I just finished up registering my son in the public school kindergarten. So I thought I'd write a post about homeschooling. Why kindergarten for him when I've homeschooled the big girls all the way up to 8th and 7th grade this year? Well- he's the only boy. It is a 'blue ribbon' school within walking distance. I hope that 1st grade at home will be successful because he will be old enough for activities outside the home. This is the plan. It could change. Anyways- away we go with homeschooling quick takes- with the sub-theme being 'we need to laugh at ourselves because we are in the vast minority!'
2. from a homeschool mom- she was probably 'in a mood' after being asked too many questions about homeschooling. It is interesting how many people can be offended by a choice we are making for our own children. We are not making a statement about what we think other people should do! And statically, our kids should grow up fine, so society can breathe easy.
Q: Do you have any friends?
A: No. People avoid us for some reason.
Q: How do you meet people?
A: When forced to socialize we paint ourselves blue and run through the streets screaming. We find this a very effective way to meet new people.
Q: How do you assign grades?
A: We toss a coin.
Q: Do you have any friends?
A: No. People avoid us for some reason.
Q: How do you meet people?
A: When forced to socialize we paint ourselves blue and run through the streets screaming. We find this a very effective way to meet new people.
Q: How do you assign grades?
A: We toss a coin.
3. okay- just click here to read some hilarious 'Homeschool SAQs- Seldom Asked Questions. If you are a veteran homeschooler, put down your tea because you should be laughing.
4. (sing to the tune of 'On the 1st day of Christmas'- see this page for the complete text)
On the twelfth day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, "Can they go to college, I could never do that, what about graduation, they'll miss the prom, why do you do this, look at what they're missing, how long will you homeschool, YOU ARE SO STRANGE, What about P.E., do you give them tests, are they socialized, can you homeschool legally?"
On the thirteenth day of homeschool I thoughtfully replied: "They can go to college, yes you can do this, they can have graduation, we don't like the prom, we do it 'cuz we like it, they are missing nothing, we'll homeschool forever, WE ARE NOT STRANGE!, We give them P.E., and we give them tests, they are socialized, AND WE HOMESCHOOL LEGALLY!
6.
I thought that the second quick take was really funny - The truth is though, if anyone out there is thinking of homeschooling, I have a piece of advice for you: Make sure you've already looked into all the necessary elements of a community before you start, and make sure they're solid. If you don't, homeschooling can become very hard, very fast. Everything from a co-op or something similar, to a Church, to some sort of presence of family if possible, to arranging volunteering opportunities or other ways to get involved in the community, etc. If these are nonexistent or fall through somehow, homeschooling can become quite isolating.
ReplyDeleteJonathan- I agree- but if a family is really committed to homeschooling and they don't think there are resources already available- maybe they have to start something! (as an extreme introvert, this scares me)- ask to post about a book club or something at the library and start from there. unfortunately, some parishes are not supportive of helping homeschoolers because they see it as competition for their parish schools. But how a one-job-winner family with 3+ children can afford private school- I have no idea
DeleteHomeschooling can be really isolating even if you do have a good support group. Every year, we have to decide to scale back on some of our activities because we need to be home to get school done. It can be very easy to become over involved in various support groups to the detriment of your family and your kids' education. Of course, this is coming from a low energy introvert (like priest's wife) and I (along with at least 2 of my 5 kids) really need down time. We all also need friends, though, so we have to find a balance.
DeleteI agree with you, Elizabeth. I'm eighteen now, in my senior year, and I homeschooled through my sophomore year of high school. The last two years I've been at a charter school preparing for college and building a resume with a transcript of grades.
DeleteIn my experience of homeschooling, I was in a two co-ops and a few different church communities between first and sixth grade. After sixth grade, we had a falling out with the co-op we were in over differences in approach to homescool (at the risk of an over-generalization, along the lines of the difference between strenuously academic and more lackadaisical), and we never found a good church home to settle down in. So I've personally known and experienced both the struggle for balance while being involved in activities outside the home and education within at the same time, and then the loss of community and the major isolation that can happen if your support group is not within your power.
Lol, these were hilarious!
ReplyDeleteThanks me- now I have the Adams family song in my head ;)
DeleteHilarious! Anti-twaddle radar!
ReplyDeleteno twaddle here (oops yes- Dr Suess might be)
DeleteLOL, loved the cartoon.
ReplyDeleteI might try it this year! Do you think the 8th grader will realize?
DeleteOk, my wife showed me these. HILLARIOUS! I may have to do a "Top 10 lies they tell about Catholics" with all 1-10 having "and you worship Mary and the Saints" added to the end of them.
ReplyDeleteGreat stuff, God Bless,
Oh my gosh, these are so funny! I have to show them to my mom. She home schooled me for 11 and 12 grade, then my younger siblings K-3 and now the youngest set are entering their 2nd year of private school. Even now I get asked these questions though whenever people find out I was home schooled for a little bit.
ReplyDeleteVery funny! That takes me back. The father of homeschooling. In our case, I think it was someone named "Holt". More than 25 years ago, I went to our local library seeking a book on how to supplement our children's public education from home. I didn't have any children yet. My wife had just conceived our first. I found a little, unassuming black book with the simple title, "Home School" or perhaps "Home Schooling".
ReplyDeleteAt the time, 1986, I didn't know that parents had the right to teach their children at home. All I knew was that the Public Schools were failing us and the Public Schools were dangerous. And I knew this from experience because I attended Public School. Then I found this book, I scanned it to see if I could use the information and I immediately realized this had opened for me a whole new world I didn't know existed. I was immediately convinced. I took it to my wife to see if she agreed.
At this point, I need to take a step back. I am always surprised at the response others have to my perceived messages. I thought I took it to my wife for her approval. But later, I heard her tell her mom, "My husband has decided that we are homeschooling and when he decides something, no one can change his mind!"
Anyway, its been a long and lovely story. We homeschooled and are still homeschooling our children. Here's one of my children. If you press the "show more" link, he's the one in the middle with the crazy hair and the yellow, blue and red striped shirt. He's the outgoing one. He's been evangelizing Catholic youth with Net Ministries for about six years now. Started in Australia. The rest of my children (total of four) are shy, homebodies. But they are all faithful Catholics and in my book, that is all that counts.
As far as the Dad being the math teacher. I was soon disqualified from teaching any subject. After my first attempt to teach my son math, my wife said to me, "No, my son wants me to teach him math. He doesn't want you to teach him anymore." Apparently, I teach with a heavy hand. And he passed the information down to his siblings, so I never taught them anything either. Anything, except apologetics. Interesting story. As I said, after that, I never sat my children down to teach them anything. But they were paying attention.
cont'd
2 of my siblings were on NET :)
Deletecont'd
ReplyDeleteHere;s the deal. I'm hooked on apologetics and have been for about twenty years. Since we are homeschoolers we actually sit down to dinner together every night when I'm home. Can I get an amen?!
Well, in my household, dinner doesn't start until my wife can drag me off the computer. As she is doing so, I'm telling her all about the person with whom I'm debating and the subject of our debate. This frequently becomes the subject of our conversation that evening. I didn't realize it, but my children remembered those conversations. I discovered it by accident. Homeschooling was old hat in our area when I started. But it was new to Catholics. After all, we have the Catholic School system. So, we joined a Protestant home school group. There were several Catholic families already enrolled and we kind of formed a subgroup.
When my son was old enough, he wanted to play basketball. This group had organized a league, so I enrolled him in one of the teams. I didn't realize or care that the rest of the players were Protestant. Of course, they did. They had already singled us out. But they were in for a big surprise.
Apparently, from the very first, they attempted to proselytize my son. But he turned the tables on them. From our simple dinner conversations, he had learned how to turn around all their arguments using Scripture. I learned this at our dinner conversations. It was his turn to tell us what others had said about the Catholic Faith. I was shocked. It was then I asked him, "Where'd you learn all that stuff?" And he said, "From you and mom, when you would discuss your debates right here at the table."
The rest of my kids are just as good. By this time, they've all had their turn to share at the dinner table. And I am a very proud Papa.
God is good!
Sincerely,
De Maria