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9 Unexpected Effects of Homeschooling (from May 2014)
We are about to wrap up our first year of homeschooling and I'm pleased to say it has been a success so far. Harlee has learned so much this year and I'm so proud of what she has done, but I have learned even more! And we are both so ready for summer! So in my short stent of homeschooling (so far) here are a few things I didn't see coming at us.
1) If I make my children get dressed they ask where we are going.
I tell the girls to get dressed everyday, half the time they come out in summer dresses in the winter or in different pajamas than they wore to bed. It's when I pick out proper seasonal clothing that are appropriate to wear in public that they start to interrogate me.
2) My yoga pants get quickly worn out, without ever making it to yoga.
Right after you order your homeschool curriculum you might as well stock up on yoga pants, they are more important than new pencils. Come on now, all the homeschool moms are doing it.
3) After moving to a new state it was actually easier to meet people and make friends compared to life before homeschool.
I have found a fantastic homeschool group that does a lot of cool things together. We have P.E. together and co-ops and all kinds of fabulous things. It's a lot of fun and I have met some fabulous ladies that are know-it-alls in all things homeschool. (And not the annoying show-off-I'm-bettter-than-you kind of know-it-all either.)
4) Exasperating questions from strangers.
General curiosity I can handle, but please don't look at me in horror, ask me how in the world my children will ever learn to stand in line, especially while we are standing in line at the grocery store. Clearly we are here on a field trip to learn how to stand in line and all the groceries are just for the heck of it. We don't actually need milk and toilet paper. (Yes, this has happened to me...twice.)
Besides I have two children not one, we do stand in line practice for exactly 27 minutes every Friday, see my schedule?
Friday:
8:45am give pet fish a bath
9:00am standing in line practice
9:27am pin things on pinterest
9:30am brush teeth while eating an Oreo
I know, I know you're looking at my Friday morning thinking about how ridiculous it is that I only spend 3 minutes on Pinterest; I mean is that even possible!?!
5) How much it costs.
First, I pay taxes for public school and then I have to buy a curriculum and supplies for my children and for me as the teacher. Even more money for science experiments and homeschool group projects and activities, and don't forget the yoga pants.
6) My house is always a mess.
Dusting has been replaced by phonics and vacuuming has been replaced by math. Science experiments have taken over my sewing time and TeachersPayTeachers has replaced working on my blog and writing my book.
7) I have lots of time to fold laundry.
Math time is laundry folding time. Harlee needs me to be near her but not hovering, so I sit by her and fold lots and lots of laundry. The house might be a mess but at least I have clean yoga pants.
8) It is so so hard.
Most parents teach their kids their colors and how to count to ten. That's not so hard. This is not like that. Not even close. I'm teaching my 5 year old fractions and phonics while teaching my three year old number recognition and letter sounds, or on some days just to please leave her sister alone so at least one of them can learn. And try to not let our house end up on a FaBreze commercial all at the same time.
9) How worth it it is.
I get to watch my children learn everyday. I know what they are learning and I can teach them in a way that they learn best. Harlee gets good grades all the time. If she doesn't, then it's my fault for not teaching her better or spending more time on a topic. We say the Pledge of Allegiance and we study the Bible every single day. It might be the hardest thing I have ever done, but it's also one of the best, and I wouldn't change it for the world.
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