My favorite thing about homeschooling!

Please note - this post may contain affiliate links. What that means is if you click that link and shop on Amazon (even if you don't buy the product I'm telling you about) I may earn a % of the sale. This helps me run my household, my homeschool, and my scrapbook business. You don't pay anymore than the regular price you normally would - so shop away! THANKS! If you want to learn more about the other facets of my life - check out my other blogs!

I really don't have just ONE favorite thing about homeschooling...but if I COULD pinpoint it - it has to be that EVERYTHING is learning. I have taught my children to see learning in everything, everywhere we go. This isn't necessarily unique to homeschooling, I bet your family does it as well. Do you stop to inspect a spider web? Do toys get purchased because they are educational as well as entertaining. These are just a few things that have permeated our homeschool. I also told my children that we had school EVERYDAY. There was no such thing as a day off school, because whatever it was we were doing, there was learning involved. My kids have honestly never asked to "skip" school. I LOVE that! So a few nights ago we were in Hobby Lobby and the kids saw this magnetic sand timer. Good Heavens the world stopped spinning. I hadn't seen this much excitement since Santa brought them their first Perplexus. So needless to say, the magnetic sand timer came home with us thanks to a 50% off sale. Now they are making different piles. Using magnets outside the glass to move the sand... um - HELLO LEARNING, EXPERIMENTATION AND COMMUNICATION! This is between 2 kids who "claim" they are not homeschooled any longer and 1 who is content with his homeschool status. I call this a win. And it looks really cool above the fireplace. What is YOUR favorite thing about homeschooling? Feel free to comment below.

A Graduate

I really don't like Graduation ceremonies. But this was my own child, I couldn't exactly miss it. 

I've long ago come to terms with her decision to attend a real school. I laid my foundation.

I did my best. I taught her how to make decisions and be independent. What did I expect to

happen? 

And in hindsight she excelled and thrived. But I knew, without a shadow of a doubt that I made

the right decision when my oldest bug said on her graduation day she was "so very happy

because she never thought she would get to graduate from a real school".

Her face and the tone of voice were enough. I home schooled. She decided when the time

was right to take learning into her own hands. I think that is TRULY what homeschooling is all

about. It is not about controlling your child. It is not about what is best for ME, the mom. It is

about what is best for each individual child. (The girls went to school, and the boy remains

home, happy to be homeschooled.)

This weekend she will attend orientation for college. THANK GOD - and as my friend Bri says

(with no blasphemous intent) - ALL the baby Jesus'

- She is staying HOME! I can still influence her, educate her and guide her as she

grows and develops, because LEARNING NEVER ENDS

so I like to believe I'm still homeschooling my College Freshman.

Please don't burst my bubble!

When do you know this homeschool stuff Works?

I was able to sit in on an interview my son participated in the other day. I know he is my son,

so my opinion is somewhat biased, but I was quite impressed with how he handled himself. 

You see, my youngest has been affectionately called “the hermit”. He prefers to be at home.

He doesn't participate in nearly as many outside activities as his sisters do. He has little

patience for the misbehavior and disrespect of his same age peers and therefore chooses

to isolate. 

Both Girls have attended school and school related activities for 3 years, not Douglas.

When Douglas was offered a seat in the private school I worked for to “test” what it was

like to go to school. He politely declined. His sisters had been attending in some way for

3 years and LOVED it. It was the “end” of their homeschool life and ultimately a good thing.

You can read more about that here. 

As a homeschool mother, this “hermit life” worries me. He is after all going to have to leave

the house to go to college, and eventually get a job. My youngest needs to learn how to

relate to others and accept all personality styles. He has one good friend that visits regularly,

and we hang out with a passel of cousins at least monthly. On top of that my “hermit” is

required to attend our Parish Confirmation classes. - He seems to be doing well here, and

this is where the interview came in. 

Lightning Bug was invited to attend the 2nd year Confirmation retreat as a “team member”

- actually he volunteered to do it because he enjoyed his experience on HIS 2nd year retreat

so much.  WHAT??? My hermit wants to leave the house? He wants to participate in

something??? After YEARS of begging him to take classes - robotics, lego, anything!!!!

Finally a spark! 

Part of the process is to participate in an interview, and parents are welcome to attend.

I didn’t intend to sit in and eavesdrop on the entire process, it just happened that way, and

now I’m glad. Lightning Bug handled each question with a maturity I didn’t know he

possessed.

He was self-assured and honest with each question asked even though he just met the

gentleman conducting the interview. As a Mother of a homeschooled-hermit, I could not 

be more proud. These are the moments when you know without a doubt what you are doing

works and you are not ruining your child.

Everyone learns differently and kids KNOW what they need. My Lightning Bug is ready

to go out into the world, he has found something he WANTS to do, and he is going to do

it WELL! 

Back to school time for so many....

For some it was last week, for others it is this week, for my homeschool it won't be until after Labor Day - but it is Back to School Season!

I came across this picture the other day while working on another project.

I have always cherished
this picture. The Bugs are "Walking" to school.

Sometimes when you homeschool you don't want anything to do with "school" things, and then
some people do! 

Our family embraces some of the traditional, stereotypical school stuff. Backpacks for example.
You really don't need the expense especially if you are surviving on one income. But on the other
hand, the joy of picking out a backpack is priceless indeed.

We managed in these one income years to make the backpacks last a few years. In fact I'm fairly
certain my now 16 year old bug has his Ben 10 backpack!

They experience far less wear and tear by NOT going to school every day. 

Another thing the kids wanted to do was "walk to school". What an awesome concept!
We put on our backpacks, or sometimes took the buddies in their strollers,
and off we went around the block. We had a community mail box, so I would
get the mail from the day before and its even exercise! 

What "school" activities do you incorporate into your homeschool? Fell free to comment!

You not Them - Great Homeschool Concept

Please note - this post may contain affiliate links. What that means is if you click that link and shop on Amazon or other website (even if you don't buy the product I'm telling you about) I may earn a % of the sale. This helps me run my household, my homeschool, and my scrapbook business. You don't pay anymore than the regular price you normally would - so shop away! THANKS! If you want to learn more about the other facets of my life - check out my other blogs!

"You Not Them"

This is a concept of homeschooling I learned from Oliver DeMille who is the author and founder of the homeschool movement called: A THOMAS JEFFERSON EDUCATION

 

I'm not going to get into all of it in this post, but, had I been able to stay home full time and home school, it was my guiding philosophy. 

This concept of "You, Not Them" on a basic level said I needed to focus on my education before the kids. They need to see me learning. 

As I grow as a life long learner I am realizing more and more how true this is. My children are basically grown and responsible for their own schooling. If you are a regular reader you know my older 2 bugs chose to attend high school a year ago and my youngest bug is homeschooled, but uses an online service (time 4 learning) I have very little to do with their schooling. Not the way I wanted it, but it is what it is. 

Back to me, not them... My rotator cuff repair surgery was a chance to focus on myself. It sounds selfish, but I can't take care of my family if I don't take care of myself. I think God was sending me a message. 

One of the books I have been wanting to read is Pride and Prejudice. Don't get excited. I cheated. I watched the mini series on Netflix. It was fantastic. I'm so thankful I had time to reset my life and my priorities.