Archive for August 9th, 2007
If I had only known…
Author: principledmom
This is day 4 of The Back to Homeschool Week.
If I had only known...
...that I don't have to follow the book. It's okay to customize.
...that I don't have to buy everything.
...not to bite off more than I can chew. I am an all-or-nothing person, so I tend to get in over my head. A LOT.
...to pace myself. This hearkens back to the last point.
...what the real point is. (Hint: it's NOT academics!)
...how much fun it was going to be! Being able to reason with your kids, seeing them "get it" is way more fun than the few hours of free time when they would be at school.
read comments (1)Getting out there…
Author: principledmom
...is the third installment of the Back to Homeschool Week.
Socialization seems to be the default objection for those who disagree with the notion of home education. This has got to be the weakest argument that one can make regarding school choices--unless you live in the middle of nowhere and have no church, community, family or friends.
My children get plenty of social interaction, and they get it in doses they can handle. They are in choir that reaches into the community, Missionettes and have many friends. Oh, and they take a drawing class with grandma and 6dd attends a group piano lesson. Our family lives here so they get to see cousins, grandparents and other relatives often. We visit some small shoppes regularly and they know the owners and customers. Too much socialization makes my kids tired and grouchy. And it's hard to get schooling done. They need a balance of quiet time at home and time with people of all ages, preferrably in a service of some kind, like visiting the nursing home or taking cookies to the firehouse. And a fun sleepover is great too.
We don't do co-ops right now. They just don't appeal to me at this time. We take field trips when they are appropriate but we don't usually take trips "just to get out of the house." My kids like the routine of home and we enjoy our school time together.