Homeschooling...why??

"Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. "For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it. Matthew 7:13-14

I have had this blog post stirring in my head for awhile now. I don't blog that much anymore. Life is full of lots of kids, lots of activities, and lots of chaos. This topic, though, is one that needs a voice. It's a misunderstood topic by many.  Homeschooling.

I want to start out by saying Homeschooling is a privilege. It is by far one of the most important decisions you can make as a parent. It is not to be taken lightly. It is a blessing.

I will be entering into my eleventh year as a homeschooling mama in the fall. I need also to say that homeschooling is hard. It is demanding. It is time consuming and can be frustrating. It can bring out the worst in us, and divide relationships. As I said, it is not to be taken lightly. It is a commitment like no other. 

Over the years, I have heard many questions. Questions like, "Why would you want to homeschool" "What does homeschooling look like?" "Do your kids have friends" "What about socialization?" My oldest daughter now hears questions and comments like: "What do you do all day?" "Do you stare at the walls, and watch t.v?" "I would love to be homeschooled so I don't have to do homework" "Do you have friends?" "Do you ever get out into the real world?" We answer these questions as simply and as honestly as we can with every person who inquires.

I must say there is one comment that sticks out in my mind more than any other though...when someone finds out that I homeschool my six children, the most common response is "I could never do that...you must be a really special person with a lot of patience!" To this, I haven't really come up with a great response yet, so I wanted to address that common misconception here...as it has been on my mind for months.

A few months ago I was at a spa having my hair done and a massage...as I was lying on the bed getting the massage, the young girl started to ask questions and the topic of homeschooling my children came up again. And...once again, she said "Wow, I could never do that, you must be very patient and good at it!" This time, however,  I responded differently. I blurted out, "No, I'm not. I'm not even good at it, and I am a VERY impatient person." She listened more intently and had more questions about the ins and outs, and rules and regulations of homeschooling.  I shared even more that I really was being honest. I don't homeschool because I am exceedingly patient and sweet and filled with joy at the thought of teaching and being with my children every second of the day. I homeschool because I believe it is the right thing to do. I homeschool because as a Christian I want to lead my children back to the heart of Jesus every chance I get. I homeschool because I wanted it to be a lifestyle lived out, and I didn't want my children joining the masses staring at 4 walls in an institution. That just wasn't my vision for them, although I know many find it to be a positive experience. I homeschool also because my views do not line up with some of the liberal and secular teaching that goes on in public schools today. I homeschool because the opportunities homeschoolers have these days are off the charts. I homeschool because homeschooling can look any way you want it to and you can cultivate a love of learning within your child at a very, very young age, that I believe will last a lifetime. I homeschool because I really get to know my children and their giftings and talents and interests and I can build upon that and give them lots of ways to develop these areas. I homeschool because there is time to focus on those areas of interests and talents and develop them when you homeschool. I homeschool because our life is a lifestyle of learning, and my kids are learning just as much when they are helping me in the kitchen and helping Dad in the garden as they are doing assignments we give them. I could go on and on and on with a hundred more reasons why we homeschool...but just wanted to share some off the top of my head. I believe in this life, this way of living that just happens to involve home educating our children. Sometimes I even scratch my head these days and think, "why do so many people just think when their child turns 5 off to Kindergarten they go?" People don't even question that, or look at other options. They miss the opportunity by not looking into what home education could look like for them, or their child.

There are so many more benefits that are flooding my mind as I type. My kids get to play outside all the time. They run and jump, climb trees, swim, make mud pies, pick berries in the garden and run their own little fruit stand out of their play house. They ride horses, gather eggs, bike ride and more. They get fresh air, they get dirty, play with bugs and worms in the dirt and they explore to their hearts content. They are happy.

Reading begins very young in our family. If they are ready, they are reading at age 4. If not, at age 5. I have noticed that after they learn to read, they have a huge appetite for books...and they never stop. When my nearly 14 yr. old was around 7 or 8, I would have her write me stories, and she would bring me novels...I knew there was something there that needed nurturing and development. So at the age of 12, we helped her to take a class, write and publish her first novel. She is currently gearing up to write her second one.

Mostly, though, I am so thankful that I can keep my kids home so that I can always point them to their savior. They learn and know who He is at a young age. He is their father, their healer, their savior, their friend. We take a lot of time to focus on this. We start our day with Bible time. We sing praise songs, we pray, read devotions they intently listen as the word of God is read to them. Kids are ready for this, they want to hear and know His word! They are hungry and thirsty for it!  My job is to fill them up with it, and allow them to read, learn and grow in their relationship with him. I am so thankful that they don't have to deal with peer pressure, and bullying, school bus issues, and more. Not that their life is sheltered or deprived or that they are not learning to handle conflict. No, they have their share of battles and learning opportunities with each other and friends, so it's not that much different.

Oh, did I just mention friends? Yes, my home educated children do have friends! Wonderful, amazing, great friends! They are well socialized with all ages! We are so blessed with the relationships we have cultivated in our lives and the people the Lord has put in our paths. My kids go to birthday parties, skating parties, picnics, play dates, outings, field trips, co-ops,  Awana, sports camps, summer camps, vbs, horsemanship camps, 4-H, gymnastics, dance, music lessons, and sports of all kinds. We also have time to have friends over, go on camping trips, have BBQ's and more. Our family is just a typical family who's children happen to not attend the local public school.  That's all. But, because we home educate, I feel my children have had (so far) an amazing and abundantly blessed experience. It's not all fun, they complain about having to do math, they sometimes argue, they sometimes whine, but they also jump up and down like it's Christmas when a new school book arrives in the mail! Home educated children really do love to learn, and that is one reason I am so grateful for the opportunity I have had for so many years.

There is a Biblical basis for homeschooling, and there are many verses to back it up. Here are a few: Listen, my son, to your father's instruction, and do not forsake your mother's teaching. They will be a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck. Proverbs 1:8-9

Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22: 6

Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it. Matthew 7:13-14

There are many many more verses you can use to help guide you in your current homeschooling adventure or your decision to home educate in the future. I especially like the one from Matthew above. We are in a fight for the minds and souls of our children. There is a battle raging out there whether you homeschool or not. I want my children to know that this path they are on, is Jesus's road. It's narrow, not wide and veering off in many directions. No, it is narrow and straight and if we stay on it, it leads to an abundant life. I don't know about you but my life has not been boring by staying on this path. It has taken me places I never thought I would go, and places I never dreamed of myself. It has been a wild, adventurous and blessed ride staying on the narrow path, walking with the Lord, and I desperately want that for my children. :) 

References for Proverbs 1:8

• Cross References

• 13 1:8 - ver 8-9; Pr 2:1 ; 3:1 ; 4:1 ; 5:1 ; 6:1 ; 7:1 ; 19:27 ; 22:17 ; 23:26-28
• 14 1:8 - Jer 35:8
• 15 1:8 - S Dt 21:18 ; Pr 6:20

Never underestimate

I am sitting here today in total amazement, and gratitude. I have been home educating for approximately 10 years now! It has gone so fast, and for the most part, I still feel like a beginner. I only have a quick moment to write this today, but I wanted to talk about two things that are going on in our homeschool right now that completely have me floored!

I am in the process of proof reading a novel that my 12 year old wrote this year and she is about to publish it! About three years ago I knew she was given a gift for writing when I gave her a simple story assignment and she brought me a novel! So this year we delved deep into the writing process and also had the opportunity to take a writing class with a few other students. As I sat here this morning proof reading her book, I not only smiled, and laughed during certain parts, but I cried too! This story drew me in! It had me on edge, and it really touched me. It is a combination of her life up to this point, her loves, and her struggles. It is very nicely written, and was so much fun to read! She is in the process of designing her cover, and I can't wait to hold the finished product in my hands! If she can write and publish a novel at the age of 12, I will never underestimate her ability to do anything again! The sky is the limit...and that is the beauty homeschooling has been, with the freedom to develop the gifts God has given my children.

As a homeschooling momma, I have come to realize the enormous responsibility I have to train up my children in the ways of the Lord. Many times I know I fall short. I want our home, and our homeschool to be an environment of love, and growth, and nurture, and learning,  and I want them to see Jesus in it all. We have our times of prayer, and I read them children's Bible books, and we sing praise songs, and we talk about the Lord. But, what really, sort of surprised me this week, is that one of my four year old daughters brought me the new Bible I recently gave to her. Somehow she opened it to the beginning of the book of Esther and asked me to start reading it. I do read straight from the Bible to them at times, but usually only bits and pieces, a scripture here, or a scripture there. This time I just started reading from the beginning of Esther. I was on the second page and I realized I now had three little girls gathered around me. I stopped...and asked them if they were ready for me to stop and read more tomorrow. They said no! They were engaged and interested, and wanted to know what would happen next...so I continued on. This has been going on every day this week. We are almost done with that book. They don't want me to stop, but I am usually the one that stops, and tells them we will read more tomorrow. They are soaking up God's word like sponges. I will never again underestimate them and their ability to learn, and understand, and take God's word into their little hearts. I have learned a lot this week. I will continue to feed them from the word of God in large portions and I will not deprive them again. I will listen to the holy spirit, and pray for them whenever possible. I will never again underestimate them!

Spring update!

It's time for a quick update!

Foster care: Baby Riah will be turning 2 next month! His bio mom lost parental rights months ago, his relatives stopped visits with him, and his bio dad, who never requests visits, and hasn't seen him in many many months signed relinquishment papers the other day. Laney and Austin (bio sibs) should be adopted soon as well, but I will need to clarify with the SW. Austin has been legally free since we got him a year and a half ago, but we have been waiting on the parents who have been filing appeal after appeal on Laney. They have lost all appeals, but we must wait it out. In the mean time they had another baby and were allowed to keep it! Stay tuned for some upcoming adoptions!!!

The Farm: Crazy times. Not much luck with our animals lately. Our banty chickens have been hatching out babies, but either the mother dies or the baby chicks die off one by one. We have saved three! We are also having a difficult time finding the eggs all of our hens are laying in random places around the farm. Let's just say our farming skills need some improving! We have recently nursed a sick pony back to health. During the process we bonded with her so much, and may end up keeping her, instead of selling her as I had planned. We also may be adding a new horse to the farm, as Miranda's horse riding instructor has her eye on one for her, so we are waiting to hear more about it.  We went to our first horse show recently. It was fun watching the small ponies pulling the carts! The vet that recently evaluated our pony said she has a beautiful gait, is very sound,  and would be awesome with a cart...who knows, you just might see me driving a pony cart in the future...lol! We have a litter of kittens due any day, and a new puppy will call this it's home in a few weeks when we are done putting up our new fence. Also...our little Nigerian dwarf goat is pregnant for the very first time, thanks to my friend Dalyn, and her goat over at Muckboots N Aprons. I just hope it all happens naturally, because as I said, my farming skills are not up to par, and I don't think I'm ready to deliver baby goats anytime soon!

Homeschooling: Homeschooling six kids is a huge task! The baby runs around causing havoc while the others attempt their studies, but I wouldn't have it any other way! All are making progress, and enjoying their daily lives, taking lots of time to play outside each day. They attend our homeschool co-op and will also be performing in a Homeschool Night of the arts talent show this upcoming week!

Church: We continue to thank the Lord for blessing us with such an amazing church family. It has been a blessing and we are coming up on one year of attending. We are currently reading a book I highly recommend for anyone..."The emotionally Healthy Church". It's all about looking deep within ourselves, our families, our behavior, and where we are spiritually. We cannot be healthy spiritually if we are not healthy emotionally, and this has been an answer to prayer for me. What an excellent book, and I wish my husband and I would have read this years ago!

Stay tuned for more foster care updates, and pictures of all the new critters arriving in the upcoming weeks!

Why I homeschool

There are many things in life I am passionate about, and one is homeschooling. I cannot tell you how much I love it. Since making the decision to homeschool, back when my now 10 1/2 yr old was about 4, we have all grown so much. I never really knew much about homeschooling, but once a couple people shared their stories, I became curious. I started doing a little research. I met teachers who decided to homeschool instead of putting their children in daycare all day while they taught other peoples kids. I met actual homeschooled kids and I saw something different...and I was..impressed. I decided to dig deeper and what I found got me really excited, and to this day, I still feel that twinge of excitement when I think about and plan my upcoming year of homeschooling. 

So what is the excitement all about? Well, I will try and explain. Homeschooling is vast, it is broad, and it is AMAZING! It gives you, the parent the opportunity to tailor the education of each specific child's needs. You can create a rich environment for your child that no one else can, because you know your children best! It opens doors I never knew existed. It allows your children to learn to cultivate a love of learning. It is freedom, and creativity, and discovery and fun all wrapped up together. 

Homeschooling has brought so many amazing gifts into my life. Not only do I get to live daily watching each of my children learn, grow and delight in daily life, I am showered in hugs and kisses daily. When you homeschool, you join a community. You meet many other nearby families who also love to home educate, and who are part of co-ops, support groups, arts events, and more. They are some of my dearest friends, and I love that we are all "in this together" and have each other to lean on, learn from, and support along the way. It is truly a beautiful thing. 

I recently attended a large homeschool conference. Here was another gift I didn't realize existed in the homeschooling lifestyle. And, WOW, what a gift. This particular conference focused on the fact that we are discipling our children, bringing them up in the ways of the Lord, and how that is the most important thing, far beyond curriculum, classes, and computers. The wisdom that was shared, and that I tried to completely soak in over the course of the weekend, was priceless and will serve to improve, and bless our homeschool years. 

Children are naturally curious. The are hungry for information. They want to know what makes things tick and who made the amazing things of this world. Nature study is a big part of homeschooling in many households. Parents and children will be found in parks, in forests, in orchards, and near streams, studying the incredible creations the Lord has made for us to enjoy and learn about.  My children have nature journals where they sketch pictures of intriguing things they find in nature, and they have learned to research to learn more about their exciting finds. 

So what I love about homeschooling is that it is so out of the box. It is not happening within four walls as my public school experience was (where I honestly was bored out of mind and didn't know there could ever be a better way). The children aren't made to spend endless hours each night doing homework cramming their heads with information that they aren't interested in for a test, just to be forgotten.  It is often child led, and expanded upon, giving your children more to explore and think about. It doesn't happen at school desks set up in the house to imitate a school. My kids are often writing stories while breathing fresh air on the front porch, painting outside, reading books in every room of the house, and baking in the kitchen (today it was a quiche made with farm fresh eggs from our barn). They play throughout the day as well. Play is a child's work, and that is something they get lots of time to do. They don't have every new video game system, tv's in their rooms, or cell phones. Yesterday they were climbing trees, and my  four and five year old collected all sorts of items from nature and created a store under the cottonwood tree. 

We also attend field trips with other homeschooling families. We have learned about fire stations, the local newspaper, and how it's made, old farming methods of our local area, and will soon attend our last two of the year, one on raptors, and the other,  King Tut. Another fun thing we have been doing for years is studying one country per month, and then getting together with a few other families for an ethnic potluck from that country as we watch each child complete their own presentation on a topic they have chosen from that country. It is always a good time, and so great to see how the kids grow and improve over the years. 

My kids have freedom, creativity, tons of social events to attend, and never enough time to do it all! Homeschooling has opened up my eyes to the world around me so much more, and that is what is exciting. The possibilities are endless when it comes to planning my next year of homeschooling. We have time to read missionary stories, and raise money for orphans, and recently my 10 year old put together little snack bags with a little note inside that we will be sending with a teen missionary to Africa. She will be handing out these snack bags to street children there. And as I think about the little things that really matter, that really count, I remember days like today, where my kids and I got to read and pray, and I got to hear their little hearts as they shared what they know of God. I got to see them sharing, and hugging the baby and I got to help my 5 year old as she made up a recipe for a smoothie, and then sent a copy of the recipe off to a friend. I get to see them get excited when they understand something new, and I get to hear them as they squeal with delight when they have found something new in the garden. I am so blessed to be home with my children, living this amazing dream that was never really my plan in the beginning. But as life unfolded, and I opened my eyes and heart to different possibilities for my children and our family, we embraced this lifestyle, and it is incredible! I am so thankful, and never do I take it for granted. It is a privilege and a blessing, and more abundant than I ever could have hoped or imagined! Thank you Lord! 

Our Homeschool 2011-2012!!!

Here's our plan for the year!

First day of school: Sept. 6th
Miranda 4th grade
Lilyann Kindergarten
Lexi Lou preschool
Laney preschool

School Name: Hearts to God Homeschool or Snowberryfarm School or Wisdom Keepers Academy-still brainstorming!!
School Motto: Learn*Live*Serve*Give
School colors: Aqua blue
School Mascot: Horse/Elephant/Snow leopard

Subjects:
Miranda-
Bible, Morning devotions & prayer, Kay Arthur book, Awana, Bible journaling
Math-Singapore math
Reading-BJU
History-Mystery of History
Spelling-BJU 4
Language Arts-Language lessons for the elementary child by Sandi Queen
Science-BJU
Nature Study-various nature walks, journaling nature observations as we go.
Keyboarding-finished Dance mat typing last year, will be borrowing a program from a friend this year
Cursive-Loops, Hoops & Groups-finished last year, will be doing it again this year for review and to establish more consistent use of cursive handwriting
P.E.-Will be playing on a new homeschool basketball team, and starting a dance class
Fine arts-Piano lessons, art/drawing, study of famous painters, Shakespeare, hand crafts

Lilyann-
Bible-morning devotions and prayer, Awana
Reading-Teach your child to read in 100 easy lessons-love this, and taught Miranda to read at age 4 with it!
Writing-various workbooks to practice letters and short words
Language Arts-Lessons for little ones by Sandi Queen
Art-lots of cutting, gluing, drawing, creating!
Fine Arts/P.E.-dance class

Co-ops-We will continue in the two co-ops we have done for sevaral years, plus I am starting a new one. Country Study Co-op, where we study a country each month, then meet together with our group at the end of the month for an ethnic potluck and to listen to each child's presentation on that country.
Friday Forum-A local christian co-op that we attend once a month and the children have 4 classes they attend ranging from science, to book report, to art. This year Miranda is taking a drawing class, Lilyann is taking a camp crafts class, and they will both be in a few other classes with homeschoolers their age.
I am starting a Keepers at Home group with 7 other girls we know. We are going to start with quilting, and for the next few months the girls will be meeting together 2x per month to work on quilting projects. We have a quilting instructor and everything...can't wait to see how this goes!
Field Trips-I am one of the field trip co-ordiators for our local homeschool organization. We will also have 2-3 field trip options to go on every month, as well as other events that are planned throughout the year.

Whew! I am exhausted already, and who said homeschoolers are deprived and don't have enough socialization??? I would love to cut down our schedule but I don't know how! I do know we will take breaks when needed...one more week of summer break, then we start!

Homeschool Planning!

Every year about this time, I am deep in my homeschool planning. I do wait until the last minute, but it always seems to work. I get really excited about all that we have to learn and look forward to all year. This year is no exception. I am always so thankful for this gift to be able to homeschool my children. I am overwhelmed by the amount of wonderful curriculum that is out there, and the ability we have as homeschooling parents to pick and choose what best suits each individual child. That is one of the best things about homeschooling. Your children are not subjected to the institionalized public schooling, but they get to learn and grow using tools and approaches that best meet their needs. The most wonderful thing I have seen so far is that my children LOVE to learn. I cannot say that about myself. I hated school growing up. I didn't love learning at all. Another perk is that I am learning right along with my children! I have some fun plans this year, and some of the curriculum we are adding this year is going to be excellent, I know it already! Add to that the co-ops and activities we are planning and it is lining up to be one VERY full year. In my next post I am going to share all that we are doing for our upcoming homeschool year...come back and take a peek!

Update!

Well, sort of.
We have been literally overwhelmed with life lately.
Having a one AND two year old in the house is something I don't think many people understand until they try it. It is hard. It can be stressful. But, it is a hard and stressful endeavor that I love, and at the end of the day, I am glad it is my life. I can now relate to people with twins, or triplets. I Know what it means to have multiple children with multiple needs. Our 5 year old, miss Lilyann, is having some issues we are dealing with...post to come at a later date, and helping my almost 10 year old channel her energy and talents into a few places has been challenging as well!

My life is disorganized at the moment, with housework, homeschool planning, adoption paperwork, and more. I plan to focus on that in the next few days to get my head cleared of it all...then I will be back to blogging more regularly.

Blessings!

Ooooh...A new favorite BLOG!!!

Last night at our monthly homeschool moms support group, we continued our discussion of a book I read a few years ago, when choosing a method of homeschooling. It was all about the Charlotte Mason method, and I loved it, and I believe it played a huge part in my falling in love with homeschooling. Yes! I am in love with homeschooling...and one reason is that when using the Charlotte Mason method of homeschooling, you realize that you are not engaging in just the role of "teacher" to your children, but you are embracing an entire lifestyle, with your family, and I am head over heels in love with my family!
I think when I first read the book, I was mostly inspired, and my eyes were open to what "educating" your children really could look like and be. It's not anything like the box I was educated in, in public school. It was more about finding out what drives our individual children, how to inspire them, and how to facilitate a passion for learning in our children. Not just a passion for learning the basics, but a passion for  life, nature, and God .

I cannot wait to read this blog. We discussed Mother Culture last night at our meeting, and I shared this quote from the book :

"Mother's should cultivate their souls, that in turn, they may cultivate the souls of their children",  Billy Graham.  I love that! And, to see it on this blog, got my heart skipping a beat just a bit.

This author has so many nuggets of wisdom to share. I highly recommend the book, "A Charlotte Mason companion", which you will see on this blog. It is where my homeschooling journey began, and it is something that I hope will continue to carry us through.

Go check out this blog, read about "mother culture, be inspired, and be blessed!

THIS blog will no doubt become a favorite of mine, and a regular place to visit!