Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Perks
There are many, many perks to being a homeschool family. One of the best is bedtime, for us at least. Since we don't have to be catching a bus before the sun is awake, my boys have the greatest bedtime. We put them to bed anywhere from 7:30-8:30. And then their bonding time begins. They read books, share secrets, slay dragons and all things in between. I hope when they are old and gray, they look back on this time as pure magic. I know that is how I see it.
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
opening up a can of...
It was all kinds of awesome! We took apart a can opener, a calculator and a clock. (The clock parts will be re purposed for us to make our own clock to help with learning to tell time.) And we soon will be making a trip to the goodwill store to purchase some more items to work on. We are keeping all the little pieces and will figure out a use for them at a later point in time.
I love homeschool!
scared
So, I guess I'm like most that are new to homeschooling. I'm scared. I have this terrible fear of screwing up my kids... in almost all areas of life. I guess it comes from my childhood being so messed up. I don't want to do that to my kids.
Which means I second guess almost everything. And it isn't any different with homeschool. I worry that I'm not doing enough, that I'm doing too much, that it isn't fun enough, that it is too fun and they won't learn that sometimes you just have to do things that aren't fun. You get the idea. I'm really struggling with finding my homeschool rhythm and methods. I'm unschooling more than I thought I would. But I don't really think of it as unschooling... I think of it more as "unstructured learning". That just sounds better to me, I guess. We go on a lot of field trips and we spend a lot of time on things that are fun and interesting to us. Which then I start to worry because we aren't doing what public school is doing. And then my homeschooling self argues with me that this is why we homeschool! We don't want to do what public school is doing! I don't agree with what they are doing! And, no, I don't think that it is horrible that kids are sent to public school. I just feel that it is such an institutional atmosphere. I started to write more, but that is a subject for another time. It is too much and too heated a discussion for me right now. You see, it is 70 degrees in the middle of winter, so we spent the day at the park and I'm worn out. :)
I struggle a lot with my fear. Today I got to chat with a HS mom veteran and she helped me feel better about things. I know in the end it will all work out. I guess it is just in my nature to worry.
Which means I second guess almost everything. And it isn't any different with homeschool. I worry that I'm not doing enough, that I'm doing too much, that it isn't fun enough, that it is too fun and they won't learn that sometimes you just have to do things that aren't fun. You get the idea. I'm really struggling with finding my homeschool rhythm and methods. I'm unschooling more than I thought I would. But I don't really think of it as unschooling... I think of it more as "unstructured learning". That just sounds better to me, I guess. We go on a lot of field trips and we spend a lot of time on things that are fun and interesting to us. Which then I start to worry because we aren't doing what public school is doing. And then my homeschooling self argues with me that this is why we homeschool! We don't want to do what public school is doing! I don't agree with what they are doing! And, no, I don't think that it is horrible that kids are sent to public school. I just feel that it is such an institutional atmosphere. I started to write more, but that is a subject for another time. It is too much and too heated a discussion for me right now. You see, it is 70 degrees in the middle of winter, so we spent the day at the park and I'm worn out. :)
I struggle a lot with my fear. Today I got to chat with a HS mom veteran and she helped me feel better about things. I know in the end it will all work out. I guess it is just in my nature to worry.
Monday, January 28, 2013
Why
Why do we homeschool? Well, that question would take what would seem like years to completely answer. It is a long, complicated, twisting and turning answer that seems to change on a daily basis.
I guess it would be better to answer how we got started on this journey. Our house isn't in the best school district. When the houses were being built, the buyers were told it was another (good) district. As time got closer for our oldest, Super J, to go to leave his private pre-school/ kindergarten, we began to really worry about what to do. He has some special needs and I just could not see sending him to the school in our district. We began to look into buying a foreclosed home in a better district, just for the address. We could buy a home much cheaper than sending kids to private school for a full career.
Then one day my husband said... "I think you should homeschool them".
What??? Seriously. What???
And then I started to research. Ah, research is just like a warm blanket, no? It was right. It was such the right thing to do. And the more we do it and the more we learn and the more we are moving on... well, I can't even imagine not doing it. It just fits.
Sugar Britches, my baby, just woke up. So, I will have to continue another time.
Until then,
HSME
I guess it would be better to answer how we got started on this journey. Our house isn't in the best school district. When the houses were being built, the buyers were told it was another (good) district. As time got closer for our oldest, Super J, to go to leave his private pre-school/ kindergarten, we began to really worry about what to do. He has some special needs and I just could not see sending him to the school in our district. We began to look into buying a foreclosed home in a better district, just for the address. We could buy a home much cheaper than sending kids to private school for a full career.
Then one day my husband said... "I think you should homeschool them".
What??? Seriously. What???
And then I started to research. Ah, research is just like a warm blanket, no? It was right. It was such the right thing to do. And the more we do it and the more we learn and the more we are moving on... well, I can't even imagine not doing it. It just fits.
Sugar Britches, my baby, just woke up. So, I will have to continue another time.
Until then,
HSME
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