Is a homeschool co-op right for you? It is hard to know until you find one in your area and see if it is a good fit. Not every group is a good fit so don’t feel bad or worry that something is wrong with you because you didn’t fit in or enjoy it. Some co-ops have rules that you may not want to follow such as having to teach a course or watching children during an adult meeting. There are different types of co-ops and it will be important to chose the one right for you. Mom Group: A … Continue reading →

I want to do something a bit unusual and share with you a comment that has been going around Facebook the last few days regarding homeschool and socialization. The comment is by a woman named Joy, who did not homeschool, but wanted to share words of encouragement. Her words are so special and uplifting, I think every homeschool parent or parents who are deciding on homeschooling, needs to read. “I have been teaching at the university level for 13 years. During that time, I have worked with many home schooled young people. They have been among my most well-prepared and … Continue reading →

No matter who many times the socialization question is asked and answered it still comes up. Many homeschoolers have no patience with the question since they have had to defend this aspect of homeschooling so often. It gets to the point that the question is met with a yawn and an air of disrespect for asking such a silly question. Some even get insulted by the question. Yet, many who embark on homeschooling also ask with sincerity as they too wonder if their children will learn social graces and have friends. Will a child be so sheltered that he will … Continue reading →

Kids who go to a public or private school are naturally going to form friendships with some of their classmates. They spend several hours of the day, five days a week, with their peers. Parents who are homeschooling their children are going to have to make an effort in order to give their children opportunities to make some friends. Here are some suggestions about where to start. Homeschooling gives a parent a great deal of control over what their children are exposed to. This is one of the advantages of homeschooling. Parents get to decide what their child will learn. … Continue reading →

Gratitude is one of the attributes of happy people, and I try to cultivate it in myself and in my family. I don’t cultivate it because I want to be better than others. I just cultivate it because it makes me feel good to note all of the things that I can be thankful for. Even when the day is hard, it is easy to be thankful. I am thankful for my health. Yesterday I had severe back pain that was so bad that I couldn’t sit down. I was very grouchy. Yet at the end of the day when … Continue reading →

Yesterday I stood by a woman at the bus stop. She was no more than 5 feet tall, and I’m closer to 6. She stood straight and carried nothing except a large purse. She spoke cheerfully in a thick Scottish accent, looking for the bus with eyes that could see it far better than mine. She was eighty-eight. She sat down on the bus, across from another woman, a mother whose child smiled at the older woman sitting across from him. He waved. She waved to him. Today is a day to remember our elders. It’s a day to think … Continue reading →

Yesterday we talked a bit about how informal, community acts of helping and giving can create community connections and teach your children about how giving does not need to be onerous. Today, let’s talk about another way of giving (and receiving!): volunteering. I started volunteering as a young child. I recall spending many of my lunch hours in the school store, helping sell yogurt and drinks to other students as a fundraiser for our school council. I worked with one of our supervision aides, a gruff but kind woman who taught me how to make change and do very quick … Continue reading →

What do you think of when you think of the word charity? To me it brings to mind little boxes where I put my small change. But what if charity meant more than that? What if your children grew up with a broader concept of charity, one that means helping others when they need help? Modeling helping behavior is one activity that I want to do with my child. I want my child to grow up understanding that people help other people, and not just those in your immediate family. I want her to understand that it is just fine … Continue reading →

I consider myself to be an anarchist. Before that makes you worried, let me assure you that I consider myself to be a kind and gentle sort of anarchist. I am a social anarchist, a person who believes that it is the responsibility of individuals and groups in communities to come together to help each other, not necessarily the responsibility of government. This has led to a life full of wonderful activities and many different communities. I also believe that homeschoolers as a group tend to be somewhat anarchic. Home learning is bucking the overall system, after all. It’s making … Continue reading →

Yesterday I discussed a point of view presented to me by a well meaning gentleman who thought homeschooling was too isolating for minority children. He expressed that homeschooling would not prepare a child to deal with other people of his own culture since only 10 percent of homeschoolers are black. As a homeschooler to children who are bi-racial I do not share the same concerns as this gentleman. Sheltering and isolation are not the reasons I homeschool and frankly I do not think it is the reason most homeschool. While parents desire their children to be “sheltered” from certain aspects … Continue reading →