Beautiful Moments

Homeschooling has such beautiful moments. Right now, my oldest is with her two youngest siblings at the park. She's reading them Shakespeare in the sunshine.

My heart is moved and I'm so grateful that I have been able to enjoy my children in this manner. To see them enjoy one another (and Shakespeare) takes it to a whole other level.

End of the Year 2012-13

The year is coming to a close. We only have a week and a half left. The year has gone very well. In fact, I think it might be the best year we've had so far. Our mornings have been more consistent; Bible, Latin and Health have happened every morning. Score! Because Math has happened very consistently, their learning curve is tremendous. Our afternoons have been free for the most part, allowing for more play time with friends.

High School English Co-op

We were involved in 2 co-ops this year, plus the Olders had another class. The Olders had one of the co-ops on Monday for the purpose of English Grammar and Literature. The Youngers had one co-op on Fridays for the purpose of History, Science, Geography, Current Events and Missions. The extra class was Anatomy.

These two co-ops took up most of our Mondays and Fridays. We still had time for Bible, Latin, Health and Math. (usually!) On Mondays we also had piano and ballet. Mondays have been hectic.

Overall, this year has been a success. I am pleased. We met most of the goals we set for the year. The Olders are better prepared for college. They have read a LOT more this year than last and were completely able to keep up and dialogue. The Youngers are ready for the next year. I feel like their critical thinking skills are more developed. Their ability to follow a syllabus is better defined. Their time management skills are improving.

I can see where I pushed too hard (Latin grammar) and where I didn't push hard enough (writing time, as usual). I have lots of ideas for next year and have already made an outline. History of Art is on the table thanks to a wonderful friend who wants to invest her time and energy in my kids. Yay! Math is purchased already. Science curriculum is bought as well. Trying to decide about the English Co-op.

Beginning of the year goals are crucial! End of the year evaluation is equally as important!

Sit down with your younger kids and together, lay out all the work they've done this year. Watch their confidence swell when they realize what they've accomplished. Sit down with your older kids and discuss your beginning of the year goals. Ask for their input for next year.

Homeschooling when done consistently and enthusiastically will teach your kids far more than simple reading, writing and arithmetic. It teaches them how to function in society. It teaches them to first work hard and then get their reward. It teaches them to push through when they want to give up. So many great lessons!

I'm looking forward to a few weeks OFF! No researching or scheduled planning days. I'm sure I'll be thinking and letting ideas form though.

Vacations

A quick word about vacations.

Never let it be said in your home that we take a vacation from learning. Every day is a chance to learn something. Tests are not the point, neither are grades. It glorifies God for us to learn. Vacations are breaks from responsibilities, but not learning.

We leave tomorrow, on the one year anniversary of our trip to the UK, to go to Miami to stay with my first cousin. We will swim, relax, read books, watch movies, but we will also swim over a coral reef in the Keys and take a fan boat ride in the Everglades. Think that's learning? Yep.

Everyday is an opportunity to grow and learn. Sometimes that looks very structured. Sometimes it looks just plain fun! Enjoy it and show your kids how to enjoy it as well. To quote an overplayed song, "Never lose your sense of wonder!"

And then, when it's all over, count it as school! For realz, yo.

Have You Asked Them?

Have you ever asked your kids what their favorite part of school is? I just asked Brody. His response... "I like that you're learning something, the point of something that God did, that God wants you to know." I like that response.

I also asked him if he liked homeschooling. Turns out, he likes that he doesn't have to sit at a desk all day or ride the bus. Hmmm... ok.

After asking Brody and writing it down, I went to the other children where they are hanging out in their rooms and asked them. This is what I learned.

Maggie said she likes learning things, figuring things out. She likes the hands-on stuff, like the dissections. She likes that moment of discovery when she finally understands.

Gracie said she likes learning about stuff she's interested in. She likes that she can explore stuff.

Ty said he likes figuring things out and finding out new things. He likes having the knowledge of new things and sometimes knowing things that other people don't know. He likes knowing how things work.

Then I asked John, who is our dear friend. He goes to a prep school. He said his favorite thing about school is being able to bounce ideas off of classmates who are of the same mindset. I think that's interesting. I don't really know what to make of it, but it's cool.

Turns out, that my objective of ten years has, to a certain extent, been realized. I have always wanted my children to love learning. I've taught them that learning is an act of glorifying God because he is the maker of all things. Kepler said that to try to discover/understand new things is to try to know the mind of God. That's awesome. For real.

Why do you homeschool? Is it so your children will be happy or successful? Is it because you are afraid of the alternative? Whatever your motivation, that is what you will teach them. They learn what we REALLY believe; not what we SAY we believe. Actual theology vs  Verbalized theology.

This Hidden Side of Me

Maggie went to a private kindergarten. It was fine, twenty-five minutes away, brand new teacher. She didn't hate it, but she also didn't really learn anything. She was easily distracted and struggled with memorization. She struggled with everything. I have home video of us trying to make it through her word ring homework. She was definitely NOT a visual learner.

On the other hand, Ty, only 18 months younger, was an extremely visual learner with strong memorization skills. He taught himself to read by listening to Maggie and I do her homework. He could add, subtract and understand math concepts, as well as read, by the time he was four. But he also acted out when he got bored. Like stick someone's head in the toilet acted out. Not good. He cried if I put him to bed when his room was untidy. He needed structure and a challenge.

When Maggie "graduated" K5, she still didn't know all of her letters and could care less about math. And the private school went up on tuition. We simply could not afford it. But the public school we were zoned for was a mess. The police were called to the middle school almost twice a week and the middle school shared a building with the elementary school. The test scores and reputation for our zoned school were appalling. It was not an option. What's a parent to do?

Our small group leader at church had just started homeschooling the year before and I mentioned to him that we were leaning towards it. I had no idea that the other family there that night would react the way they did. The father started screaming, not talking loudly, screaming, at me. The mother started crying hysterically. How dare I pull my kids out of the private school? Didn't I know that because of people like us the school was in danger of closing its doors? Did I not even care about all the other families? Why was I being so selfish? He went on a ten minute rant until our leader could get him under control. Ever since then, I have been afraid of that kind of a reaction. It's only happened once since but it still leaves its mark. I've also had people, adults, make fun of my kids for our choice to homeschool. I don't understand why though.

I once overheard an acquaintance from church made a comment about how if those people really loved their kids they wouldn't send them off to some public school. I immediately pulled her aside and lovingly reproved her. She, and I, have zero right to make that kind of a statement about someone else's life. We are not the Holy Spirit and cannot make condemning, blanket statements like that. It puts that person under the weight of a law that God did not institute. That in itself makes it wrong.

People who meet us for the first time have no inkling that we homeschool. We don't advertise it. If someone asks about school, we freely tell them that we homeschool but I'm always on my guard for the ones that get offended. I've only had 2 people yell at me about it but countless others take it personally for some reason. I've even been told a few times that I was crazy.

In talking with a good friend, oh about five years ago, he gave me some advice. Now this friend was still in college, unmarried and had graduated from a public school system. After stating that if he had children right then, at that moment, and had to choose, he would definitely homeschool. BUT, he said, but he would be very careful about socialization. I asked him what HE meant by that and he explained, "I would make sure that my kids spent time with people who are different than them. Kids who were not raised the same way and have a different way of living life." He made an impression on me.

So many people, myself included, want to protect our kids, keep everything perfect and right and good all the time. But by doing so, I isolated them from the very people Christ sent us to share the gospel. That's a blog for another day.

I wonder if anyone else has had experiences like ours.

Post Number 1 or Introduction to My Insecurities

I could have just as easily titled this blog Square Peg Round Hole or Keep it Secret, Keep it Safe. It occurred to me the other day that I have a bit of a complex about homeschooling. No, not just homeschooling, about having lots of kids too. I feel the need to apologize to people for some reason. I don't really own the path upon which God has set my feet. This blog is the first step in making that right.

I will introduce myself for anyone who might not know me. My name is Crissy (full name, not short for anything). I am married to Chris (I call him Love Monkey). We have four children: Maggie, 16, Ty, 14, Gracie, 11 and Brody, 9. We have been homeschooling for a decade.

I am sitting on my Ikea couch in my small living room in my house in Alabama, praying. I am praying about the coming school year and the curriculum and the future of my children, Maggie especially.

I think every mother worries about their oldest child. My friend Gordon says, "We always over-parent our firstborn." He's right. I am riddled with fears about my oldest. Have I taught her well? Have I taught her enough? Is she prepared for college? Is she going to grow up and wish that we had parented her differently? Blah Blah Blah. I make myself tired.

If you are looking for a pep talk or a try-harder-do-better blog, this is NOT your destination.  If you are looking for someone to paint everything rosy and tell you "YOU CAN DO IT!", this is not your Mecca. But if, for that one person who is just starting out or feeling overwhelmed and would like some company, welcome.

I do not have all the answers. I do not even know all of the questions. But I do know that homeschooling my children, being with them 24/7, and being responsible for their worldview, socialization and education is the most joyous, terrifying, overwhelming, blessed experience of my life and I love it.

Disclaimer: *because I am afraid of people thinking ill of me*
I do not think that if you love Jesus/angels/your children that you will homeschool. At all. Period. That is all I have to say about that.