You have the luxury of being able to visit it at quiet times, go often. If you want books - either for your children or for yourself - that are not available in your branch, remember that you can request them via an inter-library loan. You can also ask the librarian to consider acquiring them - they are often very happy to have suggestions for new books.
Most libraries run regular events for children, some have children's reading clubs. These are usually well run and interesting and many home educated children enjoy the social aspect of them also.
Buy a Family Heritage Card
A Family Heritage Card costs €50 for one year and has to be the best value ever. It gives you access to over 65 sites nationally which are under the care of the Heritage Council, including places like the Brú na Boinne Vistor Centre at Newgrange, Kilkenny and Cahir Castles, Muckross House and Gardens in Killarney, Ceide Fields in Mayo and Kilmainham Gaol in Dublin, all excellent places to visit.
Buy Online
While it can be very nice to touch and feel equipment or examine learning materials before you buy, this is quite often not feasible anyway if you buy through catalogues. One website mentioned by several people is Ebay, who have such a huge range of items available for home schoolers that unless you have looked you would not believe it. It is especially good for building a home library. A quick check a moment ago while writing this article threw up David McCauley's excellent book "The Way Things Work", which retails for €20 or more, selling second-hand for £2.99 along with two other books!
Get Onto Mailing Lists
Not the junk mail kind! Almost all art galleries, theatres and museums in Ireland have websites and many have a mailing list you can join which will keep you informed about upcoming events and new programmes. Quite a number of these are free or have reduced rates for people on their mailing list and they are very worthwhile and enjoyable.