Ahh, Homeschooling...

I am not sure if I have ever really posted about Homeschooling or not. Maybe in general terms and in with another post; but, this one is all about Homeschooling. :))

I really enjoy teaching my children at home-really. I enjoy seeing that light in their eyes when they get a new concept or when they figure out that the letters on a page mean something and they can sound them out and then read them!! That is amazing to me. Our 5yodd is in this process right now. She is learning to read. It is so exciting to see everything click for her. I can't imagine sending her to school one day and she came home able to read and I missed it. That makes me sad just thinking about it.

I love the fact that we can stay in our jammies all day and do school on the bed, couch, floor, or where ever we want to at the time. We can go to the backyard and do school. It truly fosters an open dialogue with the kids that I don't think I would have if they were gone all day.

We have also been able to incorporate practical living skills into everyday life that I don't think I could do if they were gone all day. Such as, I taught my dd's how to make a certain muffin recipe, tater tot casserole, grilled ham and cheese, and other things in the course of daily living. They are now self-sufficient at making their own breakfasts and lunches and will soon be responsible for some simple dinner menus as well. They are learning practical life skills as they come up through-out the day at teachable moments and it is priceless.

We do have the standard 'three r's' that we do every day and we actually enjoy those most days as well. The girls are able to get most of their work done by 11am and then have free time until 1pm or so and then we start the fun stuff! Art, science, history, reading, etc. I get to be right there with them when they are learning and discovering. What a gift.

I think the most important thing that I love about Homeschooling is the character training I get to do with them. It is a continual thing and it never stops. ;) I control what influences they are allowed to be around and I am very choosy. I want them to grow into the kind of women that God wants them to be and to prepare them for His purposes and so the responsibility falls to me to control who is shaping the character of my children. Do we hide in our house and church and never associate with other people? Absolutely not!! My children are VERY social and are comfortable in almost every public setting. They have no problem in carrying on conversations with other children of all ages and with adults. The difference, I think, is that they are not influenced by the worldly standards that say you have to have the newest and best to be liked. If someone has a different value system than I do, then I will limit the exposure that my children will have with that person. Why should that person have more time to shape my child than I do? They shouldn't-in my opinion!

Enough of the rant. LOL Homeschooling works for us-we love it. We struggle through some days and some days we give up and wait until the next day all together!! For the most part, I absolutely love being with my kids and I think they are really fun to be around. I can't imagine sending them away for eight or more hours a day and they come home significantly different than when they left.

I am going to try and put a list on the side of the curriculum we use. I will try. Most days I am doing good just to get a post to show up!! The computer is not my thing. LOL