The best advice I could give anyone, is to check with your state about the homeschool laws before you even begin. Follow your state laws and regulations, see what interests your child the most and incorporate his/her interests as much as possible. If the child is weak in certain areas, make that subject as much fun and meaningful as you can for the child, and incorporate it as much as possible.
GS hated to write and hated art just as much, but when I told him to find his own style of writing, and write the way he "feels", not the way everyone else thinks he should, he took it and ran with it. He is now writing in his journal every day (I was lucky to get him to do it once a month!), and his penmenship has improved 100 percent. I've incorporated as much hands on projects as I can because he is a strong hands on kind of person. His art is brought in that way, and he's now loving to paint, draw, and do craft projects.
Don't think everything has to be done "right now", or "this week". The joy of homeschooling is being able to take your time and allow the child to master what he's/she's doing, and to enjoy it.
"Grow with your child(ren)"! If you don't understand something, find the answer "with" your child(ren). GS loves it when we look up answers together. He said it makes him feel good to know that I "don't" know everything, and he loves researching the answer with me instead of by himself.
Love your child(ren), love their smiles, love their enthusiasm, love them for who they are. Compare them to none, and praise them as much as possible for what they have accomplished, no matter how large or how small the accomplishment. Reward them with little things, big hugs, "Thank Yous" for a job well done, etc. Reward them with extra free time, skip one class, no test today in ___, etc. They love the rewards. It boosts their morale and makes them feel that they are special (which they truly are) and have done a great job (which they did), even if they did make a "C" on that spelling test.
Be patient! Children aren't adults. They don't know everything. They struggle, become frustrated, and look for guidance. If they knew everything, we wouldn't be teaching them. It takes time, but given the time, they will succeed. Homeschooling gives you that time needed. There are no bells, no clocks to watch, no buses to catch...no being left behind.
