Today my new friend Kevin asked me if I had been homeschooled. My initial reaction was to hesitate a moment until he told me that he, too, had been homeschooled. Why is that? Why would I hesitate? I certainly wasn't going to lie, I just wasn't sure how vulnerable to be about this part of my history. Once I realized that Kevin and I shared that background, we easily fell into conversation concerning our experiences. But it leaves me to ponder: of what am I afraid? I loved being homeschooled, and I loved homeschooling my sisters, and I intend to homeschool my children someday, if I am blessed with that opportunity.So I decided to would blog about it. The majority of my readers are either homeschool moms, former homeschoolers, both, or at least in some way interested in the topic. The title Homes"cool" is an expression invented by my sister's friend Shea to be used in situations where people express "Boy, you don't seem like a homeschooler to me!" :)
Part 1: Is homeschooling not mainstream enough yet to merit an explanation? Certainly in the Christian circle I now live in it is, but even so, the tiny percentage of adults my age (Kevin is the first I've met here so far) that graduated from homeschool, attended college and now are engaged in further study has not quite yet produced a generation that "proves it works". Can I be the lone reed, then, to encourage you, my homeschool mom friends -- you are doing an awesome job! I wouldn't trade my past for anything. I am confident that I received a quality education (and these wer
e in the darker days when the curriculum choices were rather slim), and even more importantly a real love for learning that made me hungry to read and learn -- and continue to do so. Kevin and I agreed that freedom to read and pursue self-motivated studies was the biggest educational perk to our learning system. One thing he said was "I'm sure I wouldn't have read nearly as many books as I did if I weren't homeschooled." So let your kiddies READ! Let them pick what they want to read and give them ample time to do so. I think too many modern homeschoolers are constantly being rushed to one activity to another to ensure that they are socially fulfilled, but meanwhile they are hardly ever home! (sorry, I'll get off that soapbox now.)Part 2: Why is there still this idea floating around that homeschoolers grow up socially deprived? I guess I thought that idea would be put out of its misery when those pioneers went off to Harvard and Yale in the 1980's. And certainly I would hope people would realize otherwise if they met me or any of my fabulous former homeschooling friends! If homeschooling impacted me socially, it was to tie my social world to my siblings, which is a blessing beyond measure! I tell you, I would not know my darling sisters as dearly and closely as I know them now, if not for sharing an roof all day long like we did. I was certainly self-centered enough as a teenager to not seek to build a relationship with them -- imagine if I had been away all day! They would have been virtual strangers to me, rather than bosom friends. Clearly, other people have close relationships with their siblings without this being their background, but I know myse
lf and a huge part of what knit us together was mom reading out loud to us all, and doing my math at the kitchen table while Emily ate cheerios in her high chair.In conclusion, I want to submit that education is the responsibility of the parent. They must answer to God for their choices in raising their children, this choice chief among them. I support my friends who have chosen not to homeschool, or to stop homeschooling at a point -- I know you want the best for your kids! But let mine be a voice crying in the wilderness -- "Prepare the way for the generation of socially adjusted, well-educated, sibling-loving homeschoolers!"
Good post. Yeah, I've had the 'You were homeschooled?!?' *shocked look on their face* said to me. What's really funny is when they go on to say 'but you seem so....normal.' Hehe.
ReplyDeleteThe game is at 11:00. I can't wait! :)
Great post! I think there are still misconceptions about homeschoolers out there, as we represent just 2 or 3% of the school-aged population.
ReplyDeleteIt's been encouraging to read your thoughts, and to read books that support what we are trying to do with our kids. The books by Dr. Raymond and Dorothy Moore and by Dr. Ruth Beechick have been especially encouraging.
I agree with you about self-motivated studies and letting kids choose what they want to read, based on their interests.
We are blessed that our boys can be together all the time. They enjoy their time with each other and with their parents.
I am NOT a homeschooled mom, but my kids are homeschooled kids. Once we brought the kids home from the government school, one of the first benefits I saw right off the bat, was the change (for the positive) in their relationships with eachother. Instead of dividing the family, like almost everypart of our society does, homeschooling brings us all together to live, learn & relate in every part of life.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your post. I love reading ANYTHING from an adult who was homeschooled and their takes on it. Id love to hear anything more in depth as well. For example, looking back...what would you change w/your own kids or..what would you do more or less of?
So far, my kids (Ages 11, 10, 7 and 5) love being homeschooled. I pray that it stays that way and they are like you, look on it with fondness and that because of this choice we've made, we will be helping to groom the next generation "to love the Lord your God with your heart, soul and mind" Well rounded kids that know Scripture and know God. Not just how to say the right words, but really KNOW God.
Sorry this got to be the "comment that never ends...goes on and on my friend..." :)
Thanks for simply being candid about your experience as one who was homeschooled. I lean toward to public school, but I also have dear friends who have had wonderful homeschool experiences that they wouldn't have had otherwise. I used to be COMPLETELY anti-homeschool, but especially after moving here and meeting more individuals who either were homeschooled or are homeschooling their children currently, my eyes have been opened to this form of education actually working very well. I've also talked to a few about how much the curriculum continues to expand, as contrasted the more limited resources there were just a few years ago.
ReplyDeleteI just got to work and haven't even gotten to read your post more thoroughly, so we'll see if I comment again around lunchtime when I get a chance to read over it again :) Love you, friend!
Thank you so much for encouraging me with this post. I'll have to remember home's cool! It really IS cool.
ReplyDeleteLauren is such a great reader and I think you're right. She loves to be read to, but loves reading what SHE likes to read too. Many nights do I go in and turn off her light because she's gone to sleep reading. She also loves to read to her siblings. I love that. (and so do they!)
We got in the trap of doing too much. We lessened that load tremendously after Christmas and wow, did it make a difference! I'm going to be more careful of that from now on.
Why *do* people think our kids are so unsocialized? I think they're stuck in the old days when they actually were. At least, my generation was a lot less socialized. Some parents did a great job, but most didn't. (at least that's my experience, from the friends I had) The kids, now, can be oversocial, as you said.
Why *do* we have to defend our schooling choice? I hate that part. I always feel like I have to *prove* something to the asker. Annoying!
Lauren recently told me she loves being homeschooled. That really encouraged me. I'm sure there will probably be times she won't, but I'm glad she does now.
I'll stop chatting...
By the way, Nathan's in his high chair, eating cheerios while she's doing her math, right now! hehe!
Brittany
Johanny -- I was totally thinking of you when I put that part. I remember when you got all defensive one night at my house to Jon Mott after Urbana Outreach. Ha ha!
ReplyDeleteMorning Rose -- I think your children are prime examples of siblings being close friends because they are together all day!
Hindto -- bottom line here, we need to meet one of these days so we can talk! :) We just have way too much in common! In answer to your question, yes, I want to homeschool my kids, FOR SURE (and Josh wants that, too), and I think there ARE some things I would do differently. But my mom made us work pretty hard all through elementary so that in junior high and high school we'd make ourselves work hard. It worked okay for me, actually for all of us, but I think for my kids, I'll want to spend a little more time one on one with them, even in their high school years. And I want my husband to take part of the load as well. For instance, I know for a FACT that he will be a better science teacher than I am (he was basically my first REAL science teacher), so I'd like him to do Biology and Chemistry, that sort of thing. I'd also like to have my kids choose an instrument to pursue, and then hold them to it. We just all took piano, and my brother and sister we great at it, but I was terrible and I HATED it. I wish we could each have looked into different areas, and branched out a bit. It takes away some of the sibling rivalry, as well! One of the best things my mom did for us was read aloud to us all together, even when we were "way too old" for that. I would like to read to my kids through junior high and high school, maybe all together as a family with Josh and I taking turns. Long comment? There's your long answer! :)
Grace -- I know you lean toward public school, and I understand why. I just know how much I LOVED doing what I did, and I want to reproduce that in my kids. It will be interesting to see what "2nd Generation Homeschoolers" will be like!
Brit -- Ha ha! That's pretty funny that Lauren and Nathan were doing just what I wrote about! As for the "old days", I think a few people gave the whole mix a bad name, and now everyone is still living it down. That's probably because not many people personally know the Harvard-graduating homeschoolers from the early '80s. You know?
OK - I have a lot to say on this subject, but I'll try to keep this from becoming a book.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I have been in every kind of schooling situation there is, I think! I have been homeschooled, in a individual study Christian school (ACE), traditional Christian school, and public school.
On homeschooling, I have to say this. Many people that I know personally have/do homeschool their children. I applaud them for that; I think it's awesome that they can do it. However, not everyone is qualified to homeschool their children (in my opinion.) I have known many people that "homeschool" their children (I can think of at least 5 families by name right now) that their children were not well educated, and they were not socially well adjusted either. So - I think that the stigma that is out there about homeschoolers still has quite a few people that fit that stereotype. Homeschooling demands some discipline from the parent as well as the child, and not everyone is cut out to do that.
Christian schools - I think that there are too few Christian schools that truly are CHRISTIAN. The reason I say that is b/c many Christian schools have open enrollment. This opens up their school to accept any student that signs a form saying that they go to a like-faith church, that they are faithful there, etc., when that is not always the case. I also know of several non-denominational Christian schools or board run Christian schools (not under the authority of any specific church) that are really just private schools more than Christian schools. It seems to me that (sadly)this opens up the door to most of the things that you would find in public schools. However, the bright side to Christian schools is that they usually have somewhat better educational standards than public schools, and the students are required to attend Bible classes and chapel on a daily basis.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS - As a Christian, I would NEVER send my child to a public school! The public school system teaches humanism in every subject, and more and more "acceptance" of behaviors that are Biblically, morally, and ethically WRONG!!! Parents are responsible to teach their children, according to the Bible. If I am trying my best to teach my children to know, love, and honor God, why would I send them to a school that for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, works to destroy the foundation that I work so hard to build? Besides that, the public education system (actually, the National Education Association I think is the title) is second only to the ACLU as the most liberal organization in America. They are doing everything they can to institute John Dewey's ideal of education into our system and have suceeded. John Dewey idolized Karl Marx, and was a Communist. His goal in the educational system of America was to "dumb down" the people. People who are illiterate will tend to do whatever they are told, so he intentionally created an educational system that would create illiteracy.
Anyway... I could go on and on, but I'll leave you with that for now. BTW - please don't get me wrong - I am not trying to judge or criticize anyone who chooses to do any of these options. You are responsible for your choices. But I think some people do not do enough research, and base their decisions on incomplete information. My sis' kids go to a public school, and my bro teaches at one. I have several very dear Christian friends who have taken their kids out of the local Christian school where they live and put their kids in public schools b/c "public school was better than that 'Christian' school!"
Sorry this is so long, but this also is a soapbox for me. :-)
I'm back with a promised second comment! Each of the points you made were great, and were some of the very reasons I would look into homeschool. The role of the parents is SO CRUCIAL. They are the ones that are going to make or break a homeschooling experience. Those who ended up "socially inept" really could be traced back to the parents: parents who were extremely protective, parents who didn't choose good curriculum, etc. But of the parents I've known here, they have all been excellent in seeing this as a vital tool for their childrens' growth, as well as their influence as parents.
ReplyDeleteI remember days of sitting in my classroom in elementary school thinking of nothing else but the Anne of Green Gables book I was reading back at home...
What would you say to families in which both parents do work, or future parents who know that they are both going to have to work? How would you incorporate homeschooling in that kind of situation? That's my biggest question at this point, pre-marriage and having children of my own.
Wow, I could add quite a bit to this post, but I wouldn't want to bore everyone! My experience was slightly different as I was homeschooled in a different country.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I'm still trying to figure this blogger thing out, but I just wanted to stop by and say hi.
In the book Homespun Schools, Dr. Raymond and Dorothy Moore provide testimonies from various homeschoolers around the country, including single parent homes. Though more difficult than having a two-parent home, it is possible for single parents (and couples who both work) to homeschool their children. They may need to call on relatives and friends to help, or work different schedules so that one parent can be with the children all the time. Another option is for one parent to work from home or start a home business with the children.
ReplyDeleteWe are fortunate that I can be home with the children full-time while my husband provides for the family. Before we had children, my husband and I both worked full-time. After having my first son, I decided not to return to work, even though my income was higher than my husband's at the time. We believed this was the Lord's will for our lives, and God has provided for us above what we could have imagined. Thus it was an easier transition to homeschooling, as I was already at home.
I grew up in a non-Christian home and attended public schools all my life (through college). As we raise our children in a Christian home, we did not want to send them to a public school. My older son attended our church school through first grade, at which point my husband and I were led to homeschool our boys. The Moore's books influenced our decision, and also observing how our older son was withdrawn when he returned home from school.
There were many factors in our decision as we learned more about child development, readiness, and learning styles. We believe the best education for the our boys can be provided in our home.
I guess I didn't want my post to be a moratorium on anyone who does NOT homeschool. That is an altogether different topic, and I am in no way qualified to address it!
ReplyDeleteClearly everyone has met ill-educated and socially struggling children from ALL types of schools. Basically, I think the parents are the defining point no matter where children are educated, the exception being a few children who do better educationally because of their schooling experience.
It is a personal issue. An issue each set of parents MUST bring before God themselves, and ask Him for guidance to do the best with their children. I cannot pretend I know in any way what has guided other parents to choose what they have chosen for their children.
My post is merely a "slice of life" about me and my own experience!
I couldn't have said it better myself. Gone are the days (for the most part) of backwards homeschoolers being socially ill-equipped. You just rarely see it anymore, at least in the cirlces I run in.
ReplyDeleteI thought your post was well written and your last post totally summed it up. Each parent is responsible to God for their choices in schooling. I have the whole gammet of friends. Government, Private and HS. Each, from what I can tell, is seeking God's face for the direction for their family. It's not for everyone, but if God is tugging at your heartstrings....let Him help you tie them.
Listen the Holy Spirit if He prompts you to look into it. I was one of the "I WILL NEVER HOMESCHOOL MY KIDS" people. You may not end up doing it, but...God changed my heart in a drastic way--but I knew it was all Him and nothing to do with me!
Hugs to you Gretchen! Oh, and I'd LOVE to hook up with you sometme too! Maybe when my husband comes down to TG4, I can come hang out and get to meet you!
Gretchen,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for this post! As a non-homeschooled, homeschooling mom, I am always intersted in hearing from successful products of homeschooling! JP was homeschooled through high school and I do believe he had a fabulous education. I was completely against it, but thankfully God has changed my heart.
I think that the points Heather brought out are valid, but there are huge possible faults in every venue of education. I too know several homeschooling families that should NOT be homeschooling! When I line up the pros and cons of my choices, the choice is completely clear, and our children are HOME!
I can not agree with you more about your love of reading! My husband loves to read and reads to learn. I am not a reader AT ALL! We have tried to pass his love to our children. I pray that they will love to read. It gives them the power to educate themselves for the rest of their lives. Our 7 yr old reads at a 7th grade level and learns more from his reading than I can teach him in a school day. I am confident that if was in a school room all day books would not nearly have the same impact on his life.
Thanks again for an encouraging post!
Tancy
Karen and Tancy --
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for the encouraging response, guys! I pretty much was thinking of people like you when I wrote this because I wanted to give you a shout-out for doing what you do. I'm sure you know how special it is that you can invest in your kids that way, but in case you didn't know, here I am pointing it out to you!
On behalf of your kids, thanks!
Dang, that's alotta feedback! Maybe I should say something inflammatory just to add fuel to the fire... kidding. Very good post, my socially well-adjusted friend.
ReplyDeleteAnd Mitchells2000 (sounds like a robot from the future), I agree that "not everyone is qualified to homeschool their children." On the other hand, a lot of people seem to overestimate how difficult it actually is. So I would add to your statement this: "Most people, if they put their minds to it, could handle homeschooling their kids." The problem, I think, is more often that people are unwilling, than that they are unqualified.
I would encourage most Christians to homeschool (I'm not concerned with the practice of unbelievers), because we are ultimately responsible before God for the spiritual up-bringing of our children. Public school, which we now take for granted, is a relative novelty and (I would argue) an unscriptural institution; because it separates children from their families during the most crucial part of the day, during the most crucial years of their development. I say that it's unscriptural, because 1) it seriously undermines the SCRIPTURAL institution of parenthood; and 2) although our culture raises up public education as a moral imperative, it refuses morality a place within the public school system (and specifically Christian morality); and 3) it fills this moral and religious vacuum with the noxious fume of secular humanism.
Kev,
ReplyDeleteHeh, heh, heh. . . .fuel to the fire, indeed! :)
Thanks for responding. Leave it to you to go back to the SCRIPTURAL reasons. . . whatEVER. Just kidding.
Wow, I just commented a day ago, and there are already 16 on here altogether! I've enjoyed this post as well simply because, as you said, it was a "slice of life" kind of post. I agree with pretty much everything that's been mentioned here, and I'm thankful that I have these things to consider before even having to be faced with the decision. I'm with you, Gret, I can't say it ENOUGH how much the parents have to do with the success of homeschooling.
ReplyDeleteThanks again for the post, and WAHOO for Saturdays!!!
Way to get the comments going, girl! Ok, I have to add my own 2 cents . . .
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, we haven't decided what to do when Elijah is school age (only 2 more years :( ), but we are leaning toward home schooling, too.
Both Dan and I are products of a Christian Day School environment, and we both know that even some of the best Christian schools still have a lot of downfalls. Why? Because they are attended by little sinners, who may not have embraced God yet! And my biggest complaint is that you have kids who claim to be Christian and do not live like one, thus creating an attitude that being a Christian is in name only, and outward behaviors don't matter. "My Christian friends lie to their parents, party and have filthy mouths, so it must be ok!"
I also have concerns of parents who are not disciplined enough to adequately educate their children, but, after teaching for a time, I'm not worried about that in my own home, and that is all I am responsible for! I must admit, I am thankful that I have a degree in education just in case the laws ever change!
All that being said, I am nervous about teaching kids to read, just because that is an area I have never taught before.
One last comment . . . I love the relationship you have with your sisters. I was just talking to a friend of mine who has 6 siblings and they grew up in a 2 bedroom house! She is amazed when people move to bigger houses just so their kids can have their own room! She pointed out what a good relationship she has with her family because they were so close. I loved hearing that and it has definately affected my viewpoint.
Ok,that's all for now. I agree that I could talk forever about this topic, but I will back off and let some others speak!
Hey, I calls 'em as I sees 'em.
ReplyDeleteI was a little concerned about teaching my younger son to read too, but found that he picked it up on his own right before first grade (using early reader books). We had played some phonics games when he was in Kindergarten, and he had a lot of exposure to books since he was a baby.
ReplyDeleteI read some homeschooling books that indicate a child with normal intelligence will learn to read on their own when they are ready. It may be as early as 3 years of age or as late as 12. If the parent has read to the child and perhaps taught him/her some phonics, the process will naturally happen. It does not require an expensive reading/phonics program, just time spent with the parent in learning oral and written language.
WOW - what a great discussion! It is fascinating to see this subject through others' perspectives, and I have found myself agreeing with just about everything! :^)
ReplyDeleteBTW, Kevin... our username is our last name (Mitchells) and the year we were married b/c do you have ANY idea how many Mitchells there are?!?!? My husband is one of 8 kids, and he has 63 first cousins! Besides that, I'm not creative enough to come up with something really eye-catching! :-)
And Hindto - if you come down to meet Gretchen, you have to visit me, too! I'm only 15 minutes from her house! Maybe we can all get together, and I can "introduce" you!
Gretchen - I'm also glad that you brought this whole subject up b/c on one of your previous posts you mentioned something about homeschooling your kids, and I was totally curious as to what brought you to that decision already (b-4 you have kids.) Now I know!
You know what I've loved most about meeting my two new "reformed" friends, Gretchen and Donette? You are like SOUL MATES! I read your posts and its like what I just thought the day before, or last week. What you read or commented on reading, is what I just finished reading or is on my list to read in the near future. Your comments regarding homeschooling, Gretchen, is my heart EXACTLY! It's like freakie!
ReplyDeleteI totally agree w/Kevin about encouraging every blood bought believer to REALLY consider homeschooling. Not because, maybe someone else can do it better, but b/c God gave us our children to raise them to be Christ followers.
I just went to an Isreal Wayne Homeschool Seminar, which was amazing. Now, I may not agree w/everything, but he laid out in the 4 hour lecture, this whole philosophy of "Government Schools" aka.. public schools. He talked about how it divides the family. I was like "right on brother, keep talking" Schools in general, end up dividing the family b/c it makes kids from Kindergarten on, peer dependant. The peers become more influential and more important than the parents. Once that happens, bye bye family unit. Hello, friends!
I will just get on a soapbox, so I will try and be careful, as I do have many friends who truly love Christ, doing other things. I just that each generation looses the Vision of the Gospel, as the generations go by.
I'd like to just shake every Christian parent and say...."don't you see what the world is doing to Christianity?" Christianity is being exploited, by Christians w/o even knowing it! Primarily it happens b/c we think the Christian family is protected magically somehow, from the World. The schools and every part of our life actually, is almost designed to divide the family.
I have so much to say and better be quiet. I would just have to agree w/Kevin, that even if you say, "thats not for me, I couldn't do it," I TOTALLY agree w/Kevin when he said this. I mean I vehemently agree with him...MitchellMania said..."Most people, if they put their minds to it, could handle homeschooling their kids." Kevin added "The problem, I think, is more often that people are unwilling, than that they are unqualified." I totally agree.
Okay, off the soapbox! Hugs to you Gretchen from Michigan!
It depends on the child and the parents. "Homes'cooling" - Can be the best way to go. So can a private Christian school. And so can public school. There that settles it!
ReplyDeleteWow. . . I can't believe I waited so long to blog about something that I think about constantly. This is the best discussion I've ever gotten started before! And the weird thing is, at least half of the homeschool moms I know that blog haven't read it!
ReplyDeleteKaren -- I'm so flattered! Soul mates! And just think if we lived in our parent's generation, we would likely never have met (though our husbands may have met at T4G or something. . . so. . . never mind, scratch that theory, I think we all would agree that such things reside in the Sovereign Hands of Almighty God. Praise to Him!
Nett -- I'll be praying for you as you consider what choice to make. I think such a thing can come as a calling/conviction, but also as a logical conclusion. God's will is mysterious. But the good news is, you will find it if you seek it!
Smoothie King -- hmmmm. . . sums it up, now does it? :)
Gret,
ReplyDeleteI think I forgot to mention, no, I KNOW I did, that 2 Wed nights ago, a lady in our church spoke up after church, in front of the entire congregation (not in front of our regular pastor who homeschools SEVEN children), and said she thought it was wrong of us to "segregate" (no time to spell check right now) our children by homeschooling and that we should have our little ones in school so they can witness to the unsaved little kids there. WHAT?!?!?!?!? That went over like a lead balloon. Anyway, of course, Susan wasn't in there and I was so dumfounded that she'd say such a thing so publicly in a church full of homeschoolers that I didn't say anything either. Oh*My*Goodness!!! She's right. I DO "segregate" my children....ON PURPOSE!!! While 2 of my 3 children are saved now, it's still something (public school) I think they should be shelterred from. Absolutely. I'm PROUD to homeschool my children and be able to somewhat protect their environments as long as I can. GO HOME'S COOL!!!!
Brittany
Gret:
ReplyDeleteYou didn't tell me I would need an hour to read through all of these fabulous posts! As you can imagine I have a bit to say about this topic, as a public schooled mom who homeschools her kids. I am so glad that we have decided to keep our kids at home! I have to say a huge AMEN to all who have said that the responsibility lays heavily on the parents shoulders. I can honestly say taht every time I talk to Greg about sending them off to school, it is primarily because I don't think that I can handle it. Truly, it is because I am flat out lazy at times. Its just hard to keep up with the kids' education, keep the housein order, be the mom and the wife that I think God is telling me to be. Then I have all of those folks in my life that are "concerned about me" who insist that I need time to/for myself (where does that fit in???). The world insists that we cannot be fulfilled and sucessful "members of society" unless we have a worthwhile profession, make lots of money and/or are doing something for the betterment of society as a whole. Tucking in at home and raising up a Godly generation is nowhere in the definition of success as far as the world is concerned. Ooohh, I guess this was a "soapbox inducing" post, Gret:) I was just going to post a brief note and come back later...:)
Okay, I thought of one more thing as we were tackling this morning's tasks. If you don't Homeschool and don't understand it, please, give the Homeschooler the courtesy of asking questions before you condemn or belittle them. I know in our case, we are doing the best we can/know how to do. AND we are trying to follow God's lead in this matter. If you want to lift up your Christian brother you will try to at least respect that the decision is theirs to make. And at best you can come alongside that Homeschooler and help them in their journey---because, it AIN'T easy;) God bless all of you where ever you are at.
ReplyDeleteHey Gretchen, Thanks so much for your encouragement. Most days I feel like we are doing the BEST thing possible for our kids...but there are those days when I wonder...so to hear the postive feedback from you, a former homeschooled student- it means a lot!
ReplyDeleteBrit, I am QUITE sure I know who it was, as I have heard said song and dance before. One on one with this person. My dad has too. I really think that she is clueless and does know have a CLUE how offensive she comes across. I know she likes me!
ReplyDeleteStaci -- yea!!! You read my blog! I'd been waiting for your comments!
Sara -- One of my ministries to homeschool moms is to tell them that I loved it and that it's worth it!
Wow Gretchen! What a great blog topic. Also homeschooled, I also have that same hesitation when asked about my pre-college education. As your blog proves it is truly opening a "can of worms". While I agree it may not be for everyone, I will also say it gives the opportunity for individualized study, no matter what your learning style.
ReplyDeleteWhen people ask what school my kids attend, I enjoy telling them that we homeschool to see their reaction. Mostly, the reaction has been positive.
ReplyDeleteYou forgot to mention the part about the alternative to "home's Cooled"....which is, "homethcooled".
ReplyDeleteI get asked almost daily, now that I'm done with school, if I liked homeschooling, and I cry out .."YES"....the amazing allowence to be able to read as much as you want, still excites me...
About what you said talking about us getting along so well because we were homeschooled...I actually started crying when I read it...it's so true, and I know for a fact that things like, "the Yummy" would have never been created. :D I am just now realizing the extreme benefits of being best friends with your sisters. I don't ever worry about not having friends, because I have you guys! I can honestly say that I can't really think of more of a fun time than I have just sitting around on Christmas with my best friends in the whole world.
One more thing, and that's it, I swear.
Jr. High----the worst experience known to children....you are placed in this box where you are niether child nor teenager, you don't understand anything, and everyone assumes you should...No one wants to be your friend, or else everyone does, and you find yourself unable to juggle all of the friendships. Now, imagine placing this hormone-adjusting child into a Public Junior High! Where everyone is trying to find "themselves" in all of the wrong places...why not do drugs, it feels good? why not be with boys, it feels good?....I am ever thankful to God and our wonderful parents that I was spared from this and dealt with those issues at home, knowing that I am much too weak to endure such a thing!
ok sorry for the long comment (i am known for them on myspace)
-emma--your cheerios-in-yogurt loving sister