10 Reasons Why I Love Homeschooling

Here are just my own reasons.  If you happen to be a homeschooling family and want to throw your own reasons on the list, please do!

1. My children aren't labeled.  I don't have to call them "dyslexic" or say that they have "ADHD" because they want to bounce around and be kids.  Their labels don't give them excuses and cop-outs.  They don't have to worry about being "gifted" or having a "learning disability".  They're just who they are, for all the good and bad of it.
2. The classroom can be anywhere, and field trips are so much more common!
3. I can change the lessons to match my kids' interests, rather than being stuck helping them through whatever homework they're assigned.
4. I'm getting to learn too!
5. Kids in school hang out at school.  Families who homeschool hang out with other homeschooling families.  That means I get to make new friends too!
6. I know the quality of my children's education.  If I have a problem with it, I don't need to fight with the school to get it fixed.  I just change it!
7. I never have to worry about being on time to pick up the kids, snow days, or any of that!
8. I don't have to worry about tests, grading, or other competitive systems.  Each child has no one to compete with but themselves.  They still master the knowledge and don't feel bad because they made a few mistakes on some quiz.
9. We set our own hours, days off, and vacations.  Who needs to worry about a school calendar when you can change it whenever you want or need!
10. And the best thing about homeschooling?  Of course, getting to be at home with my kids each day, taking part in their experiences as they grow and learn about the world around them, not having to miss a thing!

Homeschooling Success?

Looks like we're making progress!  While there have been times where I feel like I'm wasting my time, bashing my head against the wall with a child that cares nothing about learning, in the end I'm finding it's worth it.  My daughter is actually learning.  She's just trying to make it as difficult as possible for me in the mean time!  At least, that's how it feels.

I suppose some of it is my fault.  For a variety of reasons it's been six months since we've done any homeschooling at all.  Before that we kind of went at it with no sense of regularity.  We kind of picked up now and again with no schedule, no sense of routine.  We picked up when it was convenient and made up lessons on the fly.  Our time was totally unstructured and chaotic.  Because of this, I shouldn't have been surprised that homeschooling turned into such a nightmare.  Of course she wouldn't want to sit down and do the work!  She hadn't had to in so incredibly long!  Isn't it more fun to play anyway?

For the past couple of days I began to consider putting my daughter in school.  She wasn't learning at home.  It was clear that I hadn't been doing my job and now she was incredibly far behind.  Every day was a fight over kindergarten level work, something that should be easy for her.  She didn't know her letters!  Can you believe that?  At seven years old, she didn't know her letters!  She barely knew her numbers!  I was thinking I had really made a mess of this!  Maybe I should have started her back on preschool!  It had been this way since we started the school year.

As the days went on I realized that it wasn't so much that she didn't know her letters.  She didn't want to do the work.  She was fighting me every step of the way because she didn't want to do the things she was required to do.  It wasn't that she didn't know her letters.  She just didn't want to be bothered with it.  It wasn't that she didn't know her numbers.  She just didn't care to do it right.  I will admit, knowing how to spell words wasn't exactly something we had gone over, but she did know the basics of reading, and had been able to read a decent amount, all considering.  That was the point where I was ready to send her off to school.  I just couldn't take the fight anymore!

Well, we're starting to sink into a routine, finally.  It took doing nothing but school work all day yesterday to get her to co-operate, but we're there.  She's not fighting me today as bad as she was yesterday.  She's readily identifying letters and sounds that she knows.  There's still confusion with similar looking or sounding letters, but she corrects herself pretty quickly.  There's none of this tantrum of "I don't know!"  I'm sure we'll still have problems, but at least the day is off to a good start.

I know part of this comes from her dad.  I can't count the number of times where he would get frustrated and give up on her. She would bother him and throw a tantrum until he couldn't take it anymore and would give up.  He'd tell her to do whatever she wanted and not care anymore.  After that, she's learned that if she throws a big enough tantrum, she can get out of anything.

Yesterday was our stand-off, my daughter and I.  She was determined not to do her school work.  I was determined that she would.  We started around nine in the morning.  We got off to a roaring start, literally, her roaring in a tantrum because she didn't know her letters.  (Lo and behold, later in the day she proved that she really did know them all along.)  We kept at it until almost 9pm!  That's twelve hours of schooling!  All she had to do in that time was ten pages in each of her four workbooks.  I know forty pages may seem like a lot, but that's only a little more than what she has been doing every day, and it's kindergarten work, which should be incredibly easy for her.  In all of that, she ended up going to bed with the last ten pages not done.

Today things started off just the opposite.  We had a roaring start in just the opposite way.  My daughter cruised through ten pages in her phonics book in near no time at all.  She's been working on her writing book today.  While she's slowed down a little, that's largely in part because there's a lot of drawing in today's work.  She's drawing things she can observe with her five senses.  What that has to do with writing, I'm not entirely sure, but it's something a little more fun.  I have a feeling she's going to cruise through the work we have for today.  She's flying through today without so much as a complaint.  It feels like we're making progress!  Perhaps we can actually get to the fun arts and crafts stuff by the end of the day!

So, while I was thinking I was a total failure at this whole homeschooling thing, I'm starting to realize I wasn't such a failure at all.  I know part of this was my own slacking.  If we'd gotten back on track sooner, or kept better structure from the start, there wouldn't be so much fighting it.  Better still, I'm coming to realize this work really is too easy for my daughter, and not just the math!  She's always been about on grade level with her math work, if not ahead.  Reading and writing, on the other hand, I've always thought perhaps she was falling behind.  Now I'm starting to wonder if I'd completely underestimated her.  She knows a good deal more than she lets on!  So maybe I am more successful at this whole thing than I thought I was.

Adjustments: I'm not a Morning Person!

My schedule has never been what one would call "average".  I had a horrible habit of staying up way too late and not getting up early enough in the morning.  As a result, my kids would end up staying up well past a good bed time for children and getting on a regular routine was all but impossible.

I have to admit, in certain living situations, it's been all but impossible to get onto a regular sleep schedule.  With my partner working late at night for some jobs, or room mates who would want to stay up all night and chat, it's been all too easy to find myself in bed far later than I needed to be.  Getting up in the morning was always a struggle, and if I got to exhausted during the day, I could always take a nap, not something that would ever help me get a good night's sleep.

I'm sure it doesn't help that staying up is how I deal with stress.  I push myself to the point of exhaustion if that's what it takes so I can sleep at night.  I'm not exactly the kind of person who drifts right off into a blissful sleep, or just plain knocks out from exhaustion.  Stress has me up all night long, and there's been a lot of that in my life.  I'm not saying my life is miserable or anything like that.  It's definitely not!  However, moving, getting on a new schedule, and all of that does come with it's own special brand of stress, not something I'm particularly good at handling, but definitely need to work on.

For the past week or so, I've been making an effort to get up early.  We're not talking "cock's first crow" kind of early.  We're talking about being up before the alarm goes off to remind me about homeschooling.  I'm usually up by eight these days, if I can at all manage, even though that has still been a struggle.  By next week I hope to make it an hour earlier.

This whole up in the morning thing has helped in a lot of ways.  The kids are going to bed earlier, and are up earlier, so I'm able to be up with them.  We're able to start school bright and early in the morning so we can get more done during the day.  I feel so much more accomplished.

A side of this whole morning thing that I hadn't much thought of until now is energy conservation.  Energy usage tends to be lower when you're up in the morning, making the most of the sunlight, and sleeping when it's actually dark.  Of course, there's the obvious way to save energy.  Opening up the curtains and blinds to let the sunlight in will save money on electric lighting.  Day time is also typically warmer than the evening.  On a nice day you can open up the windows and let some fresh air in, saving on your heating or air conditioning bill.  Sun filtering in through the windows can also warm the house, which can also save on expenses and resources.  Turning the temperature down slightly at night will mean the heater doesn't have to work quite as hard for that time period, and it's far easier to sleep bundled up in blankets than to run around bundled up all day long.  It's the best way to make use of natural resources.

Being awake in the morning also has other advantages.  Just like the old farming communities, any gardens, compost, or anything like that is easier to tend during daylight hours.  Any crop watering should be done first thing in the morning or in the evening, so this is an excellent time to tend the garden and care for that which you're producing on your own.  Getting out and getting everything done in the morning means having the freedom to spend time with the family in the evening while trying to wind down, instead of trying to get it all done in a hurry before everyone's bed times.  For those who homeschool, starting in the morning means there's more time in the afternoon to take care of errands and all of that.  Bills can be handled and mailed out before the mailman comes to pick it all up, if you're even the sort of person to send bills in the mail anymore.  Of course, they can also be done early while still fresh in your mind.  Cleaning can be done bright and early so there's very little to worry about until the end of the day.  Best of all, there's no reason to worry if stores and banks will still be open by the time you get there.

I'm finding the longer I'm in this habit of getting up in the morning, the more ready I am to face the day.  Who knew such a small habit change would have such an impact on my whole life?

Thankful for Teas

A few months back I know I had mentioned my attempts to get off of soda and caffeine.  Let me tell you, that was a horrible failure.  It wasn't long before I was drinking sodas more often than I had before!  I guess that's the trial of it all!  It's hard to kick a habit when it's easier not to.  It also doesn't help that the readily available water isn't so delightful to drink.  Texas tap water leaves much to be desired.

Well, I'm trying it again.  I've already pretty much succeeded at kicking the caffeine.  The only soda I drink now is root beer, with the occasional break for something else.  That much is a definite improvement.  Not only am I doing something better for my body, but I'm showing a good example for my children, something I also find incredibly important.

When I was a child I remember my mother drinking soda what seemed all the time.  While I have vague memory of my mother having milk in the morning, I never actually remember her drinking it.  It's more that she told me she did, so it must be true.  The refridgerator was always filled with diet coke and it seemed when she needed a drink, that's always what she had.  My sister and I were always told to have juice, milk, or water more frequently, but I do remember my mother and her sodas.

I suppose it shouldn't be a surprise that I grew up to be much the same way.  All too often I'll grab a soda to quench my thirst, even though I know it won't work and I would be better with water.  I find myself doing exactly what my mom cautioned my sister and I never to do, but always did herself, drinking soda first thing in the morning.  I didn't even think about how bad it had grown until my room, not having a trash barrel in it at the moment, got cluttered with cans.  I realized then that I had a problem.  I kept telling myself I would cut back, but never really put much effort into it.

Just last night I had the urge to drink some tea.  I used to be a big drinker of tea and hot chocolate.  Both were lovely on cool fall days, straight through the winter.  I would turn to tea and hot chocolate because they had such a calming effect on me.  No matter how hectic things got, I could always sit down with a cup of tea and relax.  Even when I was at work, I always knew a cup of tea would be just the answer.

Here I am now, sitting down and typing, and what is the drink I have beside me?  All to often it would be soda.  All too often I'd be drinking it down, not even really enjoying it anymore.  I would have to guard that soda against my son who would sneak up and steal it, drinking it all down when I wasn't looking.  Instead, I have my tea, the tea I don't have to worry about guarding.  Even if he did decide to drink it all down, it's just lemon tea.  It's not bad for him.  It's actually quite good for him!  It's hydrating, warm, and quite tasteful.  I'd almost forgotten how wonderful tea was!

So for many reasons, I'm thankful for my tea today.  It's a way to calm my stressed out nerves.  It's a way to sit back and relax.  It's one more step towards freedom from soda, so hopefully I'll actually be able to enjoy my soda when I have it.  I'm thankful for tea because it's showing my children that you can always have a drink in your hand.  It doesn't have to be water.  With all the contraversy over the sugar in juice these days, I'm showing them they don't need that either.  Instead, I'm showing them that there is a healthy option that's easy and so delightful on cool fall days.

Hmm...thinking about it, maybe it's time my daughter and I had a tea party!

What Makes a Good Reader

It started two nights ago, this wonderful habit of reading to the girls as they get ready for bed.  This used to be something my daughter and I would do every night, but with the move we stopped.  I'm not even sure why we stopped, but we did.  I decided not that long ago to pick it up again, starting with Peter Pan.

The girls seem to love the story.  Of course, the older two generally drop off to sleep before the chapter is even done, so I doubt how much they actually retain.  However, this is a good experience for all of us.  I get practice with my skills at reading aloud and they are exposed to classic literature, something they may not otherwise.

This got me thinking about reading.   I've realized that I'm a horrible reader at stories like these unless I am well familiar.  I don't know the proper inflection and emphasis, and I'm horrible at making it up on the fly.  I need to practice with a book before I'm ready to read it for an audience, even if it is just children.  To some degree, I'm finding that I have a hard time following the track of the story myself because I'm not a wonderful reader.  I get the general gist of it, but I miss some of the more subtle and wonderful details.

Reading is something there isn't much emphasis put on in this country.  Children learn to read and that's all well and good, but they don't really learn to read well.  It seems the idea is to get them to read each individual word on the page and understand the general context, but they aren't expected to be able to read it for an audience.  They aren't expected to bring the story to life with a richness and depth, the way I've hear good readers do.  It makes the story so much less enjoyable.

I have to say, there is a difference.  I remember there was this Grisham novel, though I couldn't say which.  I tried to read it on my own, but I hated it.  I swore I would never read any of his works.  It was just so dry and wordy that I couldn't possibly plow my way through it.  That summer my mother decided to bring it with us on our road trip to Williamsburg, Virginia.  I rolled my eyes at the thought and figured it would be a good excuse to sleep the whole way.  However, once I heard the reader's beautiful, rich, deep voice with that accent most associate with a Southern gentleman, I was sold.  The words positively dripped off his tongue and I was so drawn into the story that I had completely forgotten I hated it and couldn't bear to read through it.  The same goes for many classic works as well.  I had tried to read The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, but I could never bear to put myself through it until I heard Chip's narration while listening to CraftLit.

Perhaps more emphasis should be put on not only reading, but reading well.  If there was more reason to read out loud, and read the story two or three times to perfect the telling, readers in this country would be better for it.  The solution seems to be reading aloud as often as possible and to anyone who will listen.  Read to the dog if that's what it takes, but read.  The more you do it, the better you'll get.

At my house, I'm starting with simply reading to the children.  My partner and I have decided we need to sit down and read novels to each other, just for something fun we can share.  We want to focus on the classics, taking turns with reading through chapters.  Maybe some day I'll turn it into a special book club.  Instead of just meeting each week to discuss the book, we'll meet up and actually read the book together, like in school, and then share our thoughts on the piece.  Wouldn't that be wonderful?

In the end, I hope that my children don't suffer the same fate.  I hope they have a chance to view the world from the eyes of a wonderful reader, someone who can bring to life the very feel of a story through their own voice and tone.  I hope they share that with their children, far off when they have their own.  Most of all, I hope that they learn to love books as much as I do.  I hope they see the value of these stories I hold so dear, and, unlike their mother, don't have to wait until adulthood to learn to bring those stories to life.

Sustainability Tip: Warm and Woolies

The weather change has once again got me thinking.  As the temperatures drop in other areas of the country, heat will start coming on.  It will seem like no time at all before our own heat comes on.  For some families, this can be a time of excess and waste of energy.  I know I'm usually guilty of that one.  I'll admit, I'm happiest when the temperature is about seventy-five.  In the summer, that's great!  I save a good deal on my electricity bill because my air conditioner isn't cranking as much as every other house on the block.  I'll be honest, in the summer I sometimes push my home temperature all the way up to eighty.  Some find it too warm, but I find the amount I save on electricity to be worth it.  In the winter, on the other hand, that's one of the worst things you can do.

When I was younger my family liked to keep the house warm.  I remember someone saying that they didn't feel right having to put on a sweater to keep warm in their own home.  They would rather be warm enough from the start.  In other people's homes I always felt quite chilly and I hated it.  I didn't see the point in keeping your home so uncomfortably cold.  It made more sense to keep warm on cold days.  I didn't realize then how many reasons there could be for this.

Keeping a house set at a cool temperature in the winter, of course, will save on your bill.  It's one way to shave off a few bucks on electricity, gas, or oil bill every winter, just as I do with my air conditioner in the summer.  That extra money can go to so many different things, towards financial freedom and living a debt free life to sustainability improvements to practical things like the grocery bill or savings.  This is a huge help to families who use oil heat, as oil can be quite expensive.

On another side of things, turning the heat down a bit in the winter will also help the environment.  No matter what you use to heat your house, there is a likelihood that it's related to some form of pollution.  Because of this use of electricity, gas, or oil, more must be produced or processed.  These facilities to produce or process that which brings us warmth produce their own impact on the environment.  Even wood burning and pellet stoves produce their own pollution.  Only those who use environmentally friendly means to heat their house, such as with solar heating, or use thermal insulation from the earth, can crank the heat however they like it without negative impact to the environment.

So remember as this year comes in, keep that thermostat turned down.  If you don't like living in a cold house, bust out the warm and woolies.  This is a perfect time to show off that cute pair of slippers you made for yourself.  What better time to pull out your favorite sweaters or sweatshirts?  Start the fashion trend of wearing a beret, hat, or even a decorative scarf or shawl in the house.  There's no reason dressing warm should make you feel like you've got to "dress like a mom".  Have fun with it.

Nap Time/Quiet Time

I think I need to start introducing a regular nap time for my family.  There comes a point in the day where everyone's off at school and there's no one here but us.  I find I can't get anything done with having to be dedicated to homeschooling and taking care of the children, so I often don't get anything done at all.  I try to multitask, but we all know where that ends up.  Doing more than one thing at once generally results in both things getting done very poorly.

With my two boys, we still need nap times.  The youngest one still takes about two naps a day.  The older one takes one long nap, but lately it's been a fight to get him down to sleep.  My daughter is generally too old for naps, but I'm finding that she does still need one every once in a while.  Having a regular bed time doesn't always mean she gets enough sleep.  Even if she's not napping, she can have some quiet time to look at books where she isn't going to be making a lot of noise and waking up the younger two.

The wonderful thing about having quiet time during the day is the freedom to get the things I need to do accomplished, as long as I'm not making enough noise and waking everyone up.  I can fold and put away laundry.  I can start working on our budget.  I can even kick back and work on some knitting or sewing while listening to a podcast on headphones.  I might even find time to read a book!  This will give me a chance to be something other than the woman in demand all the time.  I can have a breather and just be me for a while in the middle of the day.

It's just nice to have a break sometimes.  It helps remind me to take a step back.  I spend so much of my day focusing on everyone else that sometimes it helps to spend some time on what I need to do.