Homeschooling: What We Wish You Knew (Part 6)

Today, we started back to school.

Here are the "Back To School" pictures of my three beautiful "students".

Age: 14 Grade: 10

Age: 12 Grade: 7



Age: 9 Grade: 4

They are just growing up so fast. It's hard to believe that my oldest is now a Sophomore, and will soon be driving. *Gulp*

Moving on to what else we wish you knew....

We wish you knew that, just because we homeschool, that DOES NOT mean that our children are perfect little angels who always listen, never fight or talk back, or never complain (or even cry) about their schoolwork.

I have people tell me, "Oh! I could never homeschool MY kids! I just don't have the patience! They wouldn't listen!"

Do you recall how I described our day on my first "Homeschooling" post? Yeah....all lies. It is NOT like that at our house. If you are reading this and you homeschool, and it IS like that at your house, please, tell me your secret! I don't know anyone who can say that it is like this at their house every day. Maybe on some days, but certainly not every day.

I have regular kids. Kids who don't always get up on time, and have to be threatened...oops...I mean lovingly convinced, to get their backsides out of bed. Once out of bed, they often have to be told to get dressed (no pj's) and ready to start school. Then, they have to be told to actually start school, and then be reminded several times each. During this time, I often get to hear phrases being yelled, such as "She won't let me in the bathroom!" or "She took my _____!" "Tell her to stop it!" or even "Shut Up!" Now, that will get you into trouble in this house. But, I hear it anyway. Sigh.

Then, while we are doing school, they will sometimes fight and argue with me about what they are expected to do. "But, it's so hard!" (usually said with tears) and "I can't believe I have to ____!"

It is rarely the peaceful home that I wish it was. I have three girls, and there is A LOT of drama in this house. Crying. Screaming. Throwing fits. Fighting. And, it is not all just from me. *Wink*

And yet....I homeschool. Ha!

Now, out in public, the girls don't act like this. They save it all for me. Aren't they nice?

Anyway, do you get the picture? My girls are just regular kids. I have one teenager, one almost teenager, and one who acts like she's a teenager! Poor Hubs. He is totally surrounded by hormonal women. It's a good thing he is so laid back. He just shakes his head and rolls his eyes a lot.

Homeschool kids are just that....kids!

Since they are home all the time, I do try to keep some semblance of order in our home. There are rules, and consequences for breaking them. Since I am both their Mom and their Teacher, the lines often become blurred. That's just the way it is. The person who tells them to unload the dishwasher and pick up their dirty clothes is the same person who corrects their Math tests and goes over their vocabulary words with them.

We also wish you knew that, sometimes? We don't like homeschooling. Sometimes, the days are long. Our patience is gone. And, if we have to go over multiplication facts even ONE MORE TIME, we may need to be committed to the "looney bin". We may not even like all of the subjects we are required to teach our children. But, we have teach them anyway.

We have bad days. After all, we are only human, and we are trying to educate other humans. Who have their own set of faults.

Sometimes, we need to complain a bit, and let off a little steam. But, we feel like we can't do that with you. Do you know why?

Because you will then tell us, "Why don't you just put them in school?"

Believe me, on those bad days, it is VERY tempting. In my case, that yellow bus passes right by my front door. I can't tell you how many times I have wanted to shove my girls out the door, and say "Bye! See ya later!" and just have the house all to myself. Did I just say that out loud? Well...it's the truth.

But, just because we may think that at times, doesn't mean that we want to stop homeschooling! We wish you knew that.

If we are homeschooling, we have weighed all the pros and cons very carefully. This is not a decision that we have made lightly. It takes time and commitment to homeschool your kids properly. It takes a concentrated effort on the part of the homeschooling parent/parents to be solely responsible for their child's education. *That's why sometimes, we don't answer the phone if you call between 9:00 A.M. and 3:00 P.M., and you have to leave a message. Just sayin'.

Just like you have bad days with your kids, we have them with ours.

But, then there are the good days. And they more than make up for the bad ones! The days where everything goes the way we planned it to, and we enjoy watching our children soak up knowledge like a sponge. When we witness first-hand the close relationship that our children have with each other, and with us. When we experience those "teachable moments" throughout the the day, that only come through time spent together. When WE get to be the ones who are the main influence on our children, instead of "the village". Those are the days that make this whole homeschooling journey worth it! Those are the days when we KNOW, without a shadow of a doubt, that THIS is why we homeschool.

Homeschooling can be hard. Most things in life that are worthwhile are. The hard things are the good things. And the good things....are hard.

We homeschool because we know the benefits it brings to our children, and to our family. And, we know that it IS worth it. No matter what.

Homeschooling: What We Wish You Knew (Part 5)

So, it seems that inquiring minds want to know if it is possible to attend college if you are homeschooled. Well....can you?

We wish you knew that, YES! Not only can you attend college, you can even get scholarships!

Now, if you have been reading my blog for any length of time, you will know that I do not have any children that are old enough to be in college. My oldest is in 10th grade, middle in 7th, and youngest in 4th. However, I DO have several friends who have kids who have graduated from homeschool, AND college, so I have asked them about their experiences.

None of them had any trouble getting accepted into college. The schools they applied for did not act like it was a "problem" that they were homeschooled. As long as they had a high school transcript (which the parents made and signed themselves) they were all set. They also had to show ACT/SAT scores. *Depending on the type of college you are applying for, you may not need to take the SAT, but you do need the ACT.

Their children had to do the same interviews and essays that any public school kid applying would have to take.

That's it! There wasn't a big fuss made about the fact that they graduated from a "home school" versus a public one. None whatsoever.

But, were they really prepared for college academically and socially?

I have homeschooled my daughters from kindergarten, but when I started thinking about homeschooling all the way through high school, I started to panic. Could I really do it? What about those higher grade, "harder" classes? HOW was I going to teach those?

I did what I always do when I face a homeschool problem. First, I prayed. I asked God to give me wisdom, because at times, I feel like I don't know anything about this at all!

Next, I called up my homeschooling "veteran" friends who have been there. I asked them what they did with their kids. They told me about what they used in high school to help their kids prepare for college, and how they were now doing just fine with their college classes. They reassured me that, I COULD successfully homeschool my girls through high school.

There are many different options available for when your child is in high school, including, taking some classes at the local college. Several of my friends children have done just that, and they have passed with flying colors! They were able to take the classes that they needed for high school, at the college, and then they qualified for high school AND college credits.

Your children can also take certain classes through the high school. These are not "core" subjects like Math or English, but they can take things like foreign languages or other electives. In our community, they have a "career" center, where students can attend classes and on-the-job training in certain fields. Some examples are the medical field, farming, culinary arts, business administration and technology, and education, among others. Homeschooled students are welcome to participate in this program, and many of them do.

We wish you knew that most of us actually WANT our kids to go to college, and encourage them to do so! By planning out their high school years, they are able to be academically prepared to attend college, graduate, and go on to pursue the career of their choice. Homeschoolers are expected to meet the same class requirements as their public school peers.

Back to those "harder" high school classes. Like I mentioned, your child could always take them at the local college. But, if you go the more "traditional" homeschool route, complete with textbooks (curriculum), most of them are VERY detailed. They basically tell you, step-by-step, EXACTLY how to go about teaching a subject.

Since my girls struggle in Math, and I am not a Math whiz, I buy a curriculum that is computer based. There is a "teacher" that explains everything online. It is very handy, and makes Math more enjoyable for the kids.

Also, another option would be to get a tutor for the subjects that are hard to teach. We did that with my oldest daughter this year for Algebra. You can often find someone who is willing to tutor kids in just about any subject.

I asked one girl I know, who has just recently graduated from college, how she felt being homeschooled prepared her for college. She told me she felt like she was actually MORE prepared than many of the other college freshman. Why is that?

Most homeschool parents I know teach their children to work independently. At first, in the lower grades, that isn't always possible. But, as the child gets older, they eventually learn how to work more on their own. By not having someone always telling them exactly what to do, and when to do it, they learn that they must be responsible for their own work....just like in college. I do not mean that the homeschool parent is not involved. We are just involved in a different way.

She felt like she was more mature than her college peers, and was better able to communicate with adults. She also said that she felt her "social skills" were just fine!

We wish you knew that we are not making our kids emotionally crippled, or stupid, or so naive that they are going to be taken advantage of out there in the "real world". By homeschooling, we don't have to deal with all of the "drama" that is involved with public school. I went to public school. I remember vividly what it was like. Do I have fond memories of school? Ummm....not so much.

I was very smart, and was often made fun of because of it. I was called "Teacher's Pet", and made to feel like I was inferior because I got good grades.. My parents did not have a lot of money, so I didn't always have the "coolest" clothes. I wore glasses, so I was called "Four Eyes". I was tall, and skinny, and had big feet, so I got made fun of for that. I was shy, and it was hard for me to make friends.

Sure, I did well academically. But, what about socially? I feel like public school did not help my self-esteem, and in fact, made me hate who I was. I loved school for the "learning" part of it, but the rest of it was not my idea of a good time.

The older I got, and the more we moved around, I feel like I came out of my shell, and figured out how to be more social. However, if I had been homeschooled, I would have been spared all of that earlier trauma. I could have focused on my education, without all of the drama that public school provided.

I realize that not everyone has/had the same experience that I did with public school. Hubs went to public school, and he had a totally different experience than I did.

All that to say, that I can only go by how I see my girls growing up, compared to how I did. They are confident, self-assured young ladies who are excelling not only academically, but socially. They have many friends, but they also get "good grades." I feel like homeschooling has allowed them the freedom to be who they are, without being constantly ridiculed and ostracized. They still have to deal with mean kids, and they are still made fun of at times, but it is not every day.

By homeschooling, you do "shelter" your children a bit more, but in all actuality, is that really such a bad thing? Maybe you wish you had been a bit more "sheltered" during your growing up years. I know I wish that I had been....

Homeschooling: What We Wish You Knew (Part 4)

So...is there only one way to homeschool your kids?

The answer is.... NO.

For those of you who homeschool, this will just be a review. Or maybe, you will learn something that might help you educate your children better, according to their learning style.

Public schools are geared towards those who are more visual learners. But, what if your child doesn't learn that way? What if they are a more auditory (hearing) or kinesthetic (hands-on) learner?

If you homeschool your child, you can tailor their education to their learning style. Sure, there are textbooks. But, that is not the only way that you could learn something! For example, you could learn fractions by reading about them in a Math book, and then writing down the answers to the problems on paper. Or, you could bake cookies, actually measuring out the ingredients, and learning that 1/2 cup + 1/2 cup = 1 cup. In this way, you actually learn "hands on".

You could learn about WWII by reading about it in a textbook, or, you could interview your Grandfather, who was a soldier in the war. I did that with my own Grandfather, who was one of the first soldiers on the scene when the prisoners were freed from the concentration camps. I will never forget the way he described the camp to me, and the emaciated people that he saw there. The pile of dead bodies he saw stacked up, or the stench that permeated the air from the crematorium. He brought it to life. Even though I had never been there, I felt like I was.

Which way would you rather learn?

Do you wish you knew what learning style you, or your children, were? You can go here, and take a short test. It will then tell you what learning style, or combination of learning styles, you are. I took the test, and I am a combination of visual and auditory. This is not news to me. I love reading, but I find it hard to follow written directions. I work better by being shown, and hearing about how it's done.

I did very well in school because I learn best the way that the school system teaches. But, can you imagine if you didn't learn that way? How frustrating that would be? Maybe, you were one of those kids who struggled to learn in school, and wish things could have been taught a little bit differently. Then, maybe you would have understood it better.

By homeschooling, you can teach according to how your child learns the best. You can use a combination method, or you can just use one. If one child is a visual learner, and one is a kinesthetic learner, you can teach them each differently if you want to. The sky's the limit!

We wish you knew that we all homeschool our children differently. I tend to use a combination of different methods. I do use mostly textbooks, but I also use "living books" (books that are not textbooks) to learn. We also do "hands on" activities, along with visiting different museums, and other such places, wherever we are. Since we travel a lot (more on that later) we try to plan fun, but educational activities to do while we are there.

There are some homeschoolers who use a more "unschooling" method. This is not something that I do, but if you would like to read more about it, you can go here. Basically, it is a child-led learning method. This is the type that you often see portrayed in the media. It CAN work, and is a very beneficial style of learning, but it is often shown from an extremist point of view. Why? Because that is what people want to see. Extreme stories.

But, can kids who are homeschooled attend college? Are they equipped to go out into the "real world", or are they crippled for life from their "sheltered" upbringing?

Inquiring minds want to know....

Homeschooling: What We Wish You Knew (Part 3)

Moving on with my homeschooling series....

We wish you knew that the media often portrays us only one way. When you see homeschoolers on television, they are usually "country" women who wear long, sweeping skirts, with long hair and no make-up. They have lots of children, raise animals, and pretty much are self-sufficient on their family farms. While that may be true for some of us, most of us do not fit into that mold. We are just regular people, who wear regular clothes, live regular lives, in regular homes, with regular kids. Are you noticing a theme here? Regular. Just like there are a wide variety of people in the public school system, there are a wide variety of people who homeshool. We are NOT all alike.

Being regular kids also means that our children have friends. My oldest daughter wanted to make sure that I included this one! They are NOT socially awkward hermits, who never leave the house, and get no social interaction. My girls are involved in so many activities, we need to stay home more! They are involved in dance, theatre, music lessons, homeschool co-op, church activities, and they perform community services. They have many, many different opportunities to be involved with other kids their own age. They do not need to attend "school" to interact with other children.

If you were to go on my oldest daughter's Facebook page, you would notice that she has almost 300 friends. Our family rule is that she is not allowed to accept anyone as a friend that she doesn't know in real life. Now....does THAT sound like someone who is socially awkward and friend-less? I think not.

My girls have many friends, and the majority of them are NOT homeschooled. They fit in with them just fine. They have the same interests as they do, and other than having a little more free time because they are not spending every waking minute doing homework after school, you could not tell them a part from their public school peers. They do not look any different from their public school friends.

My daughters also get along quite well with adults. They are polite and well-behaved, and they know how to conduct themselves in social settings. If you were to ask most people who know them well, they would tell you the same thing. I have to say that, because I am their Mother, but they don't. Ha!

We wish you knew that we think it is downright rude for you to ask our kids "questions" to make sure that they are REALLY learning something. Want an example of just how rude this is? Go here, to read about what happened to my bloggie friend's 4 year old daughter.

Now, after reading that, is that something you would want us to do to YOUR 4 year old? What about your child who struggles with Math? Do you want us asking them Math problems? Or, do you want us quizzing your child, who attends public school, to make sure they know all the important historical facts and dates? Yeah....didn't think so.

We wish you knew that, just like kids who attend "regular" school, our children all learn at their own pace. Just like there are children who struggle in public school, there are children who struggle in homeschool. Just because we are homeschooling them, does NOT mean that they are going to be super-smart, and graduate early. Some of them will, but most of them won't. Homeschooling does allow you the opportunity to work one-on-one with your child who is struggling....but they may still struggle. There are no guarantees that just because our children homeschool, that they will suddenly qualify for MENSA.

But....is there only one way to homeschool your kids?

That, my friends, is a topic for another time...

Birds Of A Feather Hodgepodge

For those of you who have been following along with my homeschooling series, I'm going to take a break for some Wednesday Hodgepodge. Never fear, the homeschooling series will be continued.

1. Using what's in your fridge right now, what sort of meal would you be able to make for guests who are knocking at the front door this very minute?

I just recently went grocery shopping, so there are many possibilities! Since I am currently making dinner, I would just add a bit extra to the leftovers we are having. Last night, I made creamy chicken and rice, which my oldest daughter BEGGED me to make. It is rather tasty if I do say so myself. Just something I threw together one time on a whim, but it has become a family favorite.

2. What is something about yourself that you hope will change but that probably never will?

I hope that some day, I will not care so much about what other people think.

3. What's something about yourself that you hope will never change?

I hope I never lose the ability to sing. I enjoy singing, and I feel like it is one of the talents that God has given me. That doesn't mean that I want to try out for "America's Got Talent" though.

4. Do you usually send serious or funny greeting cards? Why?

I usually send serious cards. I'm not sure why, since I tend to live my life with a bit of humor.

5. Bird watching, shell gathering, or star gazing- your choice for whiling away the hours?

Definitely bird watching. They are so entertaining! I especially love watching my cockatiel, Howie. Here is a picture of him. Isn't he just the cutest little thing? I ♥ him!

6. Do you double or triple check things? If so, what?

Oh my, yes! Before I hit "post" I will more than triple check each word, to make sure that it is spelled correctly, sounds right in the sentence, and is the best way that I could have said something. I still make mistakes though. Grrr.

7. What's your favorite place for people watching?

Anywhere there are a lot of people. When we went to "Sea World" and I was patiently waiting for the rest of the family to get off one of the rides, I enjoyed watching all of the different families that were there. Sometimes, I make up stories about the people that I see. I have a pretty active imagination :)

8. Insert your own random thought here.

It's almost back to school time! I am doing a series of blog posts about homeschooling, and what we, as homeschoolers, wish you knew about us. Care to read it? Go here, for the first post in the series.

Homeschooling: What We Wish You Knew (Part 2)

By now, you may be thinking, "Amiee, that sounds great! But, one question....is homeschooling legal?"

Yes, homeschooling is legal in all 50 states. We wish you knew that we are NOT doing something illegal by teaching our kids at home. Since education is not regulated by the national government, each individual state has their own set of laws that homeschoolers must follow. If you would like to see exactly what those laws are, you can go here, and click on your state, for a detailed explanation of what is required to educate your children at home. While you are there, take a look around the site. There is a lot of helpful information about homeschooling.

We wish you knew that our kids are not being homeschooled because they are "trouble makers". There seems to be a misconception that homeschoolers are not attending public school because they have been expelled. Or, that they don't get along well with other children, and therefore, are not welcome there. That is wrong! Most homeschool children I know are polite, and relatively well-behaved. After all....they ARE kids. Just because they are homeschooled does not make them perfect little angels.

I can't think of even one of my homeschool friends whose child has been expelled from public school, and they are being forced to homeschool them, because they didn't have any other option.

We homeschool because we WANT to, not because we HAVE to. Most of us enjoy homeschooling our children. We enjoy having them at home and learning along with them. There is nothing quite like seeing your child read for the first time, and knowing that YOU are the one who taught them how to. Or, seeing your child finally understand a concept that they have been struggling to learn. We have a front row seat in our children's education. You can't put a price on that!

We wish you knew that we are not all homeschooling for the same reasons. If you were to ask me why I homeschool, my answer might be different than if you were to ask your neighbor who homeschools. We all do have one thing in common though. We feel that our children can be best educated at home. For whatever reason.

What are a few reasons that you might choose to homeschool your children? Here are just a few:

*Religious reasons

*Moral reasons

*Being able to tailor your child's education to their learning style (more on that later)

*Freedom to set up your school schedule so it is more convenient for your family's situation (go here for more info)

*Ability to travel

*You don't feel like your child's needs are being met by the public school system

*You want more "say" over what your child is learning

These are just a few reasons that I could think of. There are many more.

We wish you knew that even though most of us do not possess teaching degrees, some of us do. If we don't have a teaching degree, we may have some other kind of degree. Some of us even have Master's degrees!

But, it is NOT a requirement to have a teaching degree, or any other degree, to teach your children. Just because you did not go to college, does not mean that you are not qualified to teach your children! You know your children better than anyone else. Who else could be more qualified?

We are not all stay-at-home Moms either. Some of us work another job, AND educate our children at the same time. It can be done. Sometimes, it is not even the Mom who is the main educator. There are Dads that, for whatever reason, are the ones who actually teach their children. It can work well either way.

So many things we wish you knew...

Homeschooling: What We Wish You Knew

It seems to me, that there are many things that people who do not homeschool, just don't understand about homeschoolers. I want to start out by saying that I do NOT think that everyone should homeschool. It is truly not for everyone. But, it is right for our family. At this time. I do not know what the future holds for my family and I. None of us do. And, later on down the road, I may find that homeschooling just isn't the right "fit" for us anymore. I do not have a problem with public schools, or the people who attend them. I just wanted to make that clear before I go on.

I asked several of my fellow homeschooling Moms what they wish other people knew about homeschoolers, or homeschooling in general. This post and the next few will be all about that; what we wish you knew about us.

Please keep in mind, I can only speak for myself, and for those I personally associate with, on this subject. Sure, there are homeschoolers who may think differently, but this is about what the majority of us wish you knew. The media usually portrays us only one way. Most of us are completely opposite from those "radical homeschoolers" you see on t.v.

First, we wish you knew that just because we homeschool our kids, it does not mean we think that we are better than you, or that our kids are better than yours. We would hate for you to think we thought that! We realize that homeschooling is not for everyone, and we respect the decision that you have made not to homeschool your kids. Sure, we will tell you all about why we love homeschooling, and how you can homeschool too (if that is your desire), but we are not trying to make you feel bad about sending your kids to public school.

We wish that you would show us the same respect, and not question our decision to teach our kids at home. We only want the best for our kids, and we feel that homeschooling them is the right choice for our family. We do not think that just because we homeschool, our children are smarter than yours, or that they will grow up to be rocket scientists, or win The National Spelling Bee.... although, some of them do. *Smile*

We wish you knew, that when you see us at the "W" store, and it is in the middle of the day, it does not mean that we are "slackers" who don't care about our children's education, and spend all day shopping. There may be several reasons why we are there with our kids. Many times, when I am out with my kids during the day, I get "that look". Not only will people "look" at you, but they will even ask you or your kids, WHY they are not in school at that time. My girls will get asked if they have a day off, or did they only have to go to school for half of the day? It is usually said in a tone that implies they are skipping school, and should be ashamed of themselves.

Well....we homeschool. Some of us follow a strict schedule, just like the public schools do. Most of us though, do our own thing. Maybe it is not the most convenient time for us to do school during the day. There are no rules as to WHEN you do the schoolwork. Only that it gets done. If Daddy works at night, and only gets to see his family during the day, that family may adjust their schedule so that they can spend more time with dear old Dad, and do school while he is at work.

Also, it does not take us as long to do school at home as it does for your child to attend public school. It really isn't necessary to spend 8 hours a day doing "school". We are doing one-on-one work with our kids. Other than their brothers and sisters, they do not have to compete for our time. Therefore, they can get their work done in less time than it takes in public school, where there are 27 other kids who need help. We also do not have to take breaks, have recess, or "study hall". So.....we MAY be completely done with school by noon! It varies from family to family.

One of the other benefits of homeschooling, is that you are not controlled by the calendar as to what days you will take off. For example, my children go to school on most of the minor holidays that the public school takes off. We take off the days that WE want to.We don't have to take off for snow days, teacher-in-service days, or only go on half days for this or that. We do school when it is convenient for us, not when it is convenient for the community. We can start and stop school earlier or later in the year, or even do school all year (with breaks in between), if that is what we want to do. My girls do not do school all year, because many of their friends attend public school, and they want to have the summer off like they do.

When Hubs' family comes to visit us from Maine, we take that whole week of school off. We can do that, because we "go to school" on other days. We can go to museums or theme parks during the week, when it is less busy, because all of the other kids are in school. Works for me!

What else do we wish you knew? Stay tuned...