Story time into sleep time.

I love our story time. We all sit around on a bed in our girls room and read. Those of us that read take turns. I, admittedly, am not the main reader here in the house though. My son loves to read aloud to us. We all don't mind. I will also confess, sometimes I doze off too. I can't help it. I can sit down all excited about reading our story and then have a difficult time keeping my eyes open. Even if I'm the one reading. It's a little comical if I do say so myself. My 3 yo DD will grab my face and say "wake up mommy". I love it. I love homeschooling my children.

Homeschool curriculums choices

There are so many curriculums to choose from. I know personally I use Sonlight curriculum which has a link featured on the right of the page. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I love it. It's literature based. There's usually some sort of report/essay due each week. Schedule included. The science we love...it's has an experiment each week. Hands on it what most children like. I can't imagine bothering to change curriculum because they flow so well from year to year. I'm starting 1st grade with my 3rd child this year and the curriculum is what I used for my now 7th grader. There are discounts for buying whole packages and other great amenities.

Christianbook has pretty much every curriculum listed on their website under the homeschool tab. Almost everyone I know who homeschools uses a different curriculum than the next. Most curriculum is geared towards different learning styles and/or teaching styles.

I hope your homeschooling inquiries can be answered. If I don't know the answer I can help find the answer. Blessings

What is your day in a nutshell...so far?

I have cleaned up, doing school with the children, can't find the clothespins, need bleach and more clothespins, found gift cards I lost at Christmas time, need Tylenol, had egg sandwich for breakfast, doing laundry (hence the clothespins need), wow...I'm sure there's some I left out! oh, I went to my first shift at work too, waiting on the second to come while doing all this other stuff. I'm perfectly okay with all of this too!

Oh, and holding a little one too, best part!

What part of being a homeschool mom or dad, stay-at-home mom or dad do you like best? I am completely overwhelmed at times, but I'll never say I'm not blessed to have all I have.




Greyson age 1

Am I doing enough?

When we're homeschooling our children we often have questions. "Are we doing enough?" is the biggest question most homeschooling parents have! Now I don't know what you're doing in your house, behind closed doors, but I'm sure if you're out seeking, you're doing your best.

There are general principles in schooling. Mostly, Reading, Writing, Arithmetic, Science, and History. Your child's grade/age level is another facet in knowing what to teach them at what time. All curriculum out on the market, through Amazon or the source website themselves, have all those resources built in. You can use the whole of one, or mismatch according to what you like best and your child's learning style.

If you are reporting to your local PS (public school) they should provide you with a homeschool packet. They should provide you with all of their PS requirements and within the means of the law you have to comply or they can unfortunately tell you not to homeschool your child. HSLDA can provide you with inexpensive representation for any issues that might come your way in homeschooling. You can claim religious exemption (whether you're religious or not) and then you are free to teach your child however you want.

When reporting to the schools we have submit samples and affidavits and portfolios and all that stuff to prove they're learning what they're supposed to. In either way you choose to "report" your child's schooling you can take advantage of the PS's resources. You can take your child there to have testing, take certain classes, participate in music, sports and the like. Although if doing religious exemption they frown on that largely, it is a contradiction to utilize their resources and yet "ignore" their input otherwise. However, by law you have the right to use it because you're still paying the taxes even though your child doesn't go to their school. The logical reason why they don't like it is because they do not receive the money for your child and therefore have to absorb the expense themselves for your child's participation in their resources. Reporting to PS and showing the intent of having your child participate in certain resources provides them with state funding.

So are you doing enough? Is your child learning at their grade/age level? Are they struggling to keep up? Are they exceeding your expectations? Any of these could be a part of the dialogue that runs through your head. No one can tell you you're not doing enough without knowing you, your child or your situation. If you're doing your best and striving for them to be as on track, as any other child their age or situation, then you're doing enough.

When it comes to homeschooling our children, having their education and best interests at heart are the key.

Homeschooling when the weather turns nice

Homeschooling when the weather turns nice is not all that easy. I am certainly not as interested in doing our homeschool when it's so beautiful outside. I want to get out and tend the garden, clean up the animals from the long, cold winter. I want to clean up the yard and explore.

My children are certainly more interested in their sports and being outside. So we get up a little earlier and get our work done faster, so we can get outside sooner. As long as their getting their work done it doesn't matter how short of a time it takes. Most homeschooling days with one child takes about 2 hours. I have 2 main homeschoolers so it takes us about 4 hours. Although somedays do take longer.

We are Sonlight curriculum homeschoolers. And Sonlight has the option for a 4 or 5-day schedule. We opt for the 4day schedule. The literature is not all that easy for us to keep up with and yet we love it. So we take that 5th day for catch up or a day off depending on how much we get done otherwise. I love homeschooling. If we can't finish something due to sickness or unforeseen circumstances (like having a baby), then we have the entire summer to finish that subject or project or book. In public schools they are penalized for poor attendance. Not in homeschooling.

We have to answer to the school system here in PA, but as far as their requirements we exceed them. Just because we do not finish a book, project or something doesn't mean we didn't school our children right.

My children get a richer schooling experience than some public school children because they get to experience in the context of life rather than being told they'll use it... one day.

Socializing your homeschooled children

We were at a volleyball tournament for the 5th graders. Every elementary school in the school district has more than one team and we have a week's tournament. I was talking with a public school elementary teacher today. She was asking about my daughter's school. I told her which team she was on and also mentioned that she was homeschooled. The look on her face was, well, typical. Astonished that I would homeschool my child and have the nerve to mention it at all. What is wrong with her? She didn't ask that, but she did ask me was she socialized enough.

My daughter socialized? No way! She's locked in a tower with only bread and water throughout the school year and I don't let her talk to anyone outside the family! Didn't you know that's how all homeschooled children are!?!

HAHAHA! No that wasn't my answer! I answered that my children are very much socialized, possibly more so than the public school children. She didn't comment further on that part of it so I didn't continue. But we did have a great and wonderful talk about why I homeschool and our structure and the like. The conversation was very nice and pleasant. She seemed confident that I wasn't some lunatic.

But if she were to ask I would tell her that I believe homeschooled children are more socialized because they have the opportunity to interact and communicate with children of all ages and adults that don't always treat them as "little" children. I know most of my peers do not treat my children as though they have to be coddled. By that I mean that in public school the teachers really have to mind themselves so they don't offend a child so much that it steps of the parents toes or the school systems. But out in the un-institutionalized world of homeschool people are people. My children are children, but not in the sense that everyone treats them as such. They are seen as responsible. I am complimented and thanked often when we're out in public for having such behaved and respectful children. Not that they always are, but more often than not they are.

So as for homeschoolers being socialized. Well yes. I don't live in the boonies where my closest neighbors are the bears and birds. I live in a very nice community. And hey, my daughter was there in the public school volleyball tournament wasn't she? Having friends and making more. Knowing a little less than half of the children there from church alone. That was fun to see them.

The average public school child does not socialize much with any other age group other than their own til high school and then it's not all that often. They interact with adults that are constantly correcting them and being only their authority figures instead of their mentors and leaders and confidants.
Homeschoolers are more ready for society when it comes along than the average child in public school.