When people think about sending their kid off to public school, they assume that their child be will educated in a neutral way, a way that doesn’t push a particular religion or try to indoctrinate children into a particular way of thinking. After all, we have separation of church and state in this country, and… Continue reading Public school is not neutral.
When I pulled my son out of public school last year to homeschool him, I noticed some troubling things. He had zero attention span. When I was a kid, I could get out the giant box of Barbies and play for HOURS. My son is 9 now and he can’t do anything for hours, except… Continue reading I wish I could throw out my TV…
I am now 3 and a half years into my homeschool journey. I started by pulling one kid out of public school because she was miserable, and ended up pulling the other kid too, simply because I fell in love with homeschooling and wanted both of my children to experience it. Here is what I’ve… Continue reading What I Learned in My First 3 Years of Homeschooling
Recently we were invited on a trip to Destin, Florida with friends who had rented a condo and had extra space. It was one of those situations where I could think of a thousand reasons not to go (mostly financial), but then I realized that my kids are only little once and we have to… Continue reading Navarre Beach Sea Turtle Conservation Center in Florida
It’s graduation season and all the high school seniors are leaving the nest and heading off into the big wide world. I hear people ask them where they’re going to college, as if it’s a given. All the ones I know do happen to be going to college, but I sort of wish at least… Continue reading You don’t have to go to college, but you should educate yourself…
Have you ever heard of geocaching? It’s basically a modern day treasure hunt using GPS technology. You use latitude and longitude coordinates to follow a map and find a hidden treasure. We use the geocaching app on my smart phone and it’s easy enough for my 8 year old to figure it out. It’s a… Continue reading Learn latitude and longitude with geocaching!
I pulled my daughter out of public school at Christmas of her second grade year. I remember that day very clearly. I was both terrified and defiant as I walked into her elementary school office that day to fill out the paperwork. I knew in my gut that this was something I had to do… Continue reading Reflections on 3 Years of Homeschooling
We just finished studying ancient Egypt. This was my daughter’s favorite project from our study, and it’s EASY! It could even double as a Halloween costume. Materials: One brown paper bag Glue Black yarn Markers for decorating (we used gold and black sharpies) Instructions: Start by cutting out your headdress. I cut from the top… Continue reading Ancient Egypt Headdress and Armbands
This week we continued our study of the digestive system. We covered the liver and pancreas. The liver makes bile, which is used by our bodies to break down fat in the small intestine. We did this science experiment to show how bile works. Materials: Milk (at least 2% fat) Food Coloring Dish soap cotton… Continue reading Digestive System Science Experiment: How Does Bile Break Down Fat?
On Friday, I did it. I de-enrolled my 2nd grade daughter to homeschool her. She is ecstatic. I am ecstatic. We’re finally starting something I’ve wanted to do since she was in kindergarten. She was never very happy at public school. She complained that the other kids were mean, and even though she liked her… Continue reading We are officially homeschoolers!
