If you saw Quinn's post, you will understand that she is the most artistic child in the house, landing me at #7 on the spectrum. Honestly, I'm just happy Mom gave us some guidelines on what to write about. It helps me reign in my instinctive, uncontrollable urge to discuss things that will bore people, such as fish, or science, or whatever else I feel like talking about.
(Although to be fair, I made 100% on the paper I wrote about werewolves during college this year.)
(Doesn't mean I won't post pictures of fish.)
You guys have seen this kind of post before. In fact, that is very likely one of the reasons you read this blog. When you are starting out homeschooling your children, or are thinking about taking the plunge, little is more valuable than honest advice from somebody who has done it all before. So here I am, your golden gem of knowledge. Although I haven't yet had any of my own kids to homeschool, I can offer a slightly different perspective.
(Prepare to be enthralled.)
(Willow's rabbit, Spike.)
Homeschooling is cool. No really, it's great and that is mostly all I have to say about it. Of course it isn't always going to work for everybody, and you may not always be able to homeschool, but the best thing about homeschooling is that it allows for innovation ands flexibility. If you have a problem, you have the ability to fix it. This is wildly different from the public school system in which decisions are made by people with nothing to do with your child.
(My pet rat, Annalise. Want to hear another opinionated post from me? I could write about how rats make awesome pets. Or, literally anything else. I'm opinionated in general.)
Mark that down as pro #1: Flexibility and autonomy. You're in charge of your own child, and of your own schedule. Sick? Need a break? Take a day off, or read books for a week and don't worry about arithmetic. You can catch up later. This is especially great if you have a kid that doesn't "fit" with the system very well. Whether you have a child who is particularly restless, who needs more time to study, or one that gets way ahead of the other students and becomes bored, you can tailor your schooling to your child. We are people, not robots programmed to behave and integrate information the same way.
For example, I was homeschooled from when I was a little kid until I was 16 (I'm 19 now), and I get bored very easily. With homeschooling I was able to finish my homework quickly and move on to doing things that interest me more, even if it was just homework from an elective class. Had I been forced to remain at the table until all my siblings had finished their homework (or had I grown up in a public classroom with set class times) I would have been distracted and miserably bored. Even today in my college classes I generally need to be doing about three other things at once in order to keep from becoming bored. Part of this is because I'm usually ahead in my classwork. People learn at their own pace, and with homeschooling you can make adjustments so your child finds learning less arduous and more enjoyable.
(Homeschooling enabled me to get a puppy, and train her and take care of her. This is Zelda, little light of my life. She is 6 years old now, I got her when she was 6 weeks.)
Pro #2 of homeschooling: You get to spend time with your child. This is also Con #1: you HAVE to spend time with your child. No more having a school full of teachers to babysit your kid. Homeschooling is very hard because it forces you to be with your children nearly 24/7, and that is mentally, emotionally, and physically straining. But it is worth it, because children grow up. I wouldn't trade all the years I have had at home with my parents for anything. As a bonus, by spending time with adults and getting more one-on-one attention, you learn a lot of things other kids don't. You know that question that all homeschoolers (parents and kids alike) are asked?
"How does your kid learn to socialize?"
Well, by hanging out with adults. Of course we had friends growing up, and we still have friends! But who would you rather your child spend the majority time with: you (an adult), or a bunch of other kids their age who you don't even know? By spending time with their parents kids learn to say no, and to stay away from things and people that aren't good for them, whereas in school they may not just because all the other kids are doing it.
(Luna and Delcano)
There are many, many more positive things about homeschooling, but I don't want this post to be too long. All in all, I would not trade my experience as a homeschooler. Had I been in the public school system I wouldn't know 80% of the things I do now, wouldn't had been able to explore my interests to the extent that I have, and very importantly, I wouldn't have started college at 16.
(These are ranchu goldfish by the way, they are really fat and lack a dorsal fin. That one is named Leeloo.)
So there you have it. I know it's not the most original post. If you want to hear me talk about something my Mom has definitely not covered before on this blog, leave a comment along the lines of "omg, talk about those cute fish" or find some other obscure topic. Because, while I may not be the most artistic in the house, I can sure talk.
(Is that a good thing?)
Have a good Tuesday everyone.
OMG, talk about those cute fish! (From a fellow former homeschooler who learned more about science by caring for her fancy goldfish than from her college biology class).
ReplyDeletehow about werewolves.....
ReplyDeleteCute dogs and eye catching fishes!!!
ReplyDeleteFamous Nursery Rhymes for Kids
I personally love your name! Is there a story behind it?
ReplyDelete