Guest blog: Tiffany Colter and The Homeschool Decision: A Step-by-Step Guide for Parents

Dear Readers, this is a bit different. This week, Ms. Colter is offering a non-fiction book where we often focus on fiction. While my children are grown, I welcome learning about different things and sharing with other parents. Maybe share with someone who is making this decision?

Introduce yourself—name, where you’re from, and something people notice when they meet you.

My name is Tiffany Colter and I’m originally from Dayton, Oh, but I lived in MI about 4 miles north of the Ohio/Michigan line for 23 years, before returning to the Buckeye State 2 years ago [this time about 7 miles South of the state line]. This is an important detail if you know about the OH/MI rivalry in College football. Laugh!!  When people meet me they often notice my height and my eyes. I am 5’0” tall and my eyes are an unusual shade of blue.

Tell us about your book—title and back cover blurb.

The Homeschool Decision: A Step-by-Step Guide for Parents

I also wrote a couple of companion books to help with lesson planning (for homeschool parents) and studying (for homeschool students). I feel like the Homeschool Decision and the Homeschool Blueprint work together to make homeschooling a bit easier.

From the Back:

The Homeschool Decision: A Step-By-Step Guide for Parents is the book I wish I had when I first started my homeschooling journey. As a parent who has homeschooled multiple children, I know just how daunting the decision to homeschool can be. You want what’s best for your kids, but the reality is that homeschooling involves an enormous commitment. That’s why I wrote this book—to give you an honest and supportive guide to help you decide if homeschooling is the right choice for your family.

     When I began my own homeschooling journey, I faced many of the same questions and uncertainties you might be experiencing now: Can I really do this? What if I fail? What will this mean for my family? In this book, I share the lessons I’ve learned—both the successes and the missteps—so you can approach homeschooling with a clear understanding of what it entails.

     In these pages, I break down every aspect of homeschooling, from creating a curriculum that works for your child’s unique needs to balancing the different roles of parent and teacher. I discuss the challenges you’ll likely face—like managing time, planning lessons, and dealing with setbacks—because I’ve faced them, too. Through my own experiences and those of other homeschooling families, I show that while homeschooling isn’t easy, it’s incredibly rewarding.

     For those already homeschooling and looking for new strategies, I share the approaches and methods that worked for our family, as well as the lessons I learned when things didn’t go as planned. You’ll find advice on everything from organizing your day to creating engaging projects that integrate various subjects, all with the goal of making learning an exciting and enriching part of life.

     Whether you’re in the early stages of considering homeschooling or have already made the decision, this book offers candid advice, practical strategies, and a roadmap to help you navigate the ups and downs of teaching at home. I want to reassure you that if you choose this path, you’re not alone. Together, we’ll explore how to create a nurturing and effective learning environment, manage your time, and most importantly, make a confident decision that’s right for your family. For additional resources go to www.DecisionTreeLearning.com

Share one thing that you found difficult or challenging about writing this book.

Homeschooling is such a broad topic with many motivations, approaches, and families. I wanted this to be a book that was useful for someone trying to decide whether homeschooling is right for them, but I also wanted to off real answers to parents already homeschooling—especially if they were struggling with it.

Every good author knows you cannot write to EVERY market, so trying to write a quality book with REAL answers [that weren’t just pat answers] and offer real hope to people with kids at various ages, levels, experiences in public/private/homeschooling….it was a lot.

Ultimately, what I did was I created an extensive index format. The book wasn’t made to be read from beginning to end. Instead, it is designed to be a resource. For those wondering about homeschooling or considering it, there first few chapters could be read straight through. After that, you could jump around based on the problem you’re trying to solve or concern you have.

What I created is a book that can be a reference source the whole way through homeschooling—and isn’t the size of an encyclopedia.

Ask the blog reader a quirky question or two?

I am a mom and we had 3 bio daughters, an adopted daughter—who is deaf—we adopted at 4 years old, she had major academic delays and English wasn’t her first language. Then we also had 2 Chinese exchange students who lived with us for 5 years. Communication and planning was always the name of the game. So, I have 2 fun questions.

First, what is a great game people can play where age and language doesn’t give you an advantage? My favorite is Mancala!!

Second, if you were to go on a vacation and you are in a secluded cabin. You get dropped off by an uber driver and as they pull away you realize you have no cell coverage. What are 3 things you hope you packed and 3 people you hope are with you? [Bonus points if you say why 😊 ]

For me, I hope I have my husband—he is not only my best friend, but very resourceful, and nurse (was a paramedic for 15 years before that) and a great hunter. I hope our friend, James, is with us. He is a marathon runner and a doctor. Last, I hope at least one of the ladies from my church’s life group is with us because they’re all really funny and will keep me laughing. I hope I brought food, coffee, and toilet paper.

Share your social media and buy links!

DecisionTreeLearning.substack.com for my blogs on homeschooling

You can buy this and some of my other books in my Shopify store: LearningResources.online

Thank you, Tiffany, for sharing!