Parents, Wake Up! School Is Usurping your Parental Authority

If you’ve been here before, you know that once I get started on my tirades about the public education system, it can take awhile for me to get it out of my system.

That’s where I am right now. 😉

Last week, I shared with you why my husband and I have decided that school isn’t even an option for our kids. Today I am going to tackle one of the reasons for that – the usurpation of parental authority.

While I could come up with dozens of ways schools have stolen the rights of parents across the country, today I’m going to share the five that have hit me the most. 

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Why School Is Not an Option for My Homeschooled Kids

As many of you are probably aware, I am no fan of the public education system. 

A while back, I decided to share with my readers seven reasons school is NOT an option for my kids. Recently, I have, again, become convicted to share how and why we came to this decision. This time, however, I decided I would publish it on YouTube instead of writing another blog post because, frankly, sometimes it’s just easier to get it all out when I’m talking.

Are you like that, too?  

A Picture Book You’ll WANT to Read Over and Over Again

Come on, admit it.

As a parent, there have been times – lots of times – that you’ve wanted to “lose” one of your kids’ books simply because you couldn’t take one. more. reading.

One of my favorite things to do with my children is to sit and read aloud to them. As much as I’ve adored reading The Foot Book with each of them, after reading it dozens of times a day for months at a time, I did grow a little weary.

Shh! Don’t tell my kids!

Recently, however, I came across a colorful, comical picture book that I’ve been enjoying as much as my kids…

Notebooking 101: Interest-Led Notebooking

I remember a time when my kids would actually cry whenever I would try to get them to write. The mere mention of the words “essay,” “report,” or “composition” would immediately induce a flood of waterworks.

It was bad.

As a writer, the fact that my kids hated writing was doubly hard. How could my children despise doing something that gives me so much pleasure?

Then one day, the answer to this question hit me like a ton of bricks: I enjoy writing because it’s my choice. I choose the topic, the style, and how long it will be. Whether I write 300 words or 1,500, when it comes down to it, I have no restrictions. This freedom makes a task that sends so many people running in the opposite direction not only manageable, but enjoyable.

I knew I wanted to give that gift to my kids so that they, too, would come to know the joys of producing the written word, but how could I accomplish that? 

Homeschooling History with Beautiful Feet Books

Have you ever found a homeschool curriculum that literally made you giddy with excitement? 

(I received this product for free and was compensated for writing an honest review. This post contains affiliate links.)

One that not only did what it promised to do, but also seemed to simultaneously fit your teaching style, your children’s learning style, and your homeschool philosophy? No?

Believe me, I hear you. As a homeschool mom of many, finding a curriculum that meshes well with our hectic lifestyle can be tough. Our ideal learning resource has to be interesting, cross-curricular, living books-based, and gentle, all rolled into one. 

Why I Will Never Call Myself a Homeschool Teacher Again

I know what some of you are thinking, so let me reassure you right off the bat –

No, I haven’t given up on homeschooling.

Perish the thought!

In fact, as we come to the close of our 9th year of homeschooling, I am more confident in our decision now more than ever. So…..you might be wondering what this is all about then.

Where should I begin?

Our 2018/2019 Relaxed Homeschool Curriculum for High School

Well, here it is – my final post dedicated to presenting next year’s homeschool curriculum.

As with our chosen curriculum for the littles and middles, my teenagers’ (who will be in grades 9 and 11) learning remains as relaxed as possible, which I know really goes against the grain when it comes to most homeschooled high schoolers.

The thing is, last year I graduated my first homeschooler, and that experience really helped me to realize that I’m far more interested in preparing my kids to become adults than I am in stuffing them with trivial facts and dates. So if you’re looking for a vast array of textbook selections, you won’t find that here. 😉 

The Surprising Truth About Homeschooling High School

This post wasn’t in my plans for today.

You see, earlier this afternoon, I was actually mentally preparing to record a video presenting next year’s relaxed homeschool high school curriculum. It suddenly dawned on me that, at first glance, most people will likely think my teenagers won’t be “doing enough.” After all, isn’t high school the time to start cracking down on academics and getting “serious” about learning?

A few years ago, I would have said yes. But that was before I actually had a homeschool graduate.

Like most homeschool parents, the thought of educating my kids through high school was pretty intimidating. I had the resolve to do it, but I wasn’t sure how. By default, I decided to follow the traditional school model of education. (Looking back, I honestly don’t know what I was thinking.) 

Our 2018/2019 Relaxed Homeschool Curriculum for 5th, 6th, and 7th Grade

Another week has rolled by, and I’m keeping my promise to share next year’s relaxed homeschool curriculum for 5th, 6th, and 7th grade, aka “the middles.”

Last week when I shared our curriculum choices for my littles, I explained the fact that our homeschool philosophy is pretty much, “The less textbooks, the better.” Nowhere does this hold true as much as it does with my middles because next year, in fact, they will be using no textbooks at all. None. Not even a workbook. 

How to Teach Writing in Your Homeschool with Confidence

Okay, confession time.

I’m not a big fan of formal homeschool curriculum. But if you’ve been here before, you knew that already. As a relaxed homeschooler, I try my best to integrate all of the subjects my children are required to learn as holistically as possible.

Take writing, for example.

Up until this point, our go-to approach for tackling this field of study has been notebooking. This tool has allowed my children to not only get a feel for the writing process, but to actually enjoy it, as well.

Now that I’ll have another child entering the high school years next year, however, I’ve really been contemplating how to cover this subject in a way that will equip my children for college, should they choose to attend, without boring them to tears.

I think I found the answer to what I’ve been looking for.