Homeschool.

Many people ask me about homeschooling. I thought that I would share our experience. We started homeschooling when my oldest child was about to go into the 6th grade. He is now almost 16. My youngest daughter, who is 8 almost 9 has never been to public school. Jay has always wanted to homeschool our children, but I really didn't think that I could handle it. I didn't think that I was smart enough. So, what was it that made me decide to homeschool? It was a number of different reasons.

My children were not happy. I do not blame the teachers or the school. The personality and learning styles of my children just didn't match. They did not enjoy learning. It was right up there with cleaning the bathroom. I also went to a world wide leadership training and heard Elder Erying speak about how important it was to spend time with our families teaching them the gospel and that it was the parents' primary responsibility to do that. I remember sitting there thinking "When do I really sit down with my children and teach them the gospel?" In the mornings, I am rushing around to get them off to school. After school, I am working on their homework and going to piano, soccer.... and church meetings. I didn't feel that I was spending any time at all teaching my children the gospel or anything for that matter. My mornings were taken over by the school and my evenings were taken over by the school. We then decided that if I were to homeschool that I could have 4 -5 hours a day teaching my children what I wanted them to learn. We could do academics and the gospel. Also, we would not have homework in the evening. I went to every homeschool website and I read books about it and I talked to tons of people. I had a homeschooling family come to our house and I asked lots of questions. I went to homeschool conferences. I had no idea of how many choices there were. We fasted and prayed about it and felt strongly that this was best for our family. We decided on a curriculum and I wrote up a plan and we were ready to start.

This has been one of the most amazing journeys that I have been on. I have had so many wonderful spiritual experience with my children. I bet ya never thought that academics were spiritual. The whole way that our family thinks is different. Everything we do is educational. We try to find a lesson in everything. Jay is much more involved in teaching the children. I often see him teaching them an important educational or gospel topic. I have found that it is important for my children to see me learning. I do all of the assignments that I ask them to do. I read all of the books that they do. I also do my own studies. I love homeschooling. I love being with my children and I do still have time for myself. I actually have more time. It is wonderful when my children are sick. I can let them be sick and not try to send them back to school before they are well. I feel like I have more control over what is going into their brains. I am preparing them to do great things. I am helping them discover their mission in life. For those of you who are interested, I will be posting my plan for 2009 as soon as I figure it out. I will also post a weekly update of the good and bad of my homeschooling adventures.

Here is a sample of a typical school day last year:

7:30 Devotional:
Family scripture study
Recite the pledge and preamble to the constitution
Family theme
Calendar
Read part of the constitution
Sticks - children recognize good deeds of others in the family with a stick for each deed

8:00 Breakfast - All the kids help cook and clean up.

9:00- 1:00 School
The children write on the white board what they want to do that day. I approve it and add a few things that I feel they need that day. I then spend private time with each of them. We also do some group activities, and go on field trips.

Mary
Read, workbooks, craft, math, cursive, Utah book

Jarom
Read, math, art project, guitar, typing, Utah book

Parley
Read, write story, math, spelling, read science book, Utah book

Eric
Read, blender ( computer graphics program), trombone, math, Spanish

Eric went to part time high school last year. He had Seminary, band, and wood shop
Mary went to a little private school. She learned many things at the school in addition to her regular homeschool schedule.

Eric is doing the N.A.R.H.S. program for high school. Parley will start it next year. http://www.narhs.org/