Home School Skills and FAQs

Oooh - I get to blog! What fun!
Here is where I can jump up and down on my soapbox as much as I like! Whee!
My soapbox is almost always homeschooling.

I thought it was a good idea, but it looked really hard when I first met it. I figured I had just moved the entire family to a bigger town and I could now choose a "good" school for my babies. Thus I was serene that I would not need to homeschool.
Ha!
After 2 months of dragging my weeping baby girl to Junior K (at the "good" school with fabulous teachers) and then dragging my weeping self home everyday, I realised that this was not going to work. (Ok - sometimes it takes me a while...)

My daughter was delighted to never see the school again, and even now, 4 years later, when asked, she shudders and makes me promise again never to send her to school.

Everyone questioned my plans. The teacher was very concerned, the principal disapproving and my darling husband confused. I just knew that if there were other ways of educating her without the agony she felt, then I would see if I could do that for her.

Now, I am an academic. That means, as Bill Cosby puts it - we go and study things that people do naturally everywhere else in the world. So I set out on my adventure to discover how to educate my children. I read everything I could lay my hands on - I still do. I talked to everyone - pro, against or just confused - I still do. I researched this choice closely.

It turns out that I discovered so much more than how to teach my child to read and add.

I discovered that:
* children have a natural curiosity for their world and
* love to learn
* I love to be with my children
(this is the one truly vital element in homeschooling of any kind!)
Truly! If you don't like your children - dont homeschool them.

I also discovered that many of my other skills suddenly became really useful
* public speaking
* sales and marketing
* personality profiling
* copywriting, editing
* emotional state management
* learning preference choices
* computer skills
* research skills
* even singing!

Many of the business books I read apply directly to our homeschool:
The ABC's of building a successfull team - Blair Singer
The Alladdin factor - Canfield and Hansen
Rich Dad - Poor Dad - Kyosaki
Secrets of the Millionaire Mind - Ecker
and so many more!

Some of the really important books were also:
His needs her needs
5 Love languages
Feel the Fear and do it anyway
(sadly all authors who currently escape me)

I have now met a really wonderful and generous group of homeschoolers who support each other and pass on great ideas and have broad shoulders.

I have noticed though, that many of them have never come acroos many of the skills that has smoothed this adventure for me. I gently pass some info along whenever it seems appropriate, but I realised that these are essentials.
It is vital that the people teaching our children have as many tools to use as possible.

That is why this blog.

I plan to share ideas and concepts and resources as I find them.
I also plan to celebrate homeschooling of every stripe and shape possible.
This will be as inclusive as possible.

I believe that homeschooling is a state of mind where we the parents take active responsibility for our childrens' education.
We have a gazillion resources to choose from to get that done - including using the official school system where it is appropriate for our child.

Let's empower each other and make the whole greater than the sum of its parts!

If you have questions or opinions (and I have never met a homeschooler who doesn't have at least three opinions on any single topic!) I would love to hear them! Bring it on!

Next time I will discuss the 5 worst mistakes I see parents making.... hold your breath!
Chat soon
:)
Karen