A small sample of the things I love to do:
-nap
-do hard math problems with my kids
-backpack and cook over a fire
-bake cakes
-watch netflix
-gamble
-go to art museums
-reading the books my kids read and talking about them
Image from Anne Taintor, Inc
A small but select list of things I am not a fan of:
-laundry
-mom groups
-getting up at night for any reason
-running
-worksheets
-kids music classes
-being outside when it is raining
There are lot of good reasons to homeschool, and I will be writing soon about our situation and what led us to leave the public system. Homeschooling is a good fit for us - at least parts of it are. I love the self-paced math (which is a delight for me to supervise, really). I love working with my kids to choose books which inspire them. I like a good field trip with the kids.
However, there are a number of homeschooling things that play to my weaknesses. I don’t find it easy to connect with the moms in my area and the group playdates/fieldtrips/co-op groups are not my cup of tea. I see the need for my kids to have the social interaction and the group experiences, but if it were left up to me, I would find excuses to never make it to these kinds of meetings. Also, I’m not particularly organized. Unless I bought a boxed curriculum (and I have yet to see one that I like), the comprehensive education I owe my children would be sorely lacking.
So, what is our solution? We do reading and math (my strengths) in a well organized and systematic fashion. Then, I outsource as much as possible. The kidlets go to Wilderness Awareness one day per week. They learn some perseverance and bad weather coping skills while I drink coffee and post on Steemit. They cooperate and take turns and share while I grocery shop and cook dinner (and occasionally earn a paycheck). Two additional days per week they go to an arts enrichment program. This provides them with music instruction, group projects, and exposure to authority that is not their parents. They get a hodge podge of social studies, geography and literature to go along with more classic arts instruction.
We plan to start swim lessons and art classes in the fall. We will continue aikido . These are skills that I outsource to experts.
I know I am incredibly fortunate to live in an urban area where I can arrange this kind of life. I also have a near full-time job which affords me the chance to outsource the things that I don’t want to instruct. This is why I call myself a "lazy homeschooler" - I am not rigorous, or busy or ambitious. I arrange (what I think is) a perfect mix of experiences for them.
Perhaps you don’t have such things available or cannot afford to do them? If I didn’t work I would be busy constructing a part-time homeschool enrichment program of some sort. I think it is the biggest growth area in education. My community has a half dozen new ones coming on in the fall, and I see that only increasing.
I am beyond lucky that I have inquisitive, fun kids that go with the flow and take a little bit from every experience. But, perhaps, that is all part of my plan.
BeriBeri Quite Contrary
Advocate for Natural Health Care for Babies
Parent of Free Range and Slightly Neglected Toddlers
Promoting Preschoolers and Hot Glue Guns
Encouraging Gambling Kindergarteners
I totally feel you. I did home school with my daughter for 2 years, and socialization was probably my biggest issue. Much like you, I felt that the groups weren't my thing, and I had a hard time connecting with other moms in my area. Granted, I live in a rural area and there weren't many groups anyway, but I just felt isolated. My daughter actually chose to go back to school because she wanted to make more friends. While it's good for her socially, public school does create a different set of challenges. Thank you for sharing, and I look forward to reading more of your posts! :)
This is one of the reasons I am reluctant to leave my very HCOL urban area - if we were more rural we might not be able to create the right homeschool recipe. Appreciate your observations!
hahaha Great
Also read
https://steemit.com/study/@jibi333/if-you-ever-cheated-your-parents-like-this
Great post. I have had many conversations with parents wanting to homeschool but afraid of their own weaknesses. Afraid that what they are not good at will prevent them from being able to teach their children. Nobody is perfect and great at everything! I am lucky to live in a state with great options for homeschoolers. I can outsource the subjects I am not good at and give my children the education they deserve. thanks again for this great post
Thanks for the encouragement!
Hi @beriberi, love this post. We've been there too with homeschooling. Just feeling a little guilty if you don't do everything yourself as a parent.
I would say 'outsourcing' is not lazy but smart. If you have the resources and the opportunities locally then it is a good thing to offer the children a wider range of experiences with people who are expert in their field.
It's like pick-and-mix education where you get to chose only the best chocolates in the box. Just leave the hard toffees for someone else.
The pick and mix chocolates is a good metaphor - I feel incredibly fortunate that I can arrange this kind of life.
I like the perspective of "outsourcing." As a teacher, I often find myself outsourcing in the areas that I am least confident in and often find myself saying, "I don't know. I suppose we will have to research that." I think it is more important to teach kids how to be resourceful than to know the answer to all their questions. It is about providing an enriching environment with the resources needed to explore. This is what grows critical and inquisitive minds.
Yes! I don't think we need to do everything ourselves. I think that some homeschooled kids have difficulty recognizing non-parental authority, so having other adults as experts helps with that to.
Good post, keep it up, it must be a very challenging thing to do!. following!
Thanks!