Hi!! This is just a little window into our homeschooling world. We have been homeschooling our children since 2000 when we pulled them out of public school. Our public school system at the time was just not what we wanted our kids subjected to on a daily basis. I've heard all the arguments for NOT homeschooling, for leaving them at public school, etc. but believe me, for our family this has been a blessing.

Maybe you've decided to give homeschooling a look and that's why you're here. It took us a while to decide to homeschool. We has several friends who did so, and tried to talk us into it. I guess I've given up on trying to "talk people into it". I just give our facts and let them sort it all out. We all have to do what's best for our family.

Just a side note, we have an adopted son who, because of circumstances beyond our control, still goes to public school. We're not wild about it, but at the same time, for him, this was reasonable because of his age at the time and how long he'd already been in public school.

We get asked questions all the time, like why do we homeschool, how do we do it, aren't we worried about our kids' social lives etc. Well, I'll try to answer those here, without too much detail. I have a link to our family's homeschooling website if you'd like to visit and learn more. Be aware, it needs updating badly! Our oldest daughter just graduated May a year ago, and it's not updated to state that yet! LOL!

Homeschooling FAQ-How and why we homeschool

1. Why do we homeschool?

Well, first, when our older two children were in public school, we were very dissatisfied with some of the teacher's attitudes. We just had some difficult times; one of them being our kids were able to understand a lot of what was being taught fairly easily at that time, and yet they were constantly coming home frustrated because the teacher made them wait and would not allow them to move on when they were ready. With homeschooling, our kids can move on when they're ready and not have to wait for a classroom of 30 plus students to catch up. The flip side of this of course is if a child is struggling, they can go at their own pace, slow down til they grasp a concept and then move on. We've done both since we've started. It's nice too, because usually the parent knows within a day or two where the child is at on an assignment and can lend help where needed.

The second reason we homeschool is because we didn't like some of the kids' attitudes in the public school setting. Many kids these days are not being taught respect of authority, courtesy, etc. I actually worked part-time in the lunch room during our kids' last year there, and the poor teachers were so frustrated so much of the time, with their kids and their attitudes. And, they were upset with the fact that these days they can't do much about it. (This, I have found out the hard way, working in a day care the past few months!) Anyway, at the time we pulled our kids out, we were worried about them following the other kids and copying their bad behavior. We wanted to separate them at least a little so we could teach them how to behave according to our beliefs.

The third reason we homeschool is because we wanted control over what curriculum our children used. We didn't like the idea of them learning science and history for instance from a worldly point of view. We have been using Christian curriculum and are very happy with it. The one we've chosen the past couple of years is Alpha-Omega's Switched on Schoolhouse. It's a computer-based program which makes my life and the kids' much easier! It's all laid out for you, the planning, the lessons, etc. Even the grading is much easier, done by the computer except for a few things such as essays.

2. Aren't you worried about socialization?

This one always makes me laugh. When kids are in school all day, the only time they are supposed to talk is lunch, recess, etc. anyway. Yet, people think of school as a "social" event. We do not worry about our kid's social lives. Our children (of course, some don't agree with us, and their kids do not "get out much") are involved in many different social activities. They are very active in our youth group at church, our oldest daughter, Sarah, used to take violin at a local public school (only class), til she graduated, the other two, Nate and Hannah, take piano and guitar from a local teacher and all three have been very good! Nate has played city Baseball since he could walk! So, we certainly kept that up. His dad was even his coach one year! Plus, he even was asked to play on a travelling league a couple of years ago! That was a blast! Hannah has been playing Volleyball with our local homeschool group for several years and has gotten really good! Sarah had at one point joined a group of kids that fought under-age drinking, called Project Extra Mile and she even spoke before our local Liquor Commission and state senators, etc. about the importance of keeping kids from drinking. That's just a glimpse into their activities and relationships, so no, we're not worried.

3. How do you start homeschooling?

Well, the first thing you have to do is find out your local state laws about homeschooling. Some states are easier to deal with than others. The HSLDA(Homeschool Legal Defense Association) will have links to info about your state, what your responsibilities are, your school requirements, etc. In our state, we can choose a school name which we did, and we just have basic paperwork to fill out yearly and submit. That's about it. We follow the requirements for what we need to teach, and at this time, no state testing is required. Our kids' curriculum has tests and quizzes inside of it, just like public school curriculum would have and they have to pass those, or they don't move on. We have our own grade requirements for the kids, and if they go below those, we work on why they went below and go on.

Next, you'll want to read about homeschooling, and talk with others who do so, pick a curriculum based upon what you've read about it, recommendations from folks you trust, and based upon how your children learn best. When we started out, we used textbooks because that's what they were used to. We made the move to SOS because it was too difficult for them and for us, to use the books all the time.

4. How do you deal with family and friends who are opposed?

That's a loaded question. People are so different, and we just never know how people will take it when we say we homeschool. We have family that's been all for it, and we've had family that has been against it. But this was OUR decision to make, as we are responsible for our own kids' education and up-bringing. We have a great circle of homeschooling friends and others who do not homeschool. You just learn to take it as it comes, and to try to answer questions as graciously as you can. Most people only ask "testy" questions because they don't understand homeschooling. It's just human nature to feel uneasy about things we don't understand and once people see that most homeschoolers are well-rounded, socially skilled individuals; that we don't keep them "locked away" from other people and that they actually are educated, they tend to relax a little about the decision we've made.

I love receiving e-mail from others about homeschooling, so please feel free! Please, no one e-mail me arguing against homeschooling. I've heard all the arguments against it, and we have chosen this because it is right for OUR family. It may not be for yours. But please respect our decision. Thank you! Happy Homeschooling!