Things don’t always go as planned. Today I was supposed to sit down and write…for you, actually. But instead I got caught up in things of the household. It happens, but then there are days where nothing can distract me, because my prioirty is on work.
Today, I allowed the household to distract me from what I had intended to do. But then again, I know that for the next four days my focus must be on work, and therefore yes, indeed I did put my family before you, my dear reader. For that I’m sorry, and not, as my family needed me.
But don’t worry - I have a camera full of illustrations to go with the posts I have in store for you – including a short series on planning and setting goals as a work-at-home, homeschooling mom. Also, have to share some great insight from Carrie Wilkerson (aka The Barefoot Executive) and friends on Juggling being a Work at Home mom with life (though I’ll have to throw in some of my own comments as to how to adapt their insight to homeschooling also (as homeschoolers, we just don’t get those school hours for focus time, but that’s okay, it’s worth it.)
Hope you had a wonderful holiday and I’ll see you back here later this week!
Earlier this week as I worked from my recliner, suffering from a sinus cold, I was struck again how blessed I am to be surrounded by these wonderful kids in this awesome lifestyle of being a work-at-home, homeschooling mom. I’m there for all the little moments, for the skinned knees and hurt feelings, and for the beauty that comes with friendship, fellowship, and family.
Yesterday, as I headed out for bible study, I just had to grab my 11 year old and tell her how blessed I am to have her for a daughter. She’s growing up so fast, and is so capable, but still she’s my little girl. She does so much for her siblings and I, and yet she has all this time to be a girl and get silly, and muddy, and run through the rain.
Each of her siblings brings a special piece to my life, and each holds their own weight (according to ability) in our household. They are affected by our debt load; they are affected by our successes. They step up pitch in, and do what needs to be done. We live life together, good and bad. We have to remember to celebrate our successes; and be thankful, and show appreciation for each other. How thankful I am for this lifestyle, but also for each of these four children who are growing up so fast and who are such blessings.
I really must make a concerted effort to tell the kids in their own special moments, what a blessing they are and how thankful I am for them.
Do you feel that home schooling is better than public schools in an educational sense? Why or why not?
This question came up in an interview last year and while this is a much more complex question, here is my initial response as a homeschooling mom of 4, having homeschooled preschool through 6th grade (so far):
It depends on the family and the child. Homeschooling is not for everyone.
However, if the parents are willing to engage in the educational process and facilitate their child’s interests and educational journey, then yes, home schooling can be a better choice than public schools.
But is also important to look at “better” in areas outside of pure academics. While the nature of homeschooling, customized, personal, one-on-one education, allows for homeschool students to receive a more solid educational basis, it also allows students to excel in areas that are not facilitated within traditional public school systems – for example, music, art, sports, etc.
Homeschooling allows students to spend the time developing their natural talents and develop mastery in basic education topics, where public schooling is unable by its very nature to spend the time and energy developing each individual child at that child’s natural pace.
For families who move or travel, homeschooling also allows them continuity with their child’s education. Schools do not teach the same subjects on the same schedules and requirements from one school district and/or state to another are not the same. In a homeschool environment, students are able to continue along with no disruption to their academics and little potential for creating “holes” due to jumping from one school to another.
Also, when life event (like illness or death) happen causing stress for children and families, homeschool families can take breaks or do “light” school and then resume school on the schedule that best meets their needs. They do not have worry about getting behind or grades suffering because life is too overwhelming to facilitate the academic learning process.
Contemplating homeschooling or just curious? Here’s a short list of advantages and disadvantages to consider.
Advantages of Homeschooling
Customizable, adaptable one-on-one education
Mastery-based education based on child’s own development
Shorten academic learning time and more time to pursue own interests
More play time to facilitate imagination and natural development
Ability to learn academic skills in a practical hands-on manner (e.g., fractions for cooking, measuring and building projects, etc.)
Ability for children to receive social skill coaching from adults instead of peers
Flexibility to travel and adapt to life circumstances without interrupting the flow of school.
Disadvantages of Homeschooling
Requires a commitment from the parents to be a facilitator of their children’s education
Requires a time and energy commitment that some parents are not able to provide
Requires more effort by the parents to provide social contact (lots of social contact is available – sometimes too much – but it’s not built in to the school system like with a public or private school. Parents have to get to know others in order for their kids to connect.)
Also, I consider this one a huge advantage, but have learned that some parents feel differently. If you consider this a disadvantage, then homeschooling probably isn’t a good option for you.
Requires parent(s) to spend time with their child(ren), getting to know them as unique individuals.
The advantages are only a beginning point. There are so many more. Feel free to add to these lists with your comments.
A discussion on Homeschool PE and our recent onslaught of cold weather has spurred a discussion about indoor PE options for homeshoolers on several email groups.
PE really isn’t very difficult. Kids were built for movement, at least mine were. What PE allows them to do is focus their physical energy into something productive, in theory anyway. But when you choose to spend all day with high energy kids, it’s a good idea to have an arsenal of ideas on how to expend some of that energy. Here’s a few of the things we do:
Invest in a small indoor trampoline. They are usually about 38 inches diameter and can be stored upright out of the way if needed. My kids wore one out at our last location, where it rained a lot! We had all kinds of games we made up with it – who could jump the longest, the highest, the furthest off of it (and all the discussions of safety that went with it!).
Keep a jump rope or two on hand. Jump ropes are nifty devices. While my kids still haven’t mastered jump roping like their friends who use it as a primary means of indoor exercise, they did come up with all kinds of other things to do with it: tug a war, an improvised bar to jump over and crawl under (imagine the jump rope tied to the legs of two dining room chairs), and of course trying to jump rope properly.
Allow the use of pillows, blankets, and cushions. Forts, obstacles courses, and landing pads are all great uses for these soft items. Sheets and blankets make for great parachute play. Even the tweens love putting a stuffed animal or ball on it and shaking it around.
Put on high energy music or video and dance! A friend of mine’s girls used to put on Riverdance and dance along. My youngest loves her Crazy songs cd. My boys even get into the act if there’s a contest or show involved. Find what works for your kids and get out there and get silly!
Invest in some exercise videos that the kids enjoy or turn on FitTV and make it fun. We have YogaKids, Vol. 3: Silly to Calm, which the younger kids have enjoyed, but right now they like doing Leslie Sansone’s Walk Away the Pounds 1 mile walks with me. They get silly with it, but they like it. Go figure.
If you have a big house, just allow the normal games of tag and hide-n-seek, and all the natural games kids play, within the bounds of safety and sanity of course. But in smaller spaces, these tools have proven useful for us.
, which the younger kids have enjoyed, but right now they like doing 
1 mile walks with me. They get silly with it, but they like it. Go figure.
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