Recently someone whose opinion I value & respect, commented on the phrase “education for life” saying that it sounded more like “life coaching” than “homeschooling”. Hmmm, food for thought, said I.

After chewing on it, I replied:

“Actually, in my mind, homeschooling is life coaching – preparing & equipping our kids for life, which in my mind is waaay more than academics. Teach them how to learn & when life hits them in the face, they’ll know how to find the information they need. Also, teaching them about character, integrity, good work ethics, spending & saving etc…In my opinion, not every kid needs Algebra, Chemistry, Calculus, etc. Some do, depending on their individual “bent”, some don’t. But all of them need to know how to be productive citizens, parents, individuals.”

I realized that, that has become my homeschool philosophy and each year into it, I believe it more strongly.

Question: What did you learn in highschool that stayed with you, that has proven to be of practical value in your adult life?

Read the rest of this entry »

Nope, not gonna tell you how to define your homeschool success. Just not gonna do it, sorry . Truth is, couldn’t do it if I wanted to!

What I am going to do however, is encourage you to start your homeschooling endeavors, (after praying & learning, of course – see Pray & Learn), by completing this statement: Read the rest of this entry »

Starting homeschool can seem like a daunting task! Where do I start? How do I start? Arrrgh, I don’t know what I’m doing!!! No matter if you’re starting home education from the beginning or jumping in at the highschool level – it can be overwhelming, even paralyzing – been there!The best advice I can give you is the advice that was given to me. Before jumping in, take time to pray and learn.

Pray

Take time to get God’s perspective. Pray, seeking God’s will for your child. He alone knows Read the rest of this entry »

Be sure to check out the new High School & College Prep Books page for some great recommended reads for homeschooling high schoolers and for college prep!

In my last post, I wrote about the need for many kids coming out of institutionalized schooling to home education, needing time to decompress i.e, time to regroup from the stress and pressure they have been living under. Now, I’d like to address the need for decompression that all of us will face during our homeschool journey.Stress is part of life – agreed? Educating our kids at home is a huge part of our life – also agreed? Then it only stands to reason that there will be times of stress that will affect our lives and therefore our homeschooling.

The source of stress can come from situations totally outside of our control. For example: Read the rest of this entry »

As I began writing this post, it became clear that there are 2 types of decompression related to home schooling and each merits its own post. For those of you who are bringing a child out of a public or private school to learn at home, this post is especially for you . Tip #3, Dealing with Stress, is for everyone. So what does decompression have to with homeschooling? Miriam Webster defines decompress as:

1: to release from pressure or compression
2: to undergo release from pressure; especially : relax <need a week off to decompress>

Let me begin by briefly sharing our experience. Read the rest of this entry »

Making the decision to educate your child at home, is not a decision you made lightly! It was probably one of the most important decisions you ever made, or will make. In my humble opinion, it is the best and wisest decision you can make However, once you’ve made the decision, don’t be surprised if you find yourself feeling panicky, thinking thoughts like, “Oh my gosh! What have I done? What if I don’t do it right? What if I forget something? My child’s life will be ruined! Ruined! What have I done?!?”

Or if you are taking you’re child out of public or private school to educate them at home, Read the rest of this entry »