Avoid thinking about the uncertain ability that is the source of your pet doubt. Investing thought in this ability may have the effect of increasing your confidence in that ability, and that would quickly prove fatal to your pet doubt. Thinking about the process, figuring out the steps for doing what you doubt you can do, would also almost certainly prove harmful to your pet doubt. Homeschoolers, for example, should avoid thinking about how they might teach their child how to read or how to do arithmetic. This is true with almost any other subject, whatever might lead you to doubt your doubt. And for goodness’ sake, don’t seek to improve the ability you doubt. Do not look for books on homeschooling, especially how-to’s and stories of homeschooling families’ experiences. This and similar websites also contain information and helps likely to be toxic to your pet doubt, and should also be avoided. What you learn will quickly sap the strength of your pet doubt, and eventually kill it. Avoid people who might encourage you to try to do what you doubt you could do. As noted above, thinking about this ability, something you are sure to do if someone is encouraging you, is likely to injure your pet doubt, and even cause its death. Avoid people who have the ability you doubt. Particularly, stay away from experienced homeschoolers and from support groups whose purpose is to encourage and support homeschoolers. At a minimum, such an association could much weaken your pet doubt, and their encouragement and help might lead you to do what you doubt, and thus kill your pet doubt. By all means, try to avoid actually attempting to do what you doubt, since this would almost certainly kill your pet doubt - confidence and certainty are potent poisons to pet doubts.

Spend lots of time brooding over and nursing your pet doubt. It will very much appreciate the time you invest with it, and will be stronger for it. Meditating on uncertain possibilities and potential limitations far in the future is especially good, as such concerns cannot be easily resolved, but will nevertheless nourish your pet doubt. Your pet doubt will thrive and grow stronger if uncertainty or the magnitude of a task restrains you from taking action. Spend lots of time with people who will question the ability you doubt. Seek out folks who will challenge whether you can handle teaching academics. Take seriously the people who claim that homeschooled children are isolated and will become social misfits. Their dubious attitudes will greatly nourish and strengthen your pet doubt. If you cannot avoid attempting to do what you doubt, do procrastinate and put off preparing for that attempt. Delay choosing and buying curriculum, for example, and especially avoid school planning,. If you do poorly what you doubt you can do or even fail at it, your pet doubt will probably survive the experience. With proper procrastination and non-preparation, the consequential unfortunate outcome might even enable your pet doubt to thrive.

As already mentioned, pet doubts are fragile creatures. Unless constantly nourished and nurtured, your pet doubts may languish away or even die suddenly. If you care for your pet doubt properly, though, it could live with you almost indefinitely.