The Real Homeschool Mom

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Earlier this week in The Real Homeschoolers series I told you some strange comments we've heard about "socialization" for homeschool kids. Today I've got a few comments that reveal the misconceptions about homeschool moms that are out there. Some of these might apply to other homeschool moms, but certainly not all of us. A lot of the time, these comments come from non-homeschool moms in the form of their reason why they couldn't do it, which reveals what they think those of us who are doing it are like. So, once again, I give you real comments that others have made to me, a sampling of what I'd like to say, and the truth.

I wouldn't have the patience... you must have a lot more patience than I do!

What I'm thinking: BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

The truth: I don't have any more patience than the average mom, maybe less. I don't think homeschool moms have the market cornered on patience. Some days go smoothly and other days... not so much. Some days are one frustration after another. You do not need to master patience before homeschooling any more than you need to have perfect patience before you become a parent. The process of parenting and homeschooling is teaching me patience all the time though! But on my own, I've got no patience. By the help of the Holy Spirit, I'm learning patience.

Oh, I'm smiling, but see all those grey hairs? EARNED. Every one of them.

It would drive me crazy to have my kids around all the time! How do you get any time to yourself?

What I'm thinking is a combination of: Why did you even have kids, if you don't want them around? How do you think I got this crazy? What is this "time to myself" of which you speak?

The truth: Of course kids drive their parents crazy at times - it goes with the territory. Kids of all ages do things that get on a parent's last nerve, and homeschool families are not immune to it. What's different is that since we do spend so much time together, we do have to learn to live with each other. There are fewer opportunities for homeschooled kids to pick up the bad habits and attitudes of every other kid their age. They mostly learn their bad habits from Mom. And believe me, that does drive a mother crazy on a couple of levels!! But seriously. Having family time is one of the ideals that most parents want - homeschooling helps us do that, and we have the time to truly disciple our kids. Do they still misbehave and make us want to tear our hair out? Absolutely. We just have a little more control over questionable influences, and a lot more opportunity to train kids according to our values and standards of behavior. And yes, I LOVE being with my kids. Most of the time.

But of course, everyone needs a break, so about the "time to yourself" portion of this... the truth is, that can be a big challenge for homeschool moms. It's not a big deal for me now because my kids are older and not underfoot 24/7, but when I had two students and a preschooler and a baby... Oy. But we learn to deal. Participating in a co-op worked for a lot of years. I was a teacher or helper in a small co-op classroom for two of the class periods, and got to hang out in the "teacher's lounge" for a third. My kids have been in a homeschool gym class for years now, and although it's expected that each mom is available once or twice during a semester to provide some crowd control, generally that is a block of free time if I want or need it. I meet monthly with a group of homeschool moms for Encouragement Group. We get together for coffee and conversation, and do just what the name says - encourage one another. And on an everyday basis, I prioritize my morning coffee time to read Scripture and get started on the day quietly and by myself.

How do you get your kids to listen to you?

What I'm thinking: I'm not sure they do listen to me . . . sometimes I really wonder . . .

The truth: Basically, see my answer to the above question. Also . . . I don't have to get their attention in a noisy classroom; I talk to them one-on-one. And the flipside is that they don't have to raise their hand before asking me a question. Other than that, I get my kids to listen to me about doing their schoolwork the same way any parent gets their kids to listen to them about taking out the trash or feeding the dog. Which is to say that sometimes they listen and sometimes they don't. This question is also about whether my kids accept me as an authority on history or math or whatever they are studying, so let's go there . . .

How do you know what to teach?

What I'm thinking: A lot of times I don't. I pray and research and hope for the best.

The truth: I pray; I research; I hunt for curriculum; I compare resources and textbooks. I even consult standards of what is supposed to be covered in each grade. And then I do my best to find a curriculum that is a good fit for my student, and we learn as we go. In subjects that aren't my strength, sometimes I only need to be one step ahead of my student, and sometimes all I need to be able to do is understand the Answer Key. If a subject is way out of my comfort zone, I get help. Maybe a co-op class, or a tutor. Maybe an online curriculum. Maybe dual enrollment at the community college. The bottom line is that a homeschool mom doesn't need to be an expert in every subject, and doesn't need to worry about how to teach Calculus when her kid is still in Kindergarten. We figure out a lot of this stuff as we go! I mean, I do like to think that I'm intelligent and well-read, but I don't have a Masters in Everything, so I know my limits. Actually, I'd like to get a Masters in Everything, if I could just find a college that offered that degree.



You must be so organized.

What I'm thinking: Oh my word. Apparently, you have not been in my house.

The truth: Some homeschool moms are super-organized. I think it's an individual personality trait, not a standard homeschool mom trait. I am not that mom. I wish my desk and my bookshelves --- and well, my whole house, really --- were neatly organized with pretty bins and labels, a place for everything and everything in its place. But it is not a natural ability of mine. I settle for mostly functional. Homeschooling does mean I have to maintain a certain level of organization and record-keeping just so we know what we're doing, and so we can comply with the law. I do like to make lesson plans and check things off lists, and I enjoy keeping track of all the things we do for school; so I guess in that sense I am organized. I rely heavily on my beloved Homeschool Tracker (which looks so neat and tidy) and notebooks full of my continually updated and scribbled-upon handwritten lesson plans and ideas (which do not look neat and tidy in the least). We do keep our schoolwork in some semblance of organization out of necessity, but honestly I'm forgetful and my filing system is actually more of an artful stacking system. Which reminds me - I need to make sure I have my report card and paperwork to deliver when I go out later today. I'd better go put it with my purse now, so I don't forget it. And maybe I should write myself a sticky note too, just to be sure. Now where are my sticky notes? I can't find a pen that works . . . Oh goodness, it's later than I thought. I'd better get this done so I can help Kennady with Science! And so it goes.

Wow, that's a big commitment. I really admire you for doing that. 

What I'm thinking: Yes, it is a big commitment. But I don't know how to respond to the admiration.

The truth; Yes, it is a big commitment. Being a parent is a big commitment, and as far as we're concerned, education is part of the parenting commitment package. We feel that the calling to train up our children in the way they should go (Proverbs 22:6) included a call to homeschool. So really, we are just following through on that conviction. If you compliment me for homeschooling, thank you. Don't feel sorry for me though. Sometimes I get the weird vibe that someone thinks that I'm some martyr because I homeschool. Guys, this is a JOY! It's a joy and a privilege, and a source of blessing! Even though there are challenges and days that are just hard and discouraging, it's most often a delight to be doing what I do. And on those hard days when I'm really not feeling it, I still have the assurance that we are doing what God called us to do.



And for real? I do not even know how to put my hair in a bun.

Discover real life in other homeschools with the Schoolhouse Review Crew bloggers! Join the blog hop to read more!

Or start with these participating bloggers, all of whom are awesome real life homeschool moms:
Indy Homeschool
The Open Window-An Autism Blog
Creative Madness Mama
Hopkins Homeschool
Tots and Me...Growing Up Together
Our Journey
Crystal Starr
A Little This ... A Little That
For the Display of His Splendor

Find it at Every Bed of Roses!

This post is also linked to the Dear Homeschool Mom . . . Round-up on the Homeschool Review Crew blog and is part of a #breakthrulinkup at Breakthrough Homeschooling.



This post is part of the August 2019 Homeschool Collection on the Homeschool Review Crew blog.

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©2006-2019 Homeschool Coffee Break. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author.http://kympossibleblog.blogspot.com/

The Real Homeschooled High Schooler

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Today's episode in the Real Homeschoolers of Carroll County is about homeschooling high school, and what it's really like. At least what it's like at our house. We've graduated two students from our homeschool already, and we've got one high school student now. Each of them has been a little bit different, and I expect the experience with my last student starting high school next year to be completely different! Here's a glimpse of what homeschooling my high schooler has been like this year.

Landon is in Grade 10. He is very smart, and can be very self-disciplined and self-motivated, but only about things that he cares about. Note: things that he cares about. He would not want me to give the impression that he actually likes Algebra, but my observation is that he cares enough about it to work at understanding it and getting it right. However, he does not care overmuch for writing, so he probably expends more energy avoiding writing assignments than doing them. But if he makes up his mind to get something done, he will do it, and it will most likely be done extremely well.

That's some background - now here's a typical week as it's looked this spring.

Sleeping late on a Monday morning

Monday - There's a high probability that Landon (and Kennady, to be fair) will sleep late and I will have to bang on the door and hurry him out of bed. (High schooler truth: teens need as much sleep as toddlers. I've found that it's better to let them sleep a little later in the morning than to have them dragging all day.) Once out of bed and fortified with breakfast and sometimes coffee, he will get to schoolwork. Usually he spends the mornings working on Notgrass Exploring World History, and maybe doing some reading. I can pretty much count on Landon to alert me to the fact that it's almost lunchtime, because he is always hungry. (High schooler truth: teenage boys pretty much eat All.The.Time.) During lunch break, he will either watch TV - gotta catch up on the sports news he's missed in the last 12 hours! - or maybe play a video game. After lunch is a good time to work on Algebra, and hopefully the internet is cooperative enough to let him watch the lesson video. At some point, I hope that he remembers to work on at least one of his other subjects - Health/Nutrition and Drafting - and I do my best to get organized to tackle the next Grammar lesson with him. He does an awesome job of keeping track of his own schoolwork in a logbook.

Tuesday - It's more likely he'll be awake at a better time on Tuesday morning, but definitely not a given. Tuesday is a busy day, and a short day for academics. If he's ready, he can have the computer to do school in the morning while I take his sister to a music lesson. One of the highlights of the schoolweek for Landon is Tuesday afternoon gym class - except for the weeks they play soccer, which is not his favorite sport! He really does enjoy the class and the time spent with some of his friends. Back home, he showers and probably sleeps a bit before a quick dinner and getting ready for Civil Air Patrol. I genuinely enjoy the drive time there and back, with some of the conversations with Kennady, Landon, and his friend. The funny thing is that Landon will rarely let on that he enjoys CAP, but it's clear that he takes it seriously and that the combination of competition, discipline, and leadership responsibility is excellent for him. And he gets a credit in Aerospace Technology and Leadership each year, which apparently makes it worthwhile to him! He takes all the initiative with CAP, studying whatever he needs to for his next test, keeping his uniforms ready, and being in an authority position over other cadets. Really, the only thing I have to do for CAP is make sure he's got a ride! (High schooler truth: they can take on more leadership and responsibility than we sometimes think, so be willing to let them take the lead. Just be available to guide and support when they do need it, because they will make mistakes and they will come up against situations that stump them.)

getting ready for CAP on dress blues night

Wednesday - This is how I know that Landon is capable of hearing and responding to an alarm clock... he is always up on time for work. He works part time at the greenhouse, putting in two eight-hour days a week. So it's pretty rare that he gets any schoolwork done on Wednesday, because he's out the door with Dad for work early in the morning, and in need of a shower and a nap when he gets home in the afternoon. (Remember what I said about teens needing a lot of sleep!) And Wednesday evening is youth group night, another high point in his week!

Thursday - More or less a repeat of Wednesday, but with a slightly better chance that I can convince him to do a little schoolwork in the evening. See, he knows that he needs to put in some time with the books in evenings and weekends to make up for the two days he is at work, but knowing that he should do that and actually doing it are two very different things. (High schooler truth: even if they study Logic, they can't always apply it to their own situation.) And don't think that he won't give me attitude if I bug him about it - he absolutely will grumble and huff and roll his eyes and complain. And then do just the bare minimum sometimes. Homeschoolers are not immune to teen attitude. Thankfully, it's pretty mild compared to what one of his older brothers was like! (High schooler truth: Growing up can make teens grouchy. You don't have to tolerate disrespect, but try to grow a thick skin and not take their snarly moods too personally. A little space to get over it, and maybe a nap or a snack can often help. Snickers is right - you're not 'you' when you're hungry! A few years experience has taught me that it's best if I can keep my own cool - easier said than done! - and know what is non-negotiable when my teen challenges me and pushes my buttons.)

Friday - Another full schoolday at home! Most weeks. So assuming Landon gets up at a reasonable time, it's very much the same routine as Monday, except with me doing a bit more nagging - that's what the rest of the family calls it, but I prefer to think of it as 'reminding' - about deadlines for assignments and about all the stuff that he was supposed to do during the week and is it done yet? You know the kind of thing I mean. And with the weekend upon us, I often have a bit of near-to-hand leverage because I can say "if you expect to play paintball tomorrow, you need to finish that writing assignment that was due three weeks ago." Because I failed to enforce that deadline at the time. (High schooler truth: they're not above trying to take advantage of your weaknesses or bad habits. My kids know I am a procrastinator and am just forgetful or distracted enough to not enforce deadlines consistently. If I forget to pull out the Grammar text or hold out my hand for the quiz that was due, they will certainly not remind me! They will get away with what they can get away with!)

Nobody's perfect, not even homeschooled teenagers! But the biggest truth about high schoolers for me is this: I wouldn't trade the experience of homeschooling them for anything! These boys (and I expect no less from the girl) cause me to grind my teeth and want to pull out my hair sometimes, but more often they make me proud and remind me how blessed I am to have so much time with them during their teen years. 

Discover real life in other homeschools with the Schoolhouse Review Crew bloggers! Join the blog hop to read more!

Or start with these participating blogs:
Treasuring Life's Blessings
Double O Farms
Simple Living Mama
Fried Clams and Sweet Tea
This Sweet Life
A Net In Time
Counting Pinecones
Some Call It Natural
Kingdom Academy Homeschool
Debbie's Homeschool Corner

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©2006-2015 Homeschool Coffee Break. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author.http://kympossibleblog.blogspot.com/

Don't You Have a Life? (The Real Homeschoolers)

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Welcome to today's episode of The Real Homeschoolers of Carroll County, part of the Schoolhouse Crew's Real Life Homeschool blog hop! Can you believe that my kids have actually been asked the title question?! True story. The following are real questions and comments people have made to me or to one of my kids:

"But you wouldn't ever get to see your friends!"
"I wouldn't want to be homeschooled because I'd miss my friends."
"I'm going to be homeschooled next year, so I'm saying good-bye to all my friends."
"Don't you get bored, never seeing anybody?"
"What do you do for fun?"
"But what about the prom? Don't you/your kids wish you could go to a prom?"
"You don't look like a homeschooler."
"Wait - you're homeschooled? You seem so... normal!?"
"You must not have much of a life."

I guess people probably know better than to actually say the "S" word (socialization, if you're unsure!), but all of the above are really variations on that theme. My kids and I are always surprised that people we know will assume that we are unsocialized hermits without much contact with the outside world. And let's not even get into the implication that the purpose of school appears to be so that kids can visit and hang out with friends. I can see how kids might feel that way, but parents say things like this too. As if the purpose of school isn't primarily education. (I won't argue that here, but you may want to watch IndoctriNation or read my review of it to get my thoughts on that.) Please understand that I am not dismissing these concerns - even though they sometimes come from a misinformed assumption or sound like a shallow or minor issue, they do represent a genuine concern about whether homeschoolers can function "in the real world".  Here are some brief responses to those concerns - slightly snarky, and slightly serious.

You don't get to see your friends. Ummmm... I'm standing here seeing you right now as you're saying this to me. I'm here in this public place or social setting, surrounded by friends (or at least plenty of other people that I'm interacting with) and you are feeling bad that I don't get to see people. *ahem* Sometimes this kind of statement doesn't need a word in response. Just a steady "did you really just say that?" look will usually do it, because the person has obviously not thought that one through very well. But fair enough - the concern is really whether homeschool kids get enough opportunity to hang out with buddies. So let me reassure you that yes, they do. My kids get to spend time with friends at least three days every week. And on one of those days (Tuesday) it's at least two opportunities with a different set of friends in one day. That's not a bad minimum for social interactions. Plus my kids are on Facebook and can use the phone, so they are interacting with friends pretty much every day. They spend plenty of time with friends, and that includes friends who are homeschooled and friends who are not.
  
Homeschooling is boring, or prevents you from having fun. I like to think that the educational part of the homeschooling lifestyle is overall more fun and less boring than classroom education. We can be pretty creative and can really personalize lessons. I guess some things that we have to learn can be considered boring but necessary, but that part isn't much different from any other school setting. But since statements like this usually come from kids, I think that they're worrying that homeschooled kids don't get to do much in the way of extra-curricular fun. Homeschooling rarely, if ever, prevents my kids from being involved in fun activities. Yes, there are field trips. Yes, they can play team sports if they want to. Yes, they go on weekend trips with the youth group; go camping; play paintball; hang out with buddies at a bonfire; meet friends at the ice cream shop or at the mall; hang out after class to talk; go to birthday parties; and pretty much everything else that other kids do.

Homeschoolers miss out on prom. Honestly, this just stuns me that it is a big deal. It is weird to me that this is a serious concern, but apparently it is. Personally, I think I went to a grand total of FOUR school dances/proms in my entire middle/high school career. I had plenty of friends and a busy social life - I just didn't really give a rip about going to a dance. So maybe that's just me and my family, because my kids don't really care either. If they wanted to go to a dance, they could, because there's a very sweet homeschool mom who has planned at least one a year for our homeschool group kids for the past several years. Also, one of the homeschool academies holds a formal spring prom every year that all the homeschoolers are invited to. What my boys have enjoyed for a few years is our group's annual Junior-Senior Banquet, a semi-formal dinner at the Japanese steakhouse followed by a more casual get-together at the host family's home. As far as I know, no one feels they have "missed out" on prom type activities. (And may I also say - the way prom night goes down with public schools too often involves underage drinking; driving under the influence; and immodest, immoral, and promiscuous behavior - sometimes with the consent of the parents. If my kids "miss out" on that aspect of it, I say that's a GOOD thing!)

Homeschoolers look and act weird. I guess this one depends on your definition of weird?! First of all, can we put to rest the notion that homeschoolers all dress a certain way? Seriously, I don't think you can tell that a kid is homeschooled based solely on how they are dressed. I suppose you could make a case that a larger percentage of "skirts-only" young ladies are homeschooled than public schooled, but even so. There's not a homeschool uniform, folks. So it's just odd to me that someone would be surprised that kids are homeschoolers based on the fact that they wear black t-shirts and baggy jeans. Or be shocked that they are homeschoolers but also keep up with current pop culture. (Homeschoolers can be fans of The Avengers and Divergent; they like all kinds of music, even metal. Some of them even like One Direction, although personally I don't understand that at all.) Now, as far as acting weird... if by "weird" you mean they are respectful, responsible, and well-spoken, then I think any homeschool parent would be proud to have her kid wear that title! If by "weird" you mean backwards, socially awkward, inept at communication, unable to relate to people, or just extremely odd and strange, then I can't think that homeschoolers would fit that description in any higher percentages than anyone else. And if there are homeschoolers that are weird by that definition, my guess is that it's not specifically because they are homeschoolers.

Homeschoolers don't have a life. I do not even know what to say to this one. My daughter was stunned when she received a comment like this. I guess the person thought that our social life or life experiences were sorely lacking somehow. Why would you think that? We, and our homeschooling friends, have rich, full lives. We face challenges and problems as everyone does, and sometimes ours are a bit different, but we have a great life. Things don't always go our way and we have to deal with disappointment, just like everyone else, but we have a great life! We get lots of time as a family - and that is a good thing! We have so much freedom to do the fun things, the extra things, and the exciting things, that many other families just don't get to do. Please don't feel sorry for my kids and worry that they are missing out on enriching experiences. That isn't to say there aren't valuable things that public school offers that aren't easy for us to offer. Yes, there are things that aren't as readily available to homeschoolers - sports, marching band, some school trips are examples that come to mind. But if they are things that homeschooled kids truly want, I've seen parents be creative and find ways to make those things happen.

How about it, fellow homeschoolers? Do people wonder if you have a life? If you're considering homeschooling, but are worried that you won't have a life, I want to encourage you to believe that you will not only have a life, it will be a great life!

Discover real life in other homeschools with the Schoolhouse Review Crew bloggers! Join the blog hop to read more!

Or start with these participating homeschool bloggers, all of whom have full and exciting lives:
Life at Rossmont
A Stable Beginning
Happy Little Homemaker
Joyful Hearts and Faces
Day by Day in Our World
Mama's Coffee Shop
Delightful Learning
Double O Farms
Tales of a Homeschool Family
Home Sweet Life
A Rup Life

Find it at Every Bed of Roses!

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©2006-2015 Homeschool Coffee Break. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author.http://kympossibleblog.blogspot.com/

Real Homeschoolers May Not Be At Home!

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It's Day 2 of the Schoolhouse Crew's Real Life Homeschool blog hop, and I'm going to come clean on what Tuesdays are really like in our homeschool. (This isn't the first time I've confessed though - see: 5 Ordinary Homeschool Days - Tuesday)

Fellow homeschoolers usually know this particular truth about homeschooling, but I've found that "outsiders" often don't. Here it is. Brace yourselves... Real Homeschoolers don't necessarily stay at home. It's true. We do not hole up in a schoolroom in our basement all week long plugging away at the books, and emerging only for Sunday church service and the annual homeschool convention. (We don't even have a schoolroom! Sometimes I'm the teeniest bit jealous of those that do.) Okay, that is an exaggeration, but it IS true that people assume we're home and basically have time on our hands on the weekdays. There is no other way to explain the number of times that well-meaning folks at church suggest that something-or-other could be done by the homeschoolers without checking with the homeschoolers in question about their actual availability and interest in the project. No other way to explain the surprise I've seen on someone's face when they've invited me to be part of a weekly something-or-other (like a women's Bible study or something really awesome like that) that happens during the weekday and I decline because "I can't fit it into my calendar".

The truth is that homeschoolers tend to have a full calendar, and the education of our children takes a pretty high priority on our agendas. When students are very young and daily schoolwork can be done in a couple of hours a day, there is a lot more free time available to be out and about, depending on the family's preference. But I've found that as my kids reached the higher grades, it became more important to dedicate our days to their studies and not be running hither and yon every day of the week. I've decided to decline various fun activities, worthwhile extras such as Bible studies or co-ops, and field trips when I've considered the cost in terms of our homeschool schedule. We need to limit our outside activities so that they don't take away from time we have decided to spend at home working on school.

Wait... didn't I just say homeschoolers aren't always at home? And then I said there are lots of things we won't do because we need to be at home. What gives?

I'm still very much in control of our calendar. Far more than families with kids in brick-and-mortar schools. So for the last couple of years, I have decided to try and do all of our "running around" things on one day. Tuesday.  It's worked out so that most of our regular outside activities happen on Tuesday, so that is the day I plan as if I will not be at home at all.  Here's what a typical Tuesday looks like:

Every day starts with coffee, and Tuesdays are no different. Besides, I'm going to need the caffeine, because shortly after breakfast, the crazy begins.


I take Kennady to her piano/guitar lesson mid-morning. Fortunately, it's a very short drive away. I usually take along something I can work on - like balancing a checkbook - or a book I can read.


Back home, we have a little time for schoolwork before lunch, which is almost always rushed, no matter how much I've planned ahead. That's because we need to be out the door to gym class by 12:15. And that is a bit of a drive - about 40 minutes or so.






Whenever possible, I try to get errands done while the kids are at gym. It's a perfect time to get groceries, IF I've remembered my list. I don't always. After gym class is over, good luck trying to herd the kids back to the vehicle. This is their weekly time to catch up with their homeschool friends, and they want to stay and hang out for awhile! (Don't even worry that we don't socialize!)



But we haven't got time to lollygag because we've got that 40 minute drive home - well, now it's more like 45 minimum because traffic is heavier - plus we'll probably need to make a couple of quick stops on the way home. If all goes smoothly, we have about two hours at home before we hit the road again. During those two hours, both kids need to shower and change, and we need to slap some dinner on the table. Tuesday is a good night to have leftovers. Or hot dogs. Sometimes a bowl of cereal, if I'm completely honest.

Back in the van, and we stop to pick up Landon's friend who is also in Civil Air Patrol. I try to drop these guys off around 6:45, because their opening formation is at 7pm.

Once a month, it's PT night, so it's sort of a second gym class.


Those CAP pictures are not actually of opening formation though, because I almost never stay for that. Instead, I drop the guys at the door, and head downtown to drop Kennady off at chorus rehearsal.


They work hard practicing for a concert that looks like this:


I do have to sign her in, and make sure I've got any information they're handing out that week, and I usually double-check with the mom that is gracious enough to sign Kennady out and meet us at the Civil Air Patrol location afterwards. Why don't I pick her up? Well, I also have choir practice on Tuesday evenings, and mine runs 15 minutes later than Kennady's. This other mom also has a son in Civil Air Patrol, so this arrangement has been SO helpful to me! I scoot out of my practice promptly at 9 and hustle over to pick the kids up. Once a month, they are in dress blues and do promotions, so if Landon happens to be promoting, I do my best to get there early enough to see closing formations and see the promotions.





CAP meets in a church multi-purpose room, so after their meeting is over, they have to put all the chairs back, so even though the squadron is dismissed very shortly after 9, the young men are there cleaning up afterwards until at least 9:30 most weeks. After we drop Landon's friend off at home, we are lucky to be back at our house by 10:30. Straight to bed, especially for Landon, because he will need to be up early for work on Wednesday!

The other reason we may not be home during the day is because I can schedule things like doctor's appointments almost any time - we don't have to work around the public school day and calendar the way so many families do. When I called the eye doctor, for example, needing to make appointments for the kids, the receptionist was concerned that they were booked up quite far in advance, until I assured her that any daytime appointments (except Tuesdays!) would be fine since we homeschooled. They fit us in less than a week after my phone call. That happens all the time. It's tremendous.

My students have also had the opportunity to participate in activities that they do enjoy because of the flexibility of our schedule - Landon has been available to start a Civil Air Patrol activity in the early afternoon, while most of the other cadets were still in class and couldn't arrive until later; and Kennady has been able to help with decorating at the church when her mentor decides to do it during a weekday. My boys have been able to work part-time jobs during the weekdays because we can rework their school schedule to accommodate. And of course we are willing to change things around when a field trip or other opportunity show up that we do consider worth our while.

How often do you get out of house? Do you carschool? Leave a comment and let me know!

Discover real life in other homeschools with the Schoolhouse Review Crew bloggers! Join the blog hop to read more!

Or start with these participating bloggers, who may or may not be home today, but are sharing about their real life homeschool:
For This Season
Unexpected Homeschool
For Him and My Family
As We Walk Along the Road
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 ©2006-2015 Homeschool Coffee Break. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://kympossibleblog.blogspot.com/

Middle School Monday - Real Life Homeschooling

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Welcome to Middle School Monday! This week I'm participating in the Schoolhouse Crew's Real Life Homeschool blog hop, so today's Middle School Monday will give a glimpse into what our homeschool days with a middle schooler are really like. Most of us post only the pictures and stories on social media that show us at our best - or at least not at our most embarrassing! It can be easy to wonder if we are the only ones struggling with some aspect of our homeschooling (or life in general!) when we compare our real world to the "best of" snapshots we see of others. While I have no intention of posting pictures or stories that would embarrass my kids here, I will try to be especially honest and realistic about what our homeschool is like for this series.

So... what is it really like homeschooling a middle schooler? I can only speak for my own kid, but here are some assumptions I've heard about homeschooling, and the truth about it in my family.

Homeschooled kids are early risers and like getting their schoolwork done early. Yes, I do know families in which the kids are up before mom and hard at work on their calculus by the time mom gets up. That is not my family. Not even close. I am definitely up before kids in this house, and have usually polished off a pot of coffee before they even hit the snooze button. That's assuming they even set their alarm clock so they have the option to hit the snooze button. I need to wake them up, and sadly, I "hit the snooze button" on doing that too often myself, and we rarely start on time. I will give Kennady credit where credit is due - she almost always starts on her schoolwork without being told once she is awake.

Homeschooled kids start racking up high school credit in middle school. True, a lot of homeschoolers take advantage of the flexibility we have with coursework to give high school credit to middle schoolers when they do more advanced work. Landon completed a high school Science credit course when he was in Grade 8, and got started on his Algebra I credit in his Grade 8 year as well. Kennady is doing a high school level Cultural Geography course this year. But with Landon's Algebra and Kennady's Geography, I award the credit in the Grade 9 year, mostly to keep the transcript looking tidy. Are they capable of doing high school level work during middle school? In some subjects, the answer has been yes. But we have opted not to rush them. Many of my friends have had their kids earn high school credit early, and graduate early, and it's worked out well. But not all of us do it that way.

Homeschooled kids are excelling in ALL subjects, right? Not necessarily. It seems to me that most kids who are excelling in some things also have a subject or two that they have to work a lot harder on. For Kennady, her tough subject is Math. That means she needs to be reminded to do Math. And I doubt she truly forgets to do it - I bet it's more that she will avoid it if she thinks I won't notice!

It must be nice to stay in your pajamas all day! Yes, it is!! We do this more often than we should, but seriously - if we don't have to go out in public, and no one is coming over to our place, what's the problem?

Is any of that what you expected homeschooling a middle schooler would be like? Has your experience homeschooling been what you expected? Leave a comment and let me know! And be sure to check out the other participating blogs as we all share what real life is like in our homeschools!

Each week I invite bloggers to share their posts about middle school here on Middle School Monday. The link is open through the end of the month, and I will do my best to visit, comment, and share your posts. Please grab the Middle School Monday button to add to your post or to your sidebar when you leave your link below, and please visit the other links and comment or share. I look forward to seeing what you and your middle schoolers are doing!

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<a href="http://kympossibleblog.blogspot.com/search/label/Middle%20School%20Monday" title="Middle School Monday at Homeschool Coffee Break"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Hag_A0g9FCUadECTISu0Ri2BJ3f396tvXOUG8uB1tAixhSIUtp6MGFrvZOi1FADZI0EJ_wLbqBWyfUZbO2IMbhc_Wt8EsNp3koxMWD-3aZtU72GTu1bA7BMIusipa8CkWyfHfEJngRyK/w125-h149-no/middle+school+button.JPG" alt="Middle School Monday at Homeschool Coffee Break" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

Please visit your neighbors, leave comments, and share!

Discover real life in other homeschools with the Schoolhouse Review Crew bloggers! Join the blog hop to read more!


Or start with these participating Crew bloggers:
Every Bed of Roses
Ben and Me
Footprints in the Butter
Mountain of Grace Homeschooling
Raventhreads
Counting Our Blessings
Homeschooling for His Glory
Ozark Ramblings
Chestnut Grove Academy
Only Passionate Curiosity
Farm Fresh Adventures

 Don't miss a coffee break! Subscribe to Homeschool Coffee Break by Email!

 ©2006-2015 Homeschool Coffee Break. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://kympossibleblog.blogspot.com/