My wife's rules:
1. Set a schedule and stick to it. If you start the day at 8:00 then always start at 8, unless it is decided and announced beforehand.
2. Teach your children that you always learn, all through the day and for the rest of your life. Never stop learning.
3. Start with the basics - reading, writing and arithmetic. If their kids are good at those then everything become possible.
4. It is OK to make them memorize - times tables, rivers, parts of government, state capitals, the Books of the Bible. Memorizing creates certain innate disciplines that can only be learned through repetition.
5. We use to take trips to the mall (OK, so it was long ago...) Before each student decided on something they wanted to see and we did it - makes your kids know that we listen to them, and that we will keep our commitments. Make them each order their own food. Then they would each write an essay on what they saw - what stores they saw, what things they did and what they really liked or didn't like. Grade those essays on English and grammar and accuracy of recollection.
6. Learn a foreign language - with them! Find folks that speak other languages and use what you learn. Interact with people from all ages.
7. Learn a skill or a craft - and keep at it until excellent. One home schooler made their own telescope - all except blowing their own glass. Maybe Dad or another relative can pitch in - girls learning auto mechanics, boys learning to cook, all becoming well rounded grown ups.
8. Love your kids more than anyone else - you will be encouraged to help them excel, and they will know that they are secure in your hands.
Please keep in mind that except for certain specialties, most public school teachers are generalists and learn more about HOW to teach than any subject they will be teaching.
No paper or calculators allowed.
Most of homeschooling can be done anywhere. Don't think it has to resemble a public school.
I included them in our business so they learned to interact with people of all ages, unlike public schooled drones who are segregated by age.
With some other parents we started a homeschooling group.
We went on a lot of field trips to museums, events, etc.
We called it BIC (Butt In Chair) time. It was 8:30. School was Mon. - Thurs. Friday was field trip day.