Homeschool Monday - Socialization and The Civil Air Patrol

Like every other homeschooling parent out there, I hear, a lot, that my child needs to socialize.  

Well, it was the lack of social skills from her peers that caused us to remove her from the public school system and homeschool her in the first place.  I'm sure everyone has a bully store, and probably more than one story.  In order for our child to learn good social skills, we involve her in all sorts of activities with people of all ages.  We have a teen group that gets together fairly often for fun and some community service.  She has a few friends that we make the effort to spend time with (that's how you know someone is really a friend, they make time in their life to see you).  She is involved in our church, and attends our Tuesday Morning prayer meeting (which means she gets to see all her "grandparents" lol).  This past Saturday she volunteered at the homeless shelter with our church, and she helps with the younger children during church.  

And now, she has joined The Civil Air Patrol...and is absolutely loving it!

She has made new friends there, from the ages of 13 all the way to early 20's.  The kids are great, and the parents are all involved.   One thing I have noticed with almost every homeschooled child I have ever met, they all know how to carry on a full and interesting conversations, with other kids, and with adults.  So if anyone asks you about socialization...you have much more to offer your child then you might think, things they will never learn in a public school setting.

Tell me, how many of you homeschool, or have thought about it?

Be blessed,

Debbi

Homeschool Monday - The Final Stretch

Well, we're in the final week of school.  Just reviewing our work and preparing for our EOG's.  (End of Grade testing).  Here in NC while our children have to be tested, you do not have to send in the results, just keep them on record.  The weird part of this is that in NC, the homeschooled children need to pass a national testing, while the public schooled kids do not, so the homeschooler is held to a higher standing.  That's ok with me.  That just means when my child enters the work force, she will be the boss. hahaha

Last Friday, our county homeschool group arranged a pool party at the local YMCA.  And yes, we HAD to go shopping for a new suit.  What a NIGHTMARE!  Why does society (or the fashion designers today) feel that young girls need to expose as much skin as possible?  Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not a fuddy duddy, but come on, get real, we are raising a generation of hoochy mommas and then wondering why the pregnancy rate for teens is rising.  Seriously?  Ugh.
Any way, we finally found one we both agreed on, sort of, and off we went to the party.  On the way there, it started to storm, so according to the Y policy, no swimming.  They did set us up in the gym with some bouncy houses.  But my group of middle schoolers were too cool for that.  (Except Hannah....lol).  I found the girls congregating in the doorway watching other young men play basketball.  Us mothers just watched them squirm and giggle, and so we giggled too.  Giggled for the girls, and giggled for our memories of when we were that age.  A long (long) time ago. hahaha

Now to decide on testing.  Here is an article from The North Carolinians for Home Education with tips on how to choose a test.
Since I order my testing supplies (and other curriculum) from Peidmont Education Services,  I did a comparison on the 3 EOG's they offer, and because we mostly directed our studies this year on math and language arts, I decided on the California Achievement Test.  I like that fact that 1) this is not Common Core aligned, 2) I can choose the subjects for testing, 3) I can test at home.
So, wish us luck.  Or should I say, wish Hannah luck. lol
Be blessed,
Debbi

This Deserves Sharing

I just read this on the Matt Walsh Blog and it made me smile, and cry, and it deserves to be shared.

Since I wrote about homeschooling last week, I’ve been fielding tons of email messages from people sharing their public education horror stories.

This one jumped out at me because it seems to echo the news about an elementary school that canceled its kindergarten play so that the kindergartens could focus on college preparation. I don’t know that this woman’s kid goes to that school (she didn’t mention it, so I assume he doesn’t), but she is dealing with a similar problem.

Honestly, I hesitated to share this with you because, to me, in my little bubble of innocence and naivety, this is almost too horrendous to believe. A kid in FIRST GRADE already giving up his hobbies and passions because he’s concerned about what his college application will look like?

Is it that bad out there? I guess it is. At least, this seems to be an indication:

Dear Matt,

I read your post about home schooling and decided to finally email you, even if I’m not expecting a response. My son, Peter, is in first grade in a public school. Recently, with a combination of Common Core and just bad educational strategies on the part of the school, my kiddo seems to have lost his interest and motivation. I don’t blame his teachers but I blame the system, as you pointed out. He used to love to learn and read, but now he comes home stressed out and anxious. He is reduced to tears when he’s doing his homework! The math work is INSANE! I don’t think I had the amount of tests and homework that he has even when I was in COLLEGE!

I’m writing to you because my heart was broken last week when my son, who has always been very creative, playful, and loved arts and crafts, came home and announced that he doesn’t want to draw or play with Legos anymore. I asked him why and he said that it’s a waste of time. When I asked him why it’s a waste of time, he said it won’t help him get into college! I’m not kidding! Yesterday he told me he “hates school more than anything.” I told him that school is good because it’s where you go to learn. He literally responded that he “hates learning.”

This is crazy! I feel like the school is crushing my poor kid’s spirit and now he doesn’t even want to draw or do arts and crafts with mom anymore. It’s all about testing and grades and “useful knowledge”, and I’m afraid that his childhood is being taken from him. I don’t know why I’m writing this to you. I just enjoy your opinion, and the funny thing is that my son likes you, too. He hears mom and dad talk about your blog at the dinner table, so now “Mr. Matt” has become kind of a mythological hero to him, lol. I showed him the picture of you trying to kill a spider and he laughed his head off!

What do you think about this, Matt? I just want to know your perspective.

Sincerely,

Anne

Dear Anne,

I think you chose the right words. If I’m a hero, it’s only in a mythological sense. In the real world, I’m noticeably lacking any heroic qualities at all. Still, I appreciate that you’ve opened up to me about your issue with your son. You know that I’m a homeschool proponent, so the first thing that comes to mind is that maybe you should consider other options outside of public school.

Of course, I don’t know your situation, so I can’t make that judgment call. It isn’t my business, anyway.

I thought that I’d write an email back to you, ranting about how kids are having their creativity and zest for life sucked out of them, but I changed my mind. I’ve ranted plenty on that subject, and I’m sure I’ll rant again in the future.

Right now, I’d like to address Peter directly, if you don’t mind. I wrote him a letter, and I’m hoping you’ll read it to him, or help him read it.

Here it is:

Hi Peter,

It’s Mr. Matt. I’m really worried, because your mom tells me that you think it’s a waste of time to draw pictures and play with Legos. I’m sad that you feel that way, because I bet you could draw an awesome picture of a dinosaur or a spaceship, but now the world will never get to see it.

Here’s the question, though:

Can you draw a picture of a dinosaur IN a spaceship? Check out the doodle I sketched this morning:

OK, maybe that looks more like a big hat with a picture of a lizard on it, but I tried my best.

I’ll admit that a few people in the history of the world have made cooler pictures. Has your mom told you about the Sistine Chapel? Look at this:

A guy named Michelangelo painted those pictures on the ceiling 500 years ago. It took him FOUR YEARS to paint all of them. If arts and crafts are a waste of time, then Michelangelo wasted A LOT of it.

Your mom also tells me that you hate learning. That’s too bad, Peter, because I love to learn, and I bet there are tons of things you’d love to learn about, too.

Did you know that there’s a type of cat called a cheetah, and it can run as fast as a car or a motorcycle?

Did you know that the temperature on the Sun is 27 MILLION degrees?

Did you know that your brain is smarter and more powerful than every computer on the planet?

These are really exciting facts. My life is more fun and enjoyable because I know them. This is what happens when you learn. You discover more about the world and yourself. Learning is like going on a journey over an ocean, or through a jungle, except you can do it in your home or at school.

There are a bunch of things I haven’t learned yet, but I hope I will one day. For example, I’ve always wanted to know why people yawn, or why it’s impossible to tickle yourself. Maybe you can find those things out and teach me about them. Or maybe nobody knows, and you can be the first person to ever answer the question.

Also, can you figure out what this weird animal is supposed to be:

I think it lives in the rainforest, but I’m not sure. I need help investigating this mystery.

See, I’m not even in school or college, but I’m always trying to feed my brain and increase my understanding of the world around me.

You should learn, and draw, and paint, and read, and play with Legos, Peter. I still play with Legos. You wouldn’t believe the huge tower I built last week. It literally touched the ceiling. Seriously.

Don’t worry about college and grown up stuff right now. You’ve got more important things to do. Things like:

-Running outside

-Rolling down a grassy hill

-Using your imagination

-Jumping through a sprinkler

-Jumping in a puddle

-Jumping on the couch (don’t tell your mom)

-Deciding what you’ll say if aliens land and you’re the first person to make contact with them. (I already decided what I’ll say. I’ll probably just tell them “hello,” and then I’ll ask them if they want some iced tea.)

-Painting and drawing pictures

-Writing poems and stories

-Reading books

-Playing games

-Daydreaming

-Eating ice cream

That’s at least 13 things that you should definitely fit into your schedule, especially playing, reading, and daydreaming. And ice cream, obviously.

My kids are just babies, but I hope they’re as artistic and creative as you one day. It’s a great power — a superpower — to be able to dream things in your head and then put them on paper. Sometimes it’s fun to dream something in your head, and just keep it there, and revisit your dream from time to time. It’s like you’re building a new world for yourself, out of nothing but your mind and your imagination.

I have a homework assignment for you: think of a story. Just make up a story. Any story at all. You don’t have to tell anyone, or write it down, or do anything with it. Just think of it. That’s all. Put yourself in your story — pretend you’re the main character. Think about it, just for the sake of thinking about it.

That’s the assignment.

When I was a kid, I liked to think that I was a time traveling ninja.

Actually, I still like to imagine that I’m a time traveling ninja.

My wife doesn’t enjoy it when I wear my ninja costume to the grocery store, or to dinner at her mother’s house, but I’m not sure why.

Anyway, I hope you continue to play, and draw, and learn, Peter. You’re a kid, and that’s your job right now.

Sincerely,

Mr. Matt

P.S. I know what you’re thinking, but just because I’m afraid of spiders doesn’t mean I can’t be a ninja.

It's time to just love our kids again, and let them be kids.

Be blessed,

Debbi

About these ads

Homeschool Monday, where we school - Time 4 Learning

When you start to investigate the possibility of homeschooling, and you start to read different blogs, you'll hear that you should have a designated spot and desks or cubbies or totes for every child.  That spot can be a separate room or a specific time at the table, but when you are trying to homeschool a child with ADHD and other challenges, take everything you read and throw it out the window!

At our home, space is at a premium.  In 4th grade, hubby happily made us a portable cubby.

It looked something like this.

image from My Very Educated Mother

Well, it didn't last long.  Hannah could not sit still very long in one place and she HATES paperwork.  So this year in 7th grade (she went back to public school for 5th and 6th and hated that even more) I found a great website where she does the great majority of her work, next to me, sitting on the sofa.

Time4Learning.

I really like this site, because they do all the work for me.  They set up the lessons, keep the records, and even provide a "recess" game area.  Now Hannah can do her work according to the ebb and flow of her inner clock, with minimal input from me.  So for $19.95 per month, it is well worth the price for me.  Here is an image of the main lesson page.

They cover Language Arts, Language Arts Extentions, Math, Social Studies (American History...I love it!), and 4 different Sciences.  They have just introduced an Art course also.

They have a Parent Log in page where you can adjust the lessons to your specific need.  So you don't need to use all the curriculum, or even do all the work in order.  They also have a Parent Forum where you can join other parent/teachers for support and tips.

And just so you know, I am not getting paid for this review.  I just want to encourge other parents looking for help teaching their children at home.  Until next time...

Be blessed,

Debbi

Homeschool Monday

Since homeschooling my daughter takes up so much of my time, I've decided to incorporate it into my blogging cyber life.  So every Monday I hope to share with you homeschooling tips, stories, and even some of Hannah's work.

Now you may be wondering why I, and many others, choose to homeschool.

My first reason is safety, because, no matter how many metal detectors and campus guards they place in every school, most of the violence and abuse comes from within the school.  From teachers, coaches, and other students.  Now I am NOT saying that every teacher, coach, or student, is violent, but it only takes one, and I won't have that one be my child.  We have dealt with bullies in grade school, and chose to homeschool for one year.  When Hannah moved up to middle school it was worse, after only 1 year, she asked us to homeschool her again.  And we were more than happy to oblige.  

There are several other reasons we chose to homeschool, one being the lack of "good" curriculum in the public schools.  They (most) schools no longer teach cursive or American History, and children are taught to memorize words but not taught phonics.  The new math?  Forget it!  And don't even get me started on Common Core. lol

OK, enough of my ranting, now on to some fun stuff.  Today we are studying the American Revolution, and what's better way than with a movie.  Hannah has been glued to the tv for the last few hours watching Mel Gibson in "The Patriot".   What an amazing movie, and to know what our forefathers went through so we may have freedom today humbles me.

So, do you homeschool?  Why or why not?  I would love to hear from you.

Be blessed,

Debbi