Homeschooling gives the parents control of their children and there are many social skills they learn due to the fact they can decide how to spend their class time. I am glad to see that Beth is training her children to prepare for the future as wives and homemakers as well as learning how to deal with day to day living experiences. They are not just sitting in a classroom worrying frantically if they will pass the SOL's. The parents can choose what their children are being taught. In the public school curriculums the students are being taught evolution as a truth as well as the other alternate "lifestyles" as being okay! You would be surprised what they are being taught. You have to do your homework!! They do not have to deal with someone putting them in "lock down" because of a gang or because someone has been using drugs. They do not have to get up and wait for a bus at 6:30 a.m. in the dark and get home in the late afternoon at 5:00 p.m. This is something I am well aware of that most students deal with who are in public schools. If they are sick, they are already at home so they can go to bed if they need to, they don't have to deal with calling their parent to come get them so they can go home.
There are times when the homeschooling mom feels she might not be able to continue dealing with the stress or the expense of homeschooling. This is the time when the homeschooling mom or dad needs to stop and just think about how they are protecting their children from the onslaught that is going on in the public schools and in some Christian (private) schools. The vast majority of public schools seem to me like being in the jungle. While attending college a few years back, I saw first hand how the high school kids, who came to the college for advanced classes, acted in the commesary. They actually made me think I was in a riot or something.
Anyway, the following is a typical homeschool day in my daughter's life at her home. This is taken from her blogspot, housewifepi.blogpot.com ....
A Day in the Homeschooler's Life
Well, I have survived 2 weeks of teaching 3 kids at once. And it's been okay. Annelise wants to learn, so it's actually gone alot smoother than I thought it would go. And for some reason, you get temporary amnesia during the summer and forget about how exhausting it can be doing everything.
I get up (now that Todd has to leave even earlier for work) :
at 4:30...(gag me)...I put together T's lunch, and fix him breakfast...If I didn't do this, no telling what the man would eat.
at 5:00...I drink very strong coffee, and try to wake up, while the kids come down in stages and fix themselves cereal, or eat whatever I've thrown together.
at 6:00...I straighten the house while the kids watch cartoons (lately it's been the Pink Panther)
at 7:00...I do aerobics for 45 minutes while the kids clean their bedroom, get their clothes on, hair/teeth brushed, etc. They know the drill, and they do it.
at 8:00....we start school. I have a system I have perfected over the years. First, we pray, do the pledge of allegiance, recite the Books of the Bible (a song I made up), and go over things like the days of the week, months, seasons (for Annelise), recite the Ten Commandments (this takes no more than 5 minutes), then I read the Bible to them, and we go over whatever we read. Which is fun, cuz kids can come up with some great questions.
We then sing hymns. I let them each pick one to sing, and we sing loudly. After hymns, we sing "fun" songs, such as 'I May Never March In The Infantry', 'Where O Where Is Sweet Little Nellie', and their favorite...'There's A Hole In The Bucket'.
Then the bookwork begins. While Ariel and Isabelle are doing their seatwork, I work with Annelise. Her attention span is about 2 minutes, so I have to work with that.
at 11:00...school is over for me and Annelise, but Ariel and Isabelle still have some workbook/homework to do, which takes them about 45 more minutes. We do lunch, and whatever I have to do housework wise gets done.
On Monday and Wednesday afternoons, we go to ballet.
On Tuesdays is violin and chorus (we won't start this until next week)
On Thursday is piano.....
And we throw in sewing lessons and various other homeschool trips/projects into the mix, as well. By supper time, I am tired, and I rarely make it until 10 o'clock (at night) before I am asleep. Honestly, I'm thinking of going to bed at 9:30.
Believe me...I look forward to Saturdays!!
I get up (now that Todd has to leave even earlier for work) :
at 4:30...(gag me)...I put together T's lunch, and fix him breakfast...If I didn't do this, no telling what the man would eat.
at 5:00...I drink very strong coffee, and try to wake up, while the kids come down in stages and fix themselves cereal, or eat whatever I've thrown together.
at 6:00...I straighten the house while the kids watch cartoons (lately it's been the Pink Panther)
at 7:00...I do aerobics for 45 minutes while the kids clean their bedroom, get their clothes on, hair/teeth brushed, etc. They know the drill, and they do it.
at 8:00....we start school. I have a system I have perfected over the years. First, we pray, do the pledge of allegiance, recite the Books of the Bible (a song I made up), and go over things like the days of the week, months, seasons (for Annelise), recite the Ten Commandments (this takes no more than 5 minutes), then I read the Bible to them, and we go over whatever we read. Which is fun, cuz kids can come up with some great questions.
We then sing hymns. I let them each pick one to sing, and we sing loudly. After hymns, we sing "fun" songs, such as 'I May Never March In The Infantry', 'Where O Where Is Sweet Little Nellie', and their favorite...'There's A Hole In The Bucket'.
Then the bookwork begins. While Ariel and Isabelle are doing their seatwork, I work with Annelise. Her attention span is about 2 minutes, so I have to work with that.
at 11:00...school is over for me and Annelise, but Ariel and Isabelle still have some workbook/homework to do, which takes them about 45 more minutes. We do lunch, and whatever I have to do housework wise gets done.
On Monday and Wednesday afternoons, we go to ballet.
On Tuesdays is violin and chorus (we won't start this until next week)
On Thursday is piano.....
And we throw in sewing lessons and various other homeschool trips/projects into the mix, as well. By supper time, I am tired, and I rarely make it until 10 o'clock (at night) before I am asleep. Honestly, I'm thinking of going to bed at 9:30.
Believe me...I look forward to Saturdays!!
Annelise's First Day of School
They were dealing with it, and Isabelle is halfway smiling here, but that was before I showed her the new math workbook. She turned it to Annelise and said, "See, I told you. That'll wipe that smile right off your face."I had to turn away to laugh. Kids are so funny.
Age Doesn't Matter
One of the best things about home schooling is that age doesn't matter. I have been thinking about it off and on all summer, mainly because I take my kids to the pool and I sit and watch them with the other kids. And I have noticed something. Many of the public school kids only interact with their own age group. Usually, you can pick out the public schooled kids quickly by their mannerisms, the way they dress, and the way they cling to each other, almost as if they would be lost if they were left to themselves.
Most home schooled children interact every day with different age groups. The 14 and 16 year old plays just as well with the 2 and 4 year old as they do with their own age group. And they generally tend to have a good attitude about it. Seeing a group of mixed ages playing backyard games, such as hide-and-go seek, does the heart good. Seeing a mopey teenager who is angry because he's stuck with a bunch of little kids does not.
Whatever happened to children of all ages playing together? My kids love old Little Rascals videos. And I love them, too. They tell of a simpler time. Kids of all ages played OUTSIDE! TOGETHER! And usually a little brother or sister tagged along. It taught kids to be responsible, to play and work together, and how to be creative. Instead of being told what to think and how to think, kids had to come up with innovative ways to entertain themselves and others, and they learned to negotiate.
It's our job as parents and educators (home schooled and public/private school alike) to keep the spirit of the backyard games alive. Get your kids involved in just having fun again. Organize games for your kids to play and incorporate everyone into it. It is easy to forget to enjoy life because there is so much going on.
Most home schooled children interact every day with different age groups. The 14 and 16 year old plays just as well with the 2 and 4 year old as they do with their own age group. And they generally tend to have a good attitude about it. Seeing a group of mixed ages playing backyard games, such as hide-and-go seek, does the heart good. Seeing a mopey teenager who is angry because he's stuck with a bunch of little kids does not.
Whatever happened to children of all ages playing together? My kids love old Little Rascals videos. And I love them, too. They tell of a simpler time. Kids of all ages played OUTSIDE! TOGETHER! And usually a little brother or sister tagged along. It taught kids to be responsible, to play and work together, and how to be creative. Instead of being told what to think and how to think, kids had to come up with innovative ways to entertain themselves and others, and they learned to negotiate.
It's our job as parents and educators (home schooled and public/private school alike) to keep the spirit of the backyard games alive. Get your kids involved in just having fun again. Organize games for your kids to play and incorporate everyone into it. It is easy to forget to enjoy life because there is so much going on.
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