We’ve been covering the middle and new kingdom of Egypt, so we’ve got a few characters that we’ve come to know. One is the female pharaoh Hatshepsut and the other is the young pharaoh King Tut. For Hatshepsut, we created false beards, but a little more colorful than what was actually worn, and for King Tut, we made our own papier-mâché Egyptian death masks, again probably a little more vibrant than what was actually done. Regardless, both projects contributed to understanding the story of our characters better.
It looks fun and dandy, but I will tell you sometimes homeschooling is tough. If you would have asked me yesterday or this morning, I might have been eager to throw in the towel and send them to regular school. Though when I look back at moments like these, I am reminded of why we do what we do and the benefits of homeschooling.
If you didn’t know, I was once a public school teacher and had my own fourth grade class. It is interesting now to be able to use the skills I went to school for with my own children. At the same time, I think it’s harder with your own children. I definitely was much more patient with a class of 30 than I am with 2. So strange how that goes.
I do love how in schooling at home, we can dig deeper into subjects and mix in their personal interests as well. There is a whole lot of curriculum integration going on. People are pretty divided when it comes to their ideas of homeschool and I completely understand why. Just like there are bad and good teachers at regular school, homeschooling could be executed well or executed poorly. I went to school to be a teacher, so certain aspects of homeschooling may be a bit easier for me than others, but not everyone who does homeschooling has to have a teaching background to be successful, and not everyone who does it, regardless of their level of education, will be successful at it. Heck! There are a lot of areas of homeschooling in which I could use some improvement. Thankfully, we have a really good support system through the charter school we go through and a teacher comes to the house once a month to keep up to date with everyone’s learning. Plus, most of my closest friends are still currently teaching, so when I need some advice on things regarding the younger grade levels, I bug them.
What are your ideas of homeschooling? Do you agree with parents who do it or not? I won’t be offended if you don’t agree, but please just be nice about it.
This year, I started homeschooling my 5 year old. We chose to do so in part because of her food allergies (we need to carry an Epi-Pen whenever we travel out of our home) but also because I feel like I can give her the attention she needs. We also supplement with a cyber charter school and I think it’s fantastic. With supplementing through cyber school, it helps me fee less isolated and I can bounce ideas and questions off of her “teacher”. While I agree, it’s hard work to the max some days, I think we’ll continue homeschool / cyber school through to high school or if she strongly wants to go brick & mortar school when she’s older … best of luck with your little ones!!! 🙂
Btw, I typing up a blog post about my homeschool adventures this week and definitely link back to your super blog if that’s ok 🙂
yes of course! can’t wait to read it! share a link here when you have it up.
I’m relatively new to your blog and have never left a comment. I’m undecided what to think about homeschooling. I should preface this comment by saying that I truly believe every parent makes the best decision for their family. When I say I’m undecided, I’m saying I’m unsure about it being the right choice for US. Luckily my oldest is almost two, so I have a while to think about schooling decisions.
I spent much of my childhood and adolesent years in gymnastics. Because of all the hours we spent in the gym, a couple of my teammates were homeschooled. They were different and many of us didn’t get along with them as well as the other girls. We talked about different things and didn’t seem to have a lot in common socially. Then, as an adult, I coached competitive gymnastics and had a gymnast, once again, who was homeschooled. I loved talking to her. She was so mature and sweet and I enjoyed our conversations. I noticed she had a harder time making friendships with the other girls who were her age. She was very comfortable in her own skin and confident in her own way, but I always sensed the other girls thought she was weird and annoying. I probably would have thought so too, if I were her age. Both of these experienes as a teenager and then as an adult have made me wonder about the social aspect of homeschooling.
I live in the LA area too. Schools in my area are hit or miss. Some scores are awful and it largely depends on where you live. But when I look at the schools, in order to get into good ones, it seems as though we should plan on moving when the kids start elementary, then again for junior high, and then again for high school… which is totally unrealistic. I also hate being burdened by finding our dream home IN a good school district. I hate that it plays such a big role. Then I look at the cost of private school and I just about lose my mind. Who can afford that!? Then I think about homeschooling… and I think, like you said, if it’s done correctly, homeschooling would be a nice alternative. So yeah, I’m unsure.
I’m sure you do a fantastic job with your adorable girls. I love that you mix in a class at the charter school. As a side note, you should totally put the girls into gymnastics. They’re so cute and tiny, they’d be perfect 😉 I’m just sayin’… Remember when you do, and they’re all talented, that I told you so…
I agree with you. My siblings were homeschooled in their elementary years and I was homeschooled during teen years. I agree, I have come across both homeschoolers who were difficult who lacked relational skills with their peers and others who were just fine. Honestly, my girls are painfully shy for like the first hour of meeting someone, so I am sure someone would think it is the result of the homeschooling, but really, it is just their personality, especially for True. I think social issues will arise, in some cases, regardless of homeschooling. I know a few people who were never homeschooled and still don’t relate well to others, so I guess it can be a toss up! 😉
I never was homeschooled, but my brother was for a year during his sophemore year in high school and he ran back to public school the next year. But then again, it’s just me and him and I am older, so he really didn’t have nice brothers with him, unlike your girls. It sure looks fun when you talk about, although I can totaly see how it could be difficult…
I always wonder how people teach math to high schoolers. By that, I mean teaching home-schooled math at a higher level. Do you plan on homeschooling your girls until college?
I think home schooling is far less common over here in England… mixture of reasons I guess, probably geography is a key part as we’re all so much closer together so no long travel distances to get to a school!
I’d like to think I could do it but I’m just not sure I could- it’s such a huge responsibility and I know I’d be good at some of it but not all of it!! I think you have a great set up with the charter school, it’s great for your girls to hang out with other kids some days- my friend was homeschooled and she had some serious social issues in her teens because she’d never really had that interaction. (She’d admit that herself)
I’m always very inspired by your school related posts- George is nearly 4 so not at school yet but we try and do something crafty each week and relate it to learning colours/numbers etc. I like it on that scale just not sure I could be responsible for all his learning every day! You’re doing a good job lady!! x
(PS. It’s funny how you can look back at photos and think oh, that was really fun but actually at the time you were crazy stressed or impatient or whatever.)
I think homeschooling is great, if it works for you and your family. I am a teacher, too, but know for my family, homeschooling would not work for everyone. My daughters and son thrive on the routine and structure of public school. This is not saying that homeschooling families lack that routine and structure by any means, but they really enjoy going to school and I’d have a hard time taking that away from them. I, know, too, my eldest and I would clash terribly, as we are way too much alike.
Also, I think it depends on where you live. I grew up in Southern California and if I lived there now, I’d probably homeschool. I respect the teachers of California who are fighting the fight in a system that is struggling to provide, really I do. (I am a teacher myself and I can’t imagine the crowded classrooms and severe budget cuts!) My husband and I moved to Boston because of the schools. They are wonderful and that is worth braving the winters!
I have to say, I pop in here and am constantly amazed how you do so many things with such creativity, beauty, and conviction. I respect you so very much for your choice to homeschool. I LOVE, too, that you have the charter school for enrichment, I think it provides an awesome opportunity for your girls to experience the best that schools can offer. Thanks for sharing and starting this engaging discussion. I pray all comments are thoughtfully respectful. 🙂
wow, this is quite inspiring. i have been a first grade teacher for 7 years now, so i know a thing or two about teaching. i had the pleasure of scrolling through most of your site last weekend, when i discovered it & the way you homeschool seems very impressive to me. babies will soon be on the horizon for my husband & i and there has been a lot of discussion between us as to whether or not to homeschool since i am a certified teacher. i get nervous about it at times, but love the range of possibilities. like you said, being able to incorporate your daughter’s interests is what i really like about it. i think it allows for a more broad education and allows you to nurture your children’s talents & passions. thanks for sharing your creative ideas. i cannot wait to incorporate some of the crafts/ideas into my class this year!
We’ve thought about it for our kids. My oldest has some sensory needs and we’ve wondered how he’d do in school. I’ve been doing with him a homeschool hour, as I call it, since he was about two, where we would do age-appropriate projects and activities. He just started public pre-k, though, and is doing beautifully. He is, in fact, thriving. We were so anxious and hesitant, but we’re so glad we did it. His teacher is wonderful, and teaches along the lines of our philosophy. But then again, it is pre-k.
We do live in NYC and public schools here are mostly terrible, and private schools can be up to thriple my monthly rent. These play a big part in our consideration to homeschool, obviously, especially the higher grades. I do admit I may not have the best patience for it, but I’m downright scared of public schools here, so I’d prefer tackling homeschooling if need be.
I was homeschooled my entire life, and am incredibly thankful for that opportunity. My mother was more than qualified, which I’m sure helped the situation, and we had many activities to participate in outside the home (instrument lessons, sports, church, and neighborhood activities).
I am currently finishing up my Senior year at college (straight As so far), and will be homeschooling my own children once they’re of age.
I think its great! I am currently in the process of starting to homeschool my eldest daughter (I have two girls and a baby boy) because she seems to really need that one on one time that a classroom just cant give her. I have chosen to mainly the Charlotte Mason Method as well as a little A Beka because that is what her school uses and I like their phonics. I love that you created projects in conjunction with what you are studying. I will be wanting to do the same thing with my daughter when we study history. You have given me two great projects to do with her when we study Ancient Egypt! Thanks! What method do you like best?
I’m in my second year of homeschooling. My son is 2nd grade, my girls are first grade and kindergarten. I also have a two month old. I must admit that I spent every afternoon this week writing four pages of reasons why I want to throw in the towel. When things get crazy and the kids are wild and the mess is piled up all around me… it literally takes all of my strength to keep from breaking down in tears. I feel like my kids need more structure and honestly… I would like five minutes to put laundry away. I’ve been looking through my favorite homeschool blogs for inspiration and/or reasons to keep on going with this. Thanks for your honesty about not loving it all the time. And thanks for your pretty blog!
I attended regular school and high school, except for two subjects which I ended up doing externally in high school. I went from a C average to a B and an A. It wasn’t that the subjects I did externally through long distance education had a nicer teacher who marked me nicer or anything. I sat an apitude test when I applied to join the defence force; the interview looked at my school results then looked at the apitude test results and asked me what went wrong in high school. Last year I sat a different apitude test to enter university: I scored in the 95th percentile in one part and in the 84th percentile for the second. So despite barely passing high school, I’m now at uni. I’m not bragging, but I’ve been wondering ever since- what went wrong?
I went to the largest school in my town. It produced a lot of the top students every year, but it had a lot of bad. In year 9, most of my maths lessons was spent watching a group of students torment our chinese teacher until he had a nervous break down- not before we had several weeks of him screaming and throwing tables. Then and now, I feel sorry for him. Those kids picking on the bus monitor had nothing on the kids in my year 9 maths class. I saw one of them recently, actually. She was on a police wanted poster….. Whenever that teacher busted me drawing or reading in class, he would smile. Probably in relief that at least I was quiet.
I hated other students giving the teacher’s crap. I tuned out a lot. I hated- I still hate- yelling and all that ugliness. I also tuned out a lot because the lessons were moving waaaaaay too slowly for my liking. Next thing you know, bam, the bell would go!
There was one girl in my grade- she didn’t fit in because she was religious, and didn’t try to be anything she wasn’t. One boy cut off his pubes in class and threw them on her.
Growing up, I was an only child. I knew my own mind, and I was never interested in watching tv. I didn’t have a lot to relate to with other kids. I read a lot. I was picked on and bullied a lot. If I had done all my subjects through long distance education, I would have been a hell of a lot happier… but then, the grass is always greener on the other side, isn’t it? Maybe I would be more confidant when it comes to meeting new people, instead of waiting on them to turn on me. 10 years on, and I can still hear the bitchy girls voices in my head at times. I don’t want to. But maybe if I had been homeschooled, I would never have learnt to deal with conflict. I’ve worked doors at large events, and I can deal with drunks and troublesome people without resorting to violence.
But on the other hand if I was home schooled, I would never have learnt how strong I can be, and I would never have learnt the importance of being true to yourself, and standing up for others. Also the importance of never turning a blind eye. I learnt a lot of life lessons.
If someone said above- if you go to a normal school, you generally fit in better. Home school, you’re probably a better human being, but you miss that high school… stuff. The self centeredness, being in a group etc. Maybe it is good to belong. I never felt like I belonged in school, so I would like my daughter feel like she belongs. But I shudder at the idea of her becoming a self centered teenaged bitch. I hate the idea of her being picked on in school. So we will see how we go with normal schooling. But the moment there is a problem, I will reasses that. She is two atm, so lots of time yet.
I saw a show on tv the other night about the Amish, some Amish teens going to a normal school. The girl commented that at home, in her community, they are taught skills they need to support a family, skills for life, skills to work. But at the high school, they seem so focussed on exams. And I thought, was is important to me? My health, happiness, family, personal growth, security, learning. I’ve been tempted to frame my daughter’s birth certificate, but never any educational results I’ve acheived. We display photos of loved ones around the house, not schooling results.
Maybe my daughter will love formal school based education when the time comes. Maybe she will breeze through and grow into a level headed, happy, well liked teenager. But everyones talks about the problem of bullies and cyer bullies and wonder how we can stop it. (Hint: Home schooling is a good start. But should we home school the bullies or the bullied?)
I actually was homeschooled throughout high school, but got plenty of social interaction in other ways. i didn’t get that much drama, but got plenty from my circle of friends. drama is bound to happen isn’t it?!
it sounds like you would have enjoyed homeschooling based on the school you attended. at the same time, you learned a lot of life skills on how to deal with conflict based on your environment. the great thing is we can learn from our experience and use that to help make it better for our children.
What a cute loaf pan! And now I know what a friand is – love the flavors of blood orange and poppy seeds and these must be very light and moist with the beaten egg whites. Great recipe, Angie!
Dat jasje vind ik ook erg mooi! En hoewel ik wel een beetje Frans kan, zou een Frans patroon me waarschijnlijk niet gaan lukken.
I applaud parents with the patience to teach their children at home! I think it is excellent! Especially with all the resources that are out there for any help you might need. My sister is currently homeschooling my niece. She is farther ahead than my son in the same grade. Keep on keeping on momma!
omg! genius!
I was homeschooled my entire life and loved the experience. I had no issues socially while being homeschooled or when I entered college or the workforce. Granted, I was fortunate enough to live in the city where I had many extra curricular activity options and my parents were not homeschooling me out of an isolationist mindset. My husband and I have had many conversations about how we want to school our children (our oldest is 1 1/2 so we still have time). He went to public school in rural IA (graduating class of 60 and that was 6+ towns) and I was homeschooled in the city so our experiences were very different. Mine were generally more positive than his were. I think the main thing to think about when educating your children is to think about what format would work best for their learning, the lifestyle of your family, and most importantly how the values you believe to be important will best be relayed to you children. Regardless of what schooling choice you choose if you are an involved parent I believe that your child will have a positive experience overall and learn well. That being said I personally hope to homeschool. I love how the education can be tailored to your child and they are not forced to move at the same speed and direction as 20 other kids. I want my children to love learning and I think that (at least at a young age) this is best accomplished at home where you can incorporate a child’s interests and focus on what they care about and give extra attention to areas of need. I also appreciate how I can show my children God’s handiwork as they learn their math, science, history, english, etc. I have loved reading everyone’s respectful comments here 🙂 It is good food for thought 🙂
My kids are in Kindergarten & 2nd grade. I never considered homeschooling until my own kids approached school, but as both my husband and I have to work full time, it wouldn’t be possible to do a full curriculum. We are fortunate that the school our kids attend is pretty good, although I always wish there was more they could do. I try to supplement with my own materials as I can, though lately it’s been less than I would like because the kids schedule is just as crazy as the parents. 🙂 But as things settle in the next few weeks I would like to add some world history and some science. Last year we did anatomy (thanks to the posts you had of the book you used with your girls!) and they loved it! As parents we always want to do the best we can for our children and each path is a little different.
check out story of the world curriculum. you can do lessons from there and have books you can read that will help supplement their learning. you could include it in their bedtime readings!
I love your blog, and the creative approach that you take with teaching your girls. I’ve considered homeschooling, but I don’t think that I’d have the confidence in myself to actually go forth with it. I’d be afraid that I wouldn’t be an adequate teacher for high school math and science, because I struggled with those subjects myself in high school. You seem to be doing an excellent job with homeschooling! I commend your patience and confidence.
homeschooling rocks. i so enjoy it. no one knows my kids as well as i do. I’ve been home teaching my 5 kids, ages 15, 14, 12, 8 & 3-for almost 16 years (since my oldest was birthed, they come out of the womb learning:) the first few years can be challenging only because it takes time refining your style and philosophy, and not comparing your style with others.. looking at the big picture helps too; what are you and your husbands goals for ur kids? well rounded, college, character building, bible experts, future homemakers? knowing your goals helps you decide what to spend time on. keep up the good work, don’t grow weary in well doing:)
Homeschooling is incredible! We practice Waldorf-inspired unschooling (no curriculum)…right now at least…one of the wonderful things about homeschooling is that it’s always evolving based on the needs/interests/speed of our little almost 5 year old. Since we do Waldorf, we’re outside as much as possible – gardening, nature walks, exploring, etc. and we try to make our home days as rhythmic as possible. It’s wonderful. Homeschooling came completely naturally to our parenting methods and life – it was just the obvious choice. I was homeschooled in Kindergarten and 5th grade. We want our little one to be a lifetime learner and I don’t want that to be squashed in outside school and I want her to actually LEARN and not just learn to the test. I think outside school CAN turn kids into just reward seekers (stickers, back pats, awards, grades, honor societies, etc) and that’s not what we want for our girl…we want her to always do her best for herself and not just some short term reward/honor.
With unschooling specifically, it’s awesome because it’s completely based on my gal’s interests – last year she was obsessed with U.S. presidents and history so we learned as much as we could about all of that (yes, we both learned – which is also wonderful about homeschooling). It wasn’t typical for a 3/4 year old but she was so interested in it so we went with it. Just stuff like that…right now, we’re reading the “Little House…” series (my old books) and she is just eating it up and is very interested in the pioneer days…or “back in the old days” as she says ☺.
Taken from one of my fave books on unschooling, “The Unshooling Handbook”, by Mary Griffith:
Qualities needing for unschooling (homeschooling too) parents:
1.) Love for your children
2.) Delight in watching them grow
3.) Active learners themselves
4.) Willingness to learn alongside them…to say “i don’t know” and search with them for answer
5.) Desire to spend lots of time with them
I love those. I think most parents obviously have MOST of those…I think alot don’t have #5 though. Alot of parents can’t wait for school to start back up in the fall, really enjoy the time away from their kiddos, and can’t wait to get them in preschool. Not judging, that’s just not the way I am. Quite the opposite, I have no desire for those things…I want as much time as possible with my little one. They grow up far too quickly! So yeah, you have to really love spending time with your kids if you want to home/unschool! ☺ It’s definitely hard sometimes, but still, so worth it.
My 5th grade year at home was by far the best year of my schooling, I learned SO MUCH, more than any other year BY FAR. I was able to do my schoolwork (my mom used a curriculum) and then READ as much as I wanted and it was incredible. I’d always loved to read but that year changed everything for me!!! I was also able to work alongside my mom all day too which was the BEST learning experience. I am one of 7 kids so there were lots of little kids to take care of! I helped homeschool my little brothers and taught them each how to read that year. On Fridays after I got all my schoolwork done for the week, I worked at a “Kids Day Out” at our church as a teacher, which again, was an incredible learning experience. Dealing with parents, caring for/teaching kids, having a boss, earning money, etc…it was great. Then on random days I went downtown to my dad’s office with him (he was/is an attorney) and I worked there…I filed stuff for people, put together closing books, and assisted him, his assistant, and colleages in any way I could. Again, incredible learning experience.
Then I went back to outside school in the 6th grade…didn’t have any sort of weird transition back to it and I did enjoy it. However, there was all the junior high, and then high school, DRAMA to deal with – mean girls, stupid boys, etc .etc. All that is ridiculous and completely distracting to learning. I missed homeschooling but felt I needed to stay in outside school through graduation. I thrived in high school, both socially and academically, but I learned how to read/learn to the test….so I wasn’t REALLY learning. College was incredible but a bit more of the same (learning to the test)…at least in college I was able to pick out my classes based on my interests…at least at first. I am a nerd and loved school though overall – whether it was home or outside, but my 5th grade year was idyllic.
So anyways, my girl loves homeschooling and has no desire to go to an outside school…she says maybe in high school. We’ll see ☺. However, if she said next year she wanted to try an outside school, there is a Waldorf school she could go to a bit here and there. I would follow her lead and see what she thought of it. But I so love being her guide…it does require alot of confidence and patience and I put ALOT of time into researching it all. Personally, I feel it is my responsibility to help teach her and don’t want that put on anybody else. She takes alot of extracurricular classes based on her interests – art, gymnastics, ballet/tap, etc. She loves it all and is quite the little social girl. She is wonderful with both kids and adults. We have lots of natural parenting/unschooling playgroups and whatnot too, which is great. Those are important, along with cultural field trips, travel, and experiences. Of course, I am so blessed to be able to do what I do…I know there are many single parents, like my brother, who would love to homeschool his girls but isn’t able to…he hates sending them to public school.
Anyways, this has turned into quite the novel, but I think it’s awesome you’re homeschooling your girlies and you do so very creatively and you’re obviously making it quite fun for them! Learning is completely NATURAL and FUN…it’ something that can and should happen anywhere/anytime…not just at “school”. My two sisters are outside school teachers so it’s very interesting hearing their thoughts and what they’re doing in their classrooms. FYI, they are completely supportive of home/unschooling and are always amazed at what my girl is learning/interested in. Alright, I need to end this comment…obvously, I could go on and on.
P.S….The masks are beautiful!
I went to a public school, was home schooled, and went to a private school:) After kindergarden at the public school, my mom took out my older sister and I since the public school in our town was pretty bad. She home schooled us through 8th grade and we then went to an elite private school for high school. We were both in the National Honor Society and the French National Honor Society and graduated with GPAs over a 4.0. We were also both varsity cheerleaders along with many other sports and clubs so we weren’t nerds;) I know for a fact that I would not have been able to achieve that level of academic excellence had I not been home schooled. My mom was also able to teach us to our strengths. I loved to read so I had a literature based history program. Along with my standard history text books I would read books written during the different time periods (1600s, 1700s, 1800s etc) which greatly increased my vocabulary and enabled my to get great SAT scores. Since my mom was a former graphic designer and an all around artsy person, I was exposed to different art projects on a daily basis.
Now, on the other hand, I have met a lot of home schooled children who are very socially inept since they never learned how to communicate and “play” with their peers. I have also met a lot of homeschool parents who could care less about their child’s progress and the kid spends the whole day on facebook. It really is just like a school, some schools are terrific and some schools are not, just because one parent is inept and should not be teaching their child, it does not mean that home schooling should be banned completely as it is in some countries!
I definitely think that you are on the right track with giving your kids one day in a tradition school setting since it will make the transition to high school or collage much easier. Also, when you have a bunch of siblings around the same age, it helps with the socialization aspect that can be lacking in home schooling. All of the awkward home schooled kids I met were only children!
ohmygoodness, you are such a fun mama! what a great way to study and learn about egypt and history. my kids are still too young for homeschool, but i can’t wait to get started.!
Hi! It looks like you are a good teacher:) I’m a teacher as well but in a school in Sweden. Here we don’t have so many kids who gets their education at home. I havent thought about it so much before I found your blog. I think it’s a good idea if the school can’t offer the things you want to give to your kids. And since you seems like a social person i think your kids is getting friends anyway:)
I have said it before, your blog is so good!! Hugs from Sweden
thank you!
hello! looking at those masks reminded me of 4th grade when we learned about hopi kachina dolls. the lesson coincided with making huge kachina head masks (fit over our heads and sit on our shoulders) from big ice-cream tubs.
anyway, a tip i thought i would share when making masks with kids is when the mask is on their face, ask them to point to their eyes. for some reason, one’s fingers know exactly where each feature on one’s face are. perfect tip for knowing where to cut out the eyes when mask-making 🙂 i distinctly remember my teacher sharing that tip as she made little marks on all our masks to cut out eye holes. funny what sticks with you, right?
Ruby, I love this school project! I wish you could be my girls teacher!
I never considered homeschooling until after my husband and I were married–I always thought it was very weird. 🙂 But when I did stumble on the idea just before my children were born and gave it a closer look, it seemed like just the perfect fit for our family, and we have never considered any other learning option for us since then. We’re still just starting out–my two oldest are in first grade–and we use a Charlotte Mason method of education. Homeschooling the kids is my favorite part of the day! It appeals to my teacher-past (I used to teach college English when I was in grad school and always planned to be a teacher). And like you, we’re enrolled with a charter school, though we don’t school out of the home–our charter school just requires monthly visits and then gives us access to funds for educational use…which is why we’re enrolled. 😉 Anyway, I love following your education journey with your beautiful girls!
I agree so much on homeschooling your kids. A lot of people say to me how I seem to have it all together with homeschooling my sons, but sometimes I get extremely frustrated and have searched out costs of private schools, but then cool off and think of how amazing it is to teach my kids and take the time to work with them on so many subjects and projects. It is really fun doing that. Your photos definitely mirror a lot of what I do with my sons, though we probably won’t be learning about Egypt until they reach about 3rd grade or so. We are in discovery of America (Leif Erikson was completed recently and we’re working on Christopher Columbus). I go through the Beautiful Feet history curriculum because it brings in how the people may or may not have been transformed by Jesus as well or brings in discussion of God in some form. I really enjoy incorporating God into everything, so it has been really fun. I think it is cute how my 1st grader wants to do things with my preschooler, even though he already did them two years ago. My preschooler sometimes wants to do things with my 1st grader. It is really cute to see them learning together.
The death masks you made look hard! I assume they were paper mache. I haven’t done paper mache stuff with my boys yet. Was it really messy?
We are homeschooling too and I have to admit, when I was young I thought it was kind of old fashioned and weird, ha! Then once I was married and we had our first baby it seemed like a great idea! I went to school to be a Montessori teacher and tutored middle school for many years, so teaching is also a passion for me. Both my husband and I were very bored all throughout school (me in public, him in private) so it’s important to us to be able to tailor our kids’ education to them. They LOVE learning and I would hate to see them lose that. We do weekly classes as well, not through a charter, but a half day at our parish school (catholic) and then they do dance, environmental education, piano lessons, and field trips with our homeschool group. I have days where I get frazzled with 4 kiddos at home (I see the neighbor mom go on a leisurely jog every morning by herself after her kids are dropped off at school and sometimes I catch myself wondering how nice that would be!) but in the end I feel this decision is just “right” for us. my favorite thing is getting to be so create with our schooling! and my least favorite is how judgmental people are about homeschooling. I think you’re doing a great job!
As a fellow homeschooling/unschooling mom of four, I love seeing all of these positive comments on homeschooling! We started homeschooling because of severe food allergies – about four years ago. {We need to carry epi-pens everywhere we go.} I’m so thankful for the blessing of homeschooling in spite of having to deal with a severe food allergy with one of my kids. I’d never have tried it if it hadn’t been for the allergy. I just wasn’t interested in it before but it’s hands-down one of the best decisions we’ve ever made as a family! It just fits so well with our whole way of life that it’s a little crazy we never considered it before.
I haven’t blogged a whole lot about our homeschooling experience until recently. I mentioned it here and there but just haven’t been up for dealing with the possibility of negative comments on my blog since it can be such a controversial topic. (I even had family who, initially, was greatly opposed to the notion of us doing it. But they’ve since been very supportive of our choice.) I haven’t had any negative comments on the blog yet – but I’m confident enough with it now after four years that I feel like I finally have found our style and technique and I’m not as concerned about them now. And I really want to share the different things we enjoy and that work for us!
It takes a tremendous amount of research to find things that your kids will enjoy – but that’s something I really like doing. It’s a lot of work and it’s definitely not for everyone – but for those who do, it can be such an amazing experience. (And a crazy one, too, on some days! I love how you always keep it real – because some days are just like that.)
Your projects are so inspiring that you do with your girls. You are seriously such a fun mom! I love your colorful Egypt projects – wish I’d seen them last year when we were studying Egypt. (We love The Story of the World!)
Your blog just makes me so excited. I get such inspiration of what to do with my son and any future children. We have a few years to go before I can get to homeschooling but I cannot wait. I myself was homeschooled. I will admit that I never minded it, but now that I am grown, with a family of my own, I am so grateful to my mother for teaching me the way she did. I am much more grounded in my faith than I imagine I would be if I were to have gone to a public school. {My true hope for my children}.
I think it is so great that you are teaching your girls the way you are. 🙂
Thank you Ruby for keeping such an amazing blog. I have been a loyal reader since Brave was born! I have two daughters similar to Brave and Soul’s ages, and I love reading about your family adventures.
I hope you don’t mind me handing you a little praise here in this comment, but when it came time to decide what to do about our oldest daughter going to Kindergarten this year, my hub and I decided to homeschool. Your blog, the Cakies blog, was one of the main reasons why we decided to jump two feet in…:)
I would read your blog and see how amazing you were doing with homeschooling True- and I wanted that for my daughters. Of course I did my own research, extensive reading and lots of prayer, but ultimately I knew that this was the right decision for our family.
We attend a Charter school were we homeschool for 3 days out of the week and then she goes to school for extended learning activities the other 2 days. i. love. it. I feel like it’s the perfect division of time between homeschool and “real school” haha 🙂
I love all of your posts about school. I love that your girls (and mine) seem to LOVE learning. It’s the best feeling as a mom to know that you’re providing them that nourishment. I’m a HUGE HUGE fan or homeschooling and YOU! Thank you!
Hi there, I have been following your blog for ages & you inspire me. I am going to home school my 5 & 7 year old next year. I know it will make me a better parent & I think it will also help my children to bond. It will be great for my 5yo boy who cannot sit still in the classroom & often has to sit at the back or in the corner because of it, so next year I can adapt the program to how he learns with alot more breaks. What scares me is that I will also have a 2yo to entertain aswell, I don’t know how you do it! I am sick of saying ‘My kids are growing up so fast, the time is getting away from me’ So I’m going to do something about it & have them with me. I look forward to the adventures we can have and the extra time & money we can have for them to learn an instrument & a sport. God Bless you + your family
Only just discovered your blog and am loving ALL of it!
I’m studying to be a teacher for high school and to be honest, had never even really given homeschooling a second thought. It’s not a big thing that happens here in Australia, unless you go quite rural and generally even then it’s more schooling via correspondence rather than parents who homeschool (mostly because the kids that need distance education have parents who are farmers and wouldn’t have the time anyway!)
I am so keen now to learn about homeschooling and wonder if I would ever homeschool my future bambinos. Good on you for doing it! I don’t imagine it would be easy by any stretch of the imagination and I read that you take a lot of care to ensure they socialise with other children as well.
Congrats! And lovely ass blog!
Xxx
I understand that this is a wee bit late, but I still wanted to comment anyway. I’m a Singaporean girl who is still going through the grind of the public education (which has its merits, really) but my boyfriend and his sister were homeschooled. He did tell me that he hopes, if by God’s grace we do get married and are blessed with children of our own, that we’ll homeschool our kids.
Admittedly, it’s a strange, terrifying concept for me to accept. I hate the idea of having to give up my independent life and potential career for something that potentially confines me. The idea that I cannot be a successful career woman (like my mum) and still bring up a stable family (with its flaws, naturally) at the same time, it just doesn’t… square.
It’s a conflicting thought, because I love kids (having worked in a kindergarten for a bit) and appreciate the innocence and the lessons they can teach us. And if I do have a child of my own, I want to protect them from the blackhole that is the Singaporean education system, which honestly does not give a child the space to love learning about the world and to explore what they have around them.
Like a pendulum, I swing from wanting to tailor education for each child to wanting them to lead the normal life that most children have in my society. At the same time, the thought always lingers – is it God’s will for us to do so?
Hi ~
Thank you for sharing a bit about the joys and challenges with homeschooling.
I would love to hear more about the curriculum you use & why your family chose to homeschool.
We homeschool our 5yo & 7yo.
I have a 2yo as well, which can make for full days!
We are using a variety of materials, but mostly Charlotte Mason.
Any tips you have re:ways to keep the baby occupied while schooling would be awesome!
Keep on carrying on!
You are doing a great job
Shalom.