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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!
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
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1 comments:
My son would be horrified is he had to wear pajamas all day. :) we would NEVER do that in our household. :) But we do have many relaxed days at home... normally schooling 10-2. it works for us to not be rushed. :)
I am annette @ A net in time. This is my real life post for the day: (http://anetintimeschooling.weebly.com/a-net-in-time-blog/real-life-homeschool-art)
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