It's Been A While

Hmmm ... It's been quite some time since I last posted here. I guess I've been so busy I lost track of how long it's been.

Let's see ... We have sent our oldest off to college (yes, homeschoolers can get into college!), my husband has a new job, we are trying to sell our current home so we can move to a warmer climate ... I think that about sums up where we are. :-)

I will try to add some more details about what's been going on for us soon ...

Shop for Homeschooling Books

I have set up a website which is essentially an online store where you can search for books and textbooks specifically about and for homeschooling. It features ebay listings, Amazon products, and other items, all of which are related to home schooling or home education.

I have done the searching and categorizing for you. It is organized by subject, making it much easier for you to find any books you may be looking for.

Please take a look:

Homeschool Web Info - Books and more

I will be adding to and updating this site regularly, so please come back often!

My Inspiration

"To be Queen Elizabeth within a definite area, deciding sales, banquets, labors and holidays; to be Whiteley within a certain area, providing toys, boots, sheets, cakes, and books; to be Aristotle within a certain area, teaching morals, manners, theology, and hygiene; I can understand how this might exhaust the mind, but I cannot imagine how it could narrow it. How can it be a large career to tell other people's children about the Rule of Three, and a small career to tell one's own children about the universe? How can it be broad to be the same thing to everyone, and narrow to be everything to someone? No; a woman's function is laborious, but because it is gigantic, not because it is minute. I will pity Mrs. Jones for the hugeness of her task; I will never pity her for its smallness."

- G.K. Chesterton, What's Wrong with the World?

"Are you finished with school yet?"

"Are you finished with school yet?"

I get asked this question so many times each year as we enter the summer months. And then the inevitable follow-up: "Are you at least going to give the kids a summer break?"

I usually answer, a bit facetiously, I admit, with something like "Every day is a learning experience; education is an on-going process." My sisters have stopped accepting this as an answer; yet they still seem to think they have every right to question our yearly schedule.

Those who do not homeschool do not seem to understand that it is not simply "school at home." We do not necessarily follow the calendar of the local school district. In a recent conversation, I pointed out that we actually finish each of our books, we cover all the material. I don't know about anyone else, but when I was in school, we never completed a text book. There were always a few chapters at the end which we didn't get to, but the year was still over when the calendar said it was.

My brother (who has never seemed to support our homeschooling) surprised me when he commented that our "school" was therefore curriculum-based, not calendar-based. I said "Exactly!" The education of my children is based on covering the planned material at their pace.

Another point I repeatedly make is that too much time away from the books causes the students to forget a great deal of what they have learned. This is why so much time is always spent on review at the beginning of a new school year. We don't lose time on reviewing what's already been learned; we move right into the new material.

How many parents have you heard complain about trying to find things for their children to do all summer? Or complain about how their children sit around whining that there's nothing to do? There is absolutely nothing wrong with occupying some of their time with books and learning.

If you haven't figured it out, our homeschooling adventure has developed into a year-round schedule. Yes, we do relax a little for the summer. I do let them go out and play and swim. (My 15-year-old son thinks he's amusing when he tries to convince me that I should let them swim as their phys-ed class for the day.) The only days that come close to a full schedule are the days that it rains all day long.

The curriculum we use is quite comprehensive and writing-intensive. I believe it would be very difficult to get all the assignments finished in a usual school year. So instead of pressuring my kids to overwork themselves, I let them continue working part-time through the summer. They are all learning and progressing well; we just live a different life than the norm.

I'd like to share a quote from an article I read recently:

Homeschooling is like belief in God. To paraphrase a wonderful saying, "For those who believe (in home education), no explanation is necessary. For those who don't, no explanation will suffice."

- Tim and Marianna Bartold, "Homeschool Doubts: What to Do When They Set In?" www.KeepingItCatholic.org/todo.html

Perhaps some people just will never understand our choice to homeschool - and that's OK. I guess it would be nice if they would accept that fact instead of trying to make me conform to their ideas.

It's That Time of Year

Now that it is finally really springtime (it always takes a while for spring to take hold here in upstate New York) we are entering one of the most difficult times of the year for our homeschooling adventure.

Winter is always very difficult to get through - all the grey and cold is depressing and we are never properly motivated to work hard. This leaves us with more work to finish up towards the end of the year than we would like. Just when we want to get outside more, we are faced with having to buckle down and work harder. You would think we would be more motivated to work when the weather is cold and we are stuck inside, but for whatever reason, the whole family seems to slow down in winter.

So now we are trying to push through the material we have left to cover so we can try to enjoy the summer and relax for a few weeks; but it is hard.

We don't really HAVE to finish everything before summer starts. That's one of the advantages to homeschooling - we can fit it to our own schedule and learn year-round if we choose. The problem is I REALLY need a break. I am feeling very stressed this year and would love to have most of the summer off from school concerns.

So, each day we try to get more done than the day before. And of course there are good days and not-so-good days. But I wouldn't trade this time with my kids for anything.


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Visit my Homeschooling Information Site
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thinking About Homeschooling?

If you are thinking about homeschooling, or even if you've already started, i can't emphasize how important this site will be:
Home School Legal Defense Association

This site offers a large number of resources. There are articles, helpful links, etc. But perhaps the most important information they have is a description of the homeschooling laws and regulations for each state.

Since education is regulated on the local level, each state has their own regulations regarding compulsory attendance ages and what is required of homeschoolers. Remember, it is legal to homeschool in all 50 states, but the states differ widely regarding required notifications, reporting, and other paperwork.

Before getting started, or as soon as possible if you have already started, review the regulations for your state and be sure you are in compliance. You don't need any surprises down the road. You will also know what is actually required and what is optional. Some school districts may try to exert more control over homeschoolers than they have the authority to do, so it helps to know ahead of time what the minimum requirements are.

In addition, HSLDA will assist homeschooling families who run into legal difficulties regarding their homeschooling activities. Read their website for more information.

What Does Homeschooling Mean to Me?

What does homeschooling mean to me? It has become such an integral part of who we are as a family, that it would be difficult to analyze it separately. It truly has become our way of life.

Homeschooling means I spend more time with my children - all of them, not just the little ones. My older kids attended a "regular" school for several years before we started homeschooling, and I always felt out of touch with what was going on in their lives. We were growing apart, both figuratively and literally. Why has society accepted that parents should want to be with the babies and toddlers, but once the kids reach school age, we're supposed to prefer to not have them around? I didn't have children in order to send them off to spend their day with some other adult. I didn't feel that way when they were born, and I don't feel that way today. I deeply enjoy each and every one of my children, and I love having them with me every day.

Homeschooling means we are free to discuss our faith openly, and apply it to all areas of life and study. God is not relegated to only Sunday school, or even only Religion class. History is full of faith-filled people whose actions and ideas were directly related to their faith, including the founding fathers of our country. I really don't see how one could teach about how America began without mentioning God. Science is in reality a study of God's creation. How can one look at such an amazing world and not appreciate the Source of all? Writing and reading can include faith-related topics. When dealing with discipline issues, God and His teachings can be included in the discussions. It would seem unnatural for a person of any faith to spend their entire day forbidden to mention their God.

Homeschooling means I have an incredibly open and close relationship with my two teenagers. They will talk to me about anything, and are not embarassed to be seen with me or our whole family. We laugh together, and actually enjoy each other's company. My sixteen-year-old daughter and fourteen-year-old son have become great friends to each other. They have not been made to feel that parents are irrelevant, or the enemy. More time together means we know each other much better.

Homeschooling means I know, and select, which books my children read and learn from. I am also aware of, and guide, the topics of discussion. I don't have to wonder what "life lessons" they are picking up at recess, on the school bus, or even in class. I choose when they learn certain things, when they are ready (and it has been at a different age for each of them). I plan and direct their education, a level of involvement which is very important to me.

Homeschooling means my children can progress through their studies at their own pace. When they learn something quickly, they can just move on. When they need more time with something, we can slow down to make sure they master it. And I know right away when they need more help. Problems are not hidden until they become major issues; we can take care of them right away. I know and love my children better than anyone else, so their success is paramount.

Homeschooling means my older kids get to see the younger ones grow and develop. They were just as amazed to hear the youngest laugh for the first time as I was. Everyone is learning more about child care, and patience, and putting the needs of others ahead of their own. These are life skills that are important for anyone.

Homeschooling means a more relaxed daily schedule - OUR schedule - which results in less stress. Our day is flexible; we can schedule appointments at less busy times. We don't have to get up before dawn to catch a bus at 6:50 am. I really don't think anyone should have to be out of bed while it is still dark out. :)

Homeschooling means more free time to pursue other activities. We can finish a day's work in less time since we don't have to continually organize a classroom of 20 or 30 students, or spend time walking up and down long hallways.

Homeschooling means we can visit DisneyWorld during the off-peak times, instead of fighting crowds of people stuck to school vacation schedules.

Homeschooling means, on the other hand, living in a house that is never quite all clean. Having six children home all day, every day, creates more mess (especially in the kitchen), and makes it more difficult to keep up with the cleaning, laundry, etc. It doesn't bother me as much as it did at first, because I had to set priorities. The education and growth of my children come first. They do help with chores, but not at the expense of schoolwork. Every couple of days, when I reach my limit, everyone takes a break and cleans up. But until they all move out, there will still be some mess.

Homeschooling means I can slow down and live in the present moment when necessary. I have grown to really appreciate the time I have with my younger children, taking a few minutes at any time to watch them take such joy in each new skill they learn. I definitely feel less rushed since we started homeschooling, and I am able to be there for each small, yet monumental moment in the life of a child.

Homeschooling means, in short, more time and opportunity to fully live out my vocation of motherhood.

Please don't misconstrue my words to imply that these things are not possible for anyone who does not homeschool. This has been a discussion of what homeschooling means to ME. Every family is unique; every family has their own path to follow in finding what is best for them.

Copyright 2005 Cynthia M. Brandolini All Rights Reserved

Cynthia Brandolini has been educating her own children at home since 2000. Her homeschooling informational website can be found at www.BestHomeSchool.info