The overall answer to any frequently asked homeschool question is... The Lord our God has carried us through each and every day. He has blessed us well beyond anything we deserve. We are thankful to Him. Our desire is that God be glorified in everything we do.
WHY DID YOU BEGIN HOMESCHOOLING?
- I have had the desire to homeschool my children since I was pregnant with my second child. It has always been something that interests me. I do like the benefit of being able to teach my children from a Creator's perspective. That doesn't mean I shelter my children. At least, anymore than anyone else does. I think it could be said that some shelter their children from Christ. However, I firmly believe in Jesus Christ and have experienced His love and I encourage my children to seek Him on a daily basis as well. I started to homeschool my oldest when she was 5. (She didn't start kindergarten until 6 due to a late birthday.) I used ABEKA and was so afraid to not follow every exact problem that we both quickly burned out and bailed. I was nervous to teach her to read. I was a people pleaser and didn't want friends and family to question my choices because it was important to me to be accepted and like by everyone. That made it an easy decision to put her in public school. Everyone was happy... but me. Year after year at school sign up, I was too coward to take the road less traveled. We did not have a bad public school experience. We were always lucky to get the good teachers. A job change and knowing we would be leaving the school district caused me to revisit the ole homeschool feelings. One week just before the ice storms Feb 2011, I did disagree with a movie that the art teacher showed to several classes/grades.(cartoon nudity and if you don't believe me look it up on youtube) I reported it to the principal. The following week that same teacher showed the remainder of the movie. That clearly showed me the principal did not care that I, THE PARENT, didn't want my kids watching that movie. So, what a perfect time to take over my children's schooling. We pulled them out two weeks later. That is how we started homeschooling.
DO YOU REALLY THINK YOU ARE QUALIFIED TO TEACH YOUR KIDS?
-Yes, I am confident I can competently teach my kids. For starters, they can eat, walk, talk, and love. Sounds like I handled the 1st five years okay. I am a Registered Nurse so apparently I have some learning ability. However, I feel like I could properly facilitate my children's education even if I had no schooling. I don't claim to be a public school teacher nor will I put in my application at the local public school once my children are raised. The benefit I have over the public school is that I know every detail of my children's life. (I am sure it is every good public school teacher's dream.) I know if they went to bed late the night before. I know if they are struggling with a recent or not so recent life change. I know if they learn better in quiet room or standing up wiggling. I know if they aren't understanding a concept and I have the time to slow down and go at their pace. I know their strengths and weaknesses and have a personal desire to see them be successful in whatever they choose. Just like all people, I have academic areas I struggle with (writing, LOL!) and for these subjects I am extra careful. I spend more time than you could imagine making sure they excel in areas I am weak. Probably to a fault. I am not afraid to ask for help from experts in this area. Sometimes those experts are people I know and sometimes they are online resources. For example, my oldest was taught Grammar via online classroom streaming this past school year. She can out diagram me already! So, to sum it all up, in the state of Illinois I am legally qualified to home educate my children, and if I seem defensive... I probably am because no one likes to be underestimated.
DON'T YOU WORRY ABOUT YOUR KIDS NOT BEING WITH OTHER KIDS?
-No. In spending every minute of everyday with my children, I have learned to pick up on when either child feels lonely and needs a boost in socialization more than we are already doing. We regularly spend time with other children. We spend time with people of ALL ages MORE often. I feel that my children will benefit from this as they mature. I have friends who have never public schooled and the lack of public school socialization isn't even on the young child's radar. It seems to be more of a how do you go against the flow issue. My kids aren't any weirder than they were when they were public schooled. Everywhere we go people ask what grade they will be in, so apparently homeschooling isn't a deforming disease. ha!
WHAT CURRICULUM DO YOU USE?
- I prefer the Charlotte Mason method and I try to follow it as close as possible.
We used Abeka for almost every subject for the last school year. It was a good transition curriculum. It was very public school-at-home. Now that we have made it past the first year we are bailing on the crazy stressful structure of Abeka. I have always been interested in the Living Books method of teaching. (to be continued)
HOW LONG DO YOU PLAN TO HOMESCHOOL?
- At this point both kids beg to homeschool until leaving for college. There is an open door policy in our home regarding homeschooling complaints. The children know that we are always open minded toward their desires for their life and they have a say about their future.
WHY DID YOU BEGIN HOMESCHOOLING?
- I have had the desire to homeschool my children since I was pregnant with my second child. It has always been something that interests me. I do like the benefit of being able to teach my children from a Creator's perspective. That doesn't mean I shelter my children. At least, anymore than anyone else does. I think it could be said that some shelter their children from Christ. However, I firmly believe in Jesus Christ and have experienced His love and I encourage my children to seek Him on a daily basis as well. I started to homeschool my oldest when she was 5. (She didn't start kindergarten until 6 due to a late birthday.) I used ABEKA and was so afraid to not follow every exact problem that we both quickly burned out and bailed. I was nervous to teach her to read. I was a people pleaser and didn't want friends and family to question my choices because it was important to me to be accepted and like by everyone. That made it an easy decision to put her in public school. Everyone was happy... but me. Year after year at school sign up, I was too coward to take the road less traveled. We did not have a bad public school experience. We were always lucky to get the good teachers. A job change and knowing we would be leaving the school district caused me to revisit the ole homeschool feelings. One week just before the ice storms Feb 2011, I did disagree with a movie that the art teacher showed to several classes/grades.(cartoon nudity and if you don't believe me look it up on youtube) I reported it to the principal. The following week that same teacher showed the remainder of the movie. That clearly showed me the principal did not care that I, THE PARENT, didn't want my kids watching that movie. So, what a perfect time to take over my children's schooling. We pulled them out two weeks later. That is how we started homeschooling.
DO YOU REALLY THINK YOU ARE QUALIFIED TO TEACH YOUR KIDS?
-Yes, I am confident I can competently teach my kids. For starters, they can eat, walk, talk, and love. Sounds like I handled the 1st five years okay. I am a Registered Nurse so apparently I have some learning ability. However, I feel like I could properly facilitate my children's education even if I had no schooling. I don't claim to be a public school teacher nor will I put in my application at the local public school once my children are raised. The benefit I have over the public school is that I know every detail of my children's life. (I am sure it is every good public school teacher's dream.) I know if they went to bed late the night before. I know if they are struggling with a recent or not so recent life change. I know if they learn better in quiet room or standing up wiggling. I know if they aren't understanding a concept and I have the time to slow down and go at their pace. I know their strengths and weaknesses and have a personal desire to see them be successful in whatever they choose. Just like all people, I have academic areas I struggle with (writing, LOL!) and for these subjects I am extra careful. I spend more time than you could imagine making sure they excel in areas I am weak. Probably to a fault. I am not afraid to ask for help from experts in this area. Sometimes those experts are people I know and sometimes they are online resources. For example, my oldest was taught Grammar via online classroom streaming this past school year. She can out diagram me already! So, to sum it all up, in the state of Illinois I am legally qualified to home educate my children, and if I seem defensive... I probably am because no one likes to be underestimated.
DON'T YOU WORRY ABOUT YOUR KIDS NOT BEING WITH OTHER KIDS?
-No. In spending every minute of everyday with my children, I have learned to pick up on when either child feels lonely and needs a boost in socialization more than we are already doing. We regularly spend time with other children. We spend time with people of ALL ages MORE often. I feel that my children will benefit from this as they mature. I have friends who have never public schooled and the lack of public school socialization isn't even on the young child's radar. It seems to be more of a how do you go against the flow issue. My kids aren't any weirder than they were when they were public schooled. Everywhere we go people ask what grade they will be in, so apparently homeschooling isn't a deforming disease. ha!
WHAT CURRICULUM DO YOU USE?
- I prefer the Charlotte Mason method and I try to follow it as close as possible.
We used Abeka for almost every subject for the last school year. It was a good transition curriculum. It was very public school-at-home. Now that we have made it past the first year we are bailing on the crazy stressful structure of Abeka. I have always been interested in the Living Books method of teaching. (to be continued)
HOW LONG DO YOU PLAN TO HOMESCHOOL?
- At this point both kids beg to homeschool until leaving for college. There is an open door policy in our home regarding homeschooling complaints. The children know that we are always open minded toward their desires for their life and they have a say about their future.