In a few months, Amy Bolduc's kids will have lived in three states in three years. But they haven't changed schools once.

The three Bolduc children, ages 5 to 11, have been homeschooled for the past two years. As an Army Family, they've moved from Texas to Washington, and soon they'll be in Florida - but their classroom and curriculums remain the same no matter where they are.

"I just love having them with me and being around and watching them grow," Bolduc said.

However, even parents like Bolduc could use some advice on being both parent and teacher once in a while. Helping with the transition to Florida was one of the reasons she came to Washington Homeschool

Organization's Intro to Homeschooling workshop Sept. 20 at Joint Base Lewis McChord's McChord Library. Homeschooling is an option that makes sense for a lot of military Families. Changing schools mid-year is less of a problem, because the lesson plan can move, too. But like a lot of other things, there are specific challenges as well.

"You never know where you're going to be," Coordinator of Adult Programming for JBLM libraries Mary Lengel said. "You don't know what the requirements are where you're going. You don't even know if you're going to be in the United States."

Lengel brought the workshop to JBLM when she noticed how many books on homeschooling were being checked out. The idea was to help connect parents with resources and answer any questions they might have.

Army spouse Tiffany Jones came to find out how to get started homeschooling her kids. She wanted more control of the direction their education was taking.

"I like that they're going to be at home, instead of just wondering about what they learned today," she said. Still, she needed some help getting oriented before diving in.

"I think the big problem a lot of people have is feeling overwhelmed," WHO representative Amy Beckstead-Leonard said.

Beckstead-Leonard, who homechools all six of her own kids, goes over the state's legal requirements with parents, as well as discussing methods, advantages and disadvantages of homeschooling. She can also offer helpful tips from her own experiences.

One of her biggest contributions was to form a support group with other parents who homeschool, and look around to see what others have tried. She also noted that libraries can be a great resource, whether parents are looking for books about curriculums to use or things for the children to read.

For Beckstead-Leonard, teaching her kids at home is a way to stay connected in a world where family time can be rare. But it's also part of her own ongoing education.

"A lot of (the reason I homeschool) is because I really like learning," she said.

For more information, visit the Washington Homeschool Organization's website at www.washhomeschool.org/