Puke soaked sheets at 3:00 a.m.

After stumbling upon this blog post, 'Couples therapy for homeschoolers', my first thought was it is probably the most messed up thing I've ever read about homeschooling. Initially, I thought what does this have to do with homeschooling?

However, after reading elsewhere on the blog how and why the author cut public schooling out of her life, it appears she is taking a huge step in the right direction to remedy her own education and past. Deciding to homeschool her children was probably THE best thing she ever did to heal from a traumatic childhood and to empower herself. This mom is making the journey and transitioning to a stronger advocate for her own children. Much of what she writes about may make you uncomfortable but she is quite open and honest about sharing her experiences (even the ugly personal ones) and her discoveries.

Penelope Trunk seems to have landed in the same trap many women, since the 1960's, have tumbled into. Many of us were indoctrinated into thinking we needed to be overachievers or career oriented in this world to be successful and happy. Some women overcompensate to hide a past or to prove their worth. Some of us put off childbearing until we feel we can incorporate both a career and children into our lives. Unlike your fancy car or stunning wardrobe though, children are not a status symbol.

Once motherhood becomes a reality, we find ourselves needing to make some tough choices concerning our livelihoods. Being a mom is a full time job in and of itself. The harsh reality, in spite of years of being told 'we can have it all', is that having children means puke soaked sheets at 3:00 a.m. when you've got a team meeting at the office the next morning at 8:00! Unless you're willing to pass off that responsibility to a daycare worker, public school teacher or high school counselor, your life's mission, as a parent, is to provide for every aspect of your child's life. That includes the physical, spiritual, educational and moral well-being of that child you were blessed with.

Having a career or job isn't the same as having an income. One of the greatest challenges will be finding a way to feed, clothe and house your family as a homeschooling or stay-at-home mom. If you've established a career working outside the home and away from your family, you may need to rethink your situation if it interferes with your responsibility of raising healthy, happy and well educated children.

I'm looking forward to reading more of Penelope's blog in the future. We old timers can relate to her struggles and appreciate her growth as a homeschooling parent. Sometimes it takes motherhood to bring life into focus for a clearer vision of what nature intended us to be, not what present day culture tries to mold us into. Sometimes success and happiness can be measured by how quickly we can provide fresh clean sheets and much needed hugs to a sick child at 3 o'clock in the morning.

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Meet another homeschool mom and see how she does it

Homeschool Mom - News and Weather For The Quad Cities -

There are lots and lots more homeschoolers today. When we began our homeschooling journey over 28 years ago, homeschoolers were few and far between. Many were homeschooling 'under the radar' but some of us were willing to plow the way for future generations by being vocal and highly visible.

Interviews, such as this, are great to see how other homeschooling moms approach education and child rearing. They can be inspirational and informative, as well as encouraging. Not all mom's will have a college degree in teaching but don't let that stop you from providing your child with the best learning environment you can muster. In fact, I've discovered over the years some of the best homeschooling parents are drop-outs. They don't bring to their homeschool all the educational theory and baggage some parents with degrees have.

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Advice for moms having trouble homeschooling with babies and toddlers around

Advice for moms having trouble homeschooling with babies and toddlers around

This is why unschooling is so effective. When you unschool you live your life and don't sweat the non-structured stuff. Children will learn in spite of your failed efforts to recreate the school in your home. In fact, you'll be better off if you don't try to school your children. Two of my greatest teachers were my two children. I learned more valuable lessons from them over the years, once I learned to relax and trust them, than I ever could have if I'd gone to college for a lifetime.

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Radio Free School : You know you want to. Unschooling.

Radio Free School : You know you want to. Unschooling.: You've heard about it. It sounds amazing: learning in freedom. Learning what YOU want to learn. learning because you LOVE it. Unschooli...

I know that you know that I know you want to homeschool. What's stopping you?

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Helping Your Spouse Explore Unschooling

Helping Your Spouse Explore Unschooling

This is a good article if your spouse is having doubts about unschooling.

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Creating a M.O.M. bug-out-bag for emergency homeschooling

M.O.M. you ask? Yeah, I call it my 'Moms On the Move' bag. It's a portable homeschooling kit for when you travel, need a ready supply of fresh homeschool materials to keep a youngster occupied, or want something to fall back on in a serious situation that disrupts your day-to-day homeschool life.

When our children were younger we did lots of traveling in the car. We drove back and forth between Vermont and Florida many times to visit grandparents and other close relatives. We also spent lots of time driving to lessons, the library, flea markets and other activities closer to home. Two of the best things we ever purchased for our children were soft material, briefcase style carryalls with a zippered side that would act as a drop-front desk in their laps.

These M.O.M. bags hung over the backs of the front seat headrest in the car and were filled with reading and writing materials, workbooks, pens, pencils, and small electronic handheld gadgets. We never heard the words 'I'm bored!' from the backseat, no matter how many miles we traveled.

If you are paying attention to the economy and recent news, then you're well aware that our country is in a world of hurt. Even other countries are feeling the stress of collapse as well. The only thing keeping America afloat is our ability to print our way out of the money crunch, but even that is quickly reaching the point where our dollar will be worthless.

Meanwhile, natural disasters, such as earthquakes, fires, hurricanes and tornadoes, have displaced thousands of families in the United States. When, not if, we reach that tipping point of no return and TEOTWAWKI arrives, be ready to continue your child's education with your well equipped M.O.M. bag. It needn't be fancy. Even a pillow case will do. Personally, a fancy-schmancy backpack with a gazillion  compartments and comfy shoulder straps is more to my liking, but if money (or lack of) is a restraint then an inexpensive one will do.

Depending on the age of your child, fill your M.O.M. bag with lots of writing tablets, pens, pencils and sharpener, markers, crayons, workbooks of all subjects, flashlight or hands-free headlamp, a hand-crank or solar radio (don't forget the earphones), and reading books. Some good topics for reading would be survival stories like Swiss Family Robinson or My Side of The Mountain. How-to books on gardening, hunting or fishing should also be considered. For older children the Foxfire series is a great read. Add some non-perishable protein snacks to your M.O.M. bag and a water bottle with its own filtering system just in case you find yourselves stranded.

If you do find yourself and your family on the go after an upheaval of any kind or magnitude, your M.O.M. bag will not only serve as an emergency backup for your child's education, but it will provide comfort and security for your child at a time when it is needed most.

"Prepare for the worst, but hope for the best" is not just a slogan. When you think about these words you'll begin to understand what it means to be truly responsible for you and your homeschooling family. You'll realize the only one who will look after you and your family in a crisis is you, not the government. Your M.O.M. bag is a reminder to your child that the only one who truly has their back is mom! This is not a slight to the dads who homeschool because dad's job is to make sure mom has what she needs to do her job. He can even create his own D.A.D. (Dad's Academic Dufflebag) bag to supplement mom's. Like any great team you must pull together. To do otherwise could very well jeopardize your survival and that of your family.

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10 Simple Ways To Help You Transition To Homeschooling

So, the world didn't end on 12-21-12 after all, but you made the decision to homeschool just in case life, as you know it, goes haywire later on. Not sure where to begin? One thing you need to remember is that the word homeschooling is a misnomer. We don't necessarily stay home and we don't school. For the sake of brevity and general understanding though, the word homeschooling is used as a catchall to describe the action of not going to school. Personally, I prefer the words autodidactic or self-learner.

We've all been there at that same homeschooling starting gate and many of us learned what to do by trial and error. Lucky for you there are now millions of parents with hindsight on how they'd go about beginning their wonderful homeschooling journey all over again. Keep in mind each family has different needs and each child is unique. However, human nature doesn't change, so if your approach isn't working, follow your instincts for the best route to a successful homeschooling experience.

Here are 10 simple ways to help you transition to homeschooling after making the decision to do so:

#1. Get any required paperwork for your legal obligations to your state in order and out of the way first. Tell those in charge only what they want to hear and as little as necessary. Don't spill your guts to them about your educational philosophy or your approach to child rearing. You don't even need to tell them how bad the public schools are because they already know. The state just needs to cover its butt to account for the monies they receive from the bounty on your child's head, a sad reality but true.

#2. Let your child get used to 'sleeping in' and setting their own rhythm. Recreating school, as you know it, in your home is not beneficial or conducive to true education. Bells, time blocks, report cards, tests, grades and all the other school trappings are purely a distraction from real learning. Think in terms of freedom. Homeschooling works because it's about the home and not the schooling.

#3. Stock up beforehand on books and age appropriate learning materials and supplies. Your home should become a library, workshop, craft center, restaurant, clinic, gallery, playground and retreat all rolled into one. This can all be done inexpensively and creatively.

#4. Share all your meals, or as many as you can, together for the purpose of conversation and feedback, until your level of confidence rises enough to handle the changes. Mealtime is a great opportunity for some much needed face-to-face time in our harried lives.

#5. Find one or two other homeschooling families you'd like to emulate and then pick their brains. Ask questions and learn as much as you can about homeschooling. Larger support groups aren't necessary and can be very cumbersome. The same goes for the amount of friends your child has. All they need is one or two good ones they can share life with.

#6. Prepare for lots of down time for your child, especially if your child was recently enrolled in public or private school. Your child will need decompressing from the artificial world of institutionalized living. This may take a week, a month or even a year for your child to get back to normal in order to feel safe and human again.

#7. Be open to learning alongside your child because that's what will happen. You'll finally have the opportunity to improve your own reading, writing and spelling skills. You'll be able to study subjects in depth the same as your child will, so go after those topics that improve your lot in life, such as money, health, and politics. Be prepared to unlearn many bad habits and misinformation you learned during your own public school experience.

#8. Keep friends and family members, who resist your decision to homeschool, at arms length. Circle the wagons, so to speak, around your family and develop a backbone. Throw off any wishy-washy attitude you may have about homeschooling and tell yourself there is no going back, only forward with the determination to be the best homeschooling parent on this planet.

#9. Give lots of hugs and encouragement to your child and always use positive language. Learn to use the word 'need' instead of 'want'. Saying 'you need to do this' is far more effective than saying 'I want you to do this', because your child trusts you to have their back and your whole heart. Self-esteem comes from accomplishments, self-discipline, self-respect, honesty and motivation.

#10. Relax and make time for yourself so you can plan, do research and have the energy to shift gears when the need arises. Develop an optimistic sunny side that will rub off on your child and all you meet. As the saying goes: don't sweat the small stuff. Develop your patience and enjoy this fleeting time you have with your child while you walk this earth. Your greatest accomplishment, when all is laid to rest, will be the person your child has become when they reach adulthood and have children of their own.

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  10 Ways to Pay For Your Homeschooling
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  Why 50% of Americans are considered illiterate and why public schooling is destroying this once great nation
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  The 3 best books to help you stop living paycheck to paycheck

   

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3 Good Reasons Why NOT To Use Public Schools

Are parents paying attention to the news and trends this year? Are they uncertain what to think about the economy or the tranquility of the world? Are the extreme weather patterns we're experiencing a fluke?  For instance, here's a sampling of what's happening in our world:

Global Recession

Drought

Floods & Wildfires

Trends

Food Prices

Education

WWIII

It's time to keep your family close, not only for monetary reasons but for safety as well. For homeschoolers every day is a 'snow' day. For homeschoolers every day is a Saturday! Three good reasons why you should consider NOT sending your child to public school this fall include:

1) Safety...know where your children are at ALL times, especially your very young children. Today, the schools are full of frustrated and dangerous bullies, including staff members who work there. Not only are the schools dangerous to the health of your child but they undermine your child's spirituality, learning and happiness.

2) Money...you can save a bundle by not sending your child to public school. You'll save on transportation, clothing, meals, fundraising, sports, club dues and a myriad of other hidden expenses. You and your children can work together at a home-based business and supplement their education with a free library card and the internet for all the information the world has to offer.

3) Education...let's face it, the public schools are failing to educate unless you consider outcome based learning an education. Homeschoolers are open-sourced learners and test way above their public schooled peer group. Even if you work full-time you CAN homeschool. Learn more about homeschooling by reading the 16 Dos and Don'ts for a successful homeschool experience here at Guerrilla Homeschooling.

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5 Ways Grandparents Can Help Homeschool Their Grandchildren

As parents we've probably imagined at some time what it would be like to be a grandparent. Well, that time has arrived for many of us and it is a wondrous experience. Children grow quickly and there just isn't enough time to teach them all there is to know about life or all you want them to know. As grandparents we have a duty to see our grandchildren grow up in a loving, nurturing, safe environment.

Today, however, there is one major difference to the educational aspect of raising children. It is the re-establishment of the parent and family as the primary source for imparting knowledge to the young. It is known today as homeschooling. Homeschooling is not new. It's been around a long time. For centuries children have been taught by their parents well into their young adult lives. Without going into the nitty gritty of the history of education, here are 5 ways the grandparents of today can help homeschool their grandchildren: 

1. Learn all there is to know about homeschooling. Research the pros and cons, the history of homeschooling, and absorb as much information on the subject as you can. If you haven't had the privilege of raising a homeschooled child yourself, you weren't submerged in the day to day nuances of this natural way of learning.  However, you did raise your own child and you developed a common sense approach to learning. In other words, you're wiser! Some good books on homeschooling to get you started are The Homeschooling Book of Answers and Homeschooling: The Early Years by Linda Dobson.

2. Set aside money in your budget for your grandchild's homeschooling. Do you presently donate money to worthy causes? Then make your grandchild's education one of them. Start a special fund and use it to purchase homeschool materials and books.  Use it for field trips or pay for music lessons your grandchild is taking. Earmark a few dollars of that fund to teach your grandchild about money and how to invest it. Some great books for teaching personal finance are Rich Dad, Poor Dad and Increase Your Financial IQ by Robert Kiyosaki.

3. Make your own home child friendly and a learning environment. Keep a ready supply of educational toys, books and materials on hand. Make them available at all times. Take some of your old hats, shoes, clothing or jewelry and create a dress-up box for your grandchild to enjoy. Put together a tool box for your grandchild so you can work on special projects together. Keep child size garden tools handy if you like to work outdoors or equipment for other outdoor activities. Plan at least one special educational experience each time your grandchild visits or you visit them, even if it's as simple as giving them a new book for their home library. 

4. Become a mentor for your grandchild. You are a wealth of information--cash in on it and share what you know. Your grandchild will think you're the smartest person in the world and love you for it. Learning needn't be drudgery so develop your own special way to impart your knowledge that is fun and meaningful. As an older adult you've lived a full life so far and hopefully you've learned many good lessons. Read to your grandchild or teach them how to garden, how to build a birdhouse or how to cook a favorite old recipe. Teach them skills they need to know to survive and thrive in this world.

5. Let your grandchild inherit their history from you. Share with them your knowledge, your experience and your love of their heritage. Tell them about their ancestors and let them know who these people were. Most children want to know where they came from, historically speaking. Did they have ancestors who migrated from another country? Do they resemble a great-great-great grandparent? Pass on to your grandchild the treasures you've kept in a trinket box all these years and tell them the stories behind each old photo, lock of hair, pocket watch or letter. That way, if they should inherit one of those items they'll know it's history and why it was worth keeping. Children love listening to stories, especially when you have a prop to go with it. Become their favorite storyteller. 

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Internet puts homeschoolers on even keel with public school monopoly

Twenty-five years ago it was difficult to find a decent book about homeschooling. As a home education advocate I managed to find about five good ones, tops! There were few homeschoolers, too. By the time our first born was ten years old, homeschooling had finally caught on and homeschoolers were everywhere. With all those parents garnering experience, a flood of books, magazines and newsletters about homeschooling appeared on the market. Then, homeschooling exploded!

With the advent of personal computers, homeschoolers began creating websites, weblogs (blogs) and publishing easily downloadable materials and information. Some of these websites and blogs are quite extensive and sophisticated.  Everything homeschoolers needed to know or find was at their fingertips. With the internet, homeschooling spread like wildfire. We even took full advantage of it with research, publishing our own newsletters and booklets, and even a stay-at-home-mom business.

Today, many homeschool families rely on their computer for much of their information. They can run a family business from home. They can correspond instantly with other homeschoolers, friends and relatives. They can even take a virtual tour of their local schools to see what they're not missing.

Every subject is available and free lessons are bountiful on the internet. Even those without online service can use educational compact disks that are available and inexpensive. We had the complete middle school and high school curricula on CD, as well as disks that teach phonics, typing and how to play chess. When homeschoolers balance their computer time with other hands-on activities, they can create a custom made learning experience unlike any the public school could provide.

With the many alternatives to public schooling available, parents are better equipped to take charge of their child's education. Outdated public schools can no longer compete with homeschooling. Their monopoly over the children and the money is being undermined by homeschooling because parents finally have access to the truth about public school.  Public schooling is a dinosaur. It's time to stuff it and place it in a history museum where it belongs.

If the internet disappeared tomorrow, never to return, it wouldn't matter to the modern-day homeschooler.  We have such a fire in our bellies about freedom, there would be no stopping us. We'd find a way to teach our own, with or without today's technology.

Public schools have tried to replicate homeschooling in hopes of creating its successes. That doesn't work because public schools will never have the one ingredient that homeschoolers have. Homeschooling children have an environment of cooperation (the home) with the ones who love them the most and unconditionally (the parents).

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5 Ways to Homeschool For FREE

Nothing is truly free. Or is it?

Today, while the economy is falling apart around us we need to rethink our priorities and allow room for some much needed deliberation. Everyone seems to be on the government dole but, if you're like me, you are constantly looking for ways to keep your homeschool humming along without sponging off the taxpayers or breaking your piggy bank. The following are a few ideas we found helpful and succeeded in keeping us out of the poor house.

1. Library card. Nearly every town and city in America has a public free library. Register for a free membership card and you'll have access to all the age appropriate books, magazines, videos and internet service you'll ever need.

2. Freecycle and dumpster diving. Freecycle is an online organization with members who run local chapters. Find the one nearest you, sign up and start receiving offers for a plethora of free stuff. The only drawback is you'll need to go pick the items up. A day at the local dump can net you some freebies too and it isn't always junk.

3. Tag sales and estate sales. Look for the seller's free piles. The early bird may get the worm but sometimes it's better to wait it out. Go to a tag sale or estate sale later in the day when the seller is ready to just give it away. By the end of the sale some of these free piles can be huge with gently used brand name items and tons of books or clothing!

4. Family and friends. Once family and friends learn you're educating your own children they eventually start talking your homeschooling language. Many are willing to pitch in and their gift giving and thoughtfulness becomes much more educationally oriented. Family and friends can also be mentors.

5. Imagination and creativity. Of all the ways to homeschool for free this is probably the most important. Einstein once said: "Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand." Cultivate your imagination and use it. Don't overload yourself or your children with busy work. Focus on reading, writing, arithmetic and U.S. Constitution. That includes your own academic skills too. All things will branch out from there and fall into place.

Now, go forth and prowl the world as a proud freegan!

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Unschooling Unexpected Benefits and Challenges {Friday Five}

Unschooling Unexpected Benefits and Challenges {Friday Five}

Sometimes the only way to understand this unschooling thing is to experience it first hand. I love it when a parent shares their own experience and can make heads or tails of it...eventually. Keep exploring moms and dads and keep sharing your home-based education discoveries.

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Want a Healthier Family? 12 Health Benefits of Homeschooling

Want a Healthier Family? 12 Health Benefits of Homeschooling

Yet another great article by the brilliant Linda Dobson. As a parent of grown homeschoolers she and many others like her could have just walked away after raising their children. With our collective experience and passion for homeschooling I'm happy to see so many of us still helping other parents learn about this natural and historic way to educate children. Thank you, Linda!

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Parents in action: More parents homeschooling their children

Parents in action: More parents homeschooling their children

Sorry, but I found myself straining through Ardolino's interview. Some of this info is good but she harps on that socialization question like so many others. If we did all the 'scheduling' she thinks is necessary there wouldn't be any time left over to enjoy life and just hanging with our children. Relax everybody and let learning happen.

The only drawback to homeschooling is getting the state off your case so you can live and learn in freedom. After you get the busy-bodies out of your life then the world will open up to you and you're free to explore the wonders of it.

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The sweet smell of spring and Vermont's 5th season

Aaaahhhh, spring. Pussy willows, maple syrup and MUD! Here in Vermont mud season is known as our 5th season. It's the price we pay to live in the boondocks.

A messy spot just above the old farm near the night pasture gate

A closer look at the ruts that can swallow a small car

However, mud season means the sweet smell of maple syrup is not far behind. On this particular day a 1 mile trip on bike to my brother's sugar house was well worth the effort.

A springtime bike ride to the sugar house but first a stop to see the pussy willows

Hello old friends...springtime pussy willows just beginning to bud

These trees have been producing pussy willows on this same spot since we were children. We walked the 2 miles to our town's elementary school in the 1960's and would stop to pick pussy willows on the way to school and back home again in the afternoon. After a pause to take some photos it's on to the sugar house.

Sap buckets hang from the maple trees

Inside the sugar house

Entry point of the sap where it first begins to boil

The sap boils up where it enters the tank

The sugar man stays busy while the sap boils

At times you can barely see through the room

It's a full time job to maintain the fire that boils the sap

A vintage Vermont maple syrup tin can sits on a window sill

The dipper lets you know when it's just about ready

The draw off lets you know when it has turned to syrup

The finished product...sweet liquid gold

If ever you have the opportunity to visit a sugar house in season it's quite an experience and very educational for your homeschooler. There is nothing like watching this sweet product being made and seeing where it originates from. To learn more about Vermont maple syrup visit this website.

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Ten Tips for New Unschooling Parents

This is a well thought out and well written list of tips from The Natural Child Project. It's worth the easy read so stop by and take a look.

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Homeschooling as a Single Parent

Homeschooling as a Single Parent

It can be done and with great success. Just takes some forethought and creativity, not to mention desire to accomplish your goal of homeschooling your child. Most of the time letting others know how determined you are to do this will give family members and friends incentive to pitch in and help. Go for it!

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Grandparents can homeschool too

The author of this short article barely delves into the benefits of having grandparents involved with homeschooling their grandchildren. This could be incentive for me to elaborate further how grandparents can be beneficial to their grandchild's homeschooling in a future post. Let me think on that awhile.

"For the grandparent, dwelling schooling their grandchildren is typically a opportunity for interaction. Being in a position to spend endless hours in the company of a grandchild will be the principal incentive for many grandparents, though you will discover other benefits."

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