Homeschooling: Break? Year Round? First Day of Homeschool? Q & A

I did not want you to be left confused. I feel like explaining things that are difficult for some people to understand. I decided to do this in the form of a Q &A, but ask and answer the question myself. The questions people have asked of me.

Q: Do you take a summer break, or do you homeschool year-round?

A: Niether and Both. We do relaxed homeschooling and tidal wave homeschooling, a form of education which means that we are like the tide coming in and going out.

We try to do as best we can to get to where I consider to be “at grade level” in each subject for each child. We do not ever stop working on this, but we are also not always concernd about this.

We have ebbs and flows. Sometimes, with much effort, we learn a whole bunch and progress a lot in a period of time (this sometimes looks like an accelerated school for the gifted or early college, and sometimes looks like a 1900 one-room schoolhouse). At other times, we are more like unschoolers. Sometimes, we have a day that looks like montessori school. Sometimes, we have a field trip day. When people visit or we visit others, we have a day completely dedicated to only socializing. When we visited Grandma Preece or when Uncle Steven came over, we dropped all of our concerns and cares, and just visited. The kids learn plenty by visiting and socializing with others.

Q: Homeschoolers do not have to start school when the public schools begin. Isn’t that right?

A: This has a long answer, too. We do not have to, but because of classes we signed up for, we do.

We enroll in some classes not led by me but by teachers my husband and I chose or hired. One of these is free and it is The Church Seminary Program. (Oh, did you catch that? I almost used the acronym). Early Morning Seminary this year begins the same day public school begins in my area. This means that although we do not really care when homeschool begins or ends, I can choose a day when I can say something officially begins. It is the day Seminary begins.

The hired teachers and has also chosen certain dates to begin their classes, vacation days and end dates. Likewise, many homeschool parents join “co-ops,” which are groups of homeschoolers who get together and do learning together. These co-ops have a set schedule. A co-op has a start date, vacation dates and end dates, too.

I would not want to have the first day of homeschool for the kids which have teachers who’ve given them start-dates, and not have this for the younger 4. After all, the younger 4 are so looking forward to “doing homeschool” officially again. Their siblings are officially starting and so are their neighborhood friends and cousins.

This would be when I to the part called “get the kids ready for the first day of school (by clothes shopping at the back to school clothing sales) as a mom” and the part where I do “put in full-time hours of preparation of the homeschool room, planning and getting ready for homeschool to officially begin on August 27, like a paid public school teacher,” at the same time. (The second part includes getting in on back to school curriculum and supplies sales).

Speed Tour of my Recently Cleaned and Re-Organized Homeschool Room

Of course, many teacher moms do this. They get their own gets ready and sent off, and they also go to the school all day for a couple weeks to get their public school classroom ready.

This “Photographer Mom” is prepared to do “First Day of Homeschool 2018” photos next week!

It’s just a little different. I do not get paid and I do not have to get someone to tend the kids while I go off to work. They are here and I am here, which means I do the prep work and they wish I wouldn’t because it means I am not giving them the attention they would like. It is hard on the kids here, as they are eager to “officially start school” again, and frustrated that their mom is working on prepping and pretty much just letting them “fend for themselves” (except the littlest, who at least gets fed by mom and gets a lot of attention because he demands it).

I hope this helps everyone to understand my world so that they are not confused. There are so many different ways to homeschool. Sometimes, there are jokes or memes on the internet that give one impression, and the people who do not know that all homeschools are different get so upset when things are not the way a youtube video says they are.

This one is a funny one by “It’s a Southern Thing.”

Tell me, are the others exaggerated? Yeah. So do you think the homeschool mom one is? Think about it. I am a homeschool mom and I still laughed at it. I was not upset by the inaccuracy. I know it’s all exaggerated and it is a joke. It’s very funny. If you like it, subscribe, because all of their videos are just as humorous!

For the record, homeschool moms and kids do get dressed in day clothing because they are very busy. We get dressed for the same reasons that you get dressed during the summer. Also, homeschool moms usually put together or join in on a “Not Back to School” park day or party on the first day of local public school. We all know when school starts, including those who do unschooling! We all look forward to getting the museums and parks back to uncrowded. We love it when school starts and are very aware!

I am most like the photographer mom, by the way. I am very sentimental, an artist and a graphic designer, after all! So, yeah, homeschool moms are all different, too, and we have personalities that are all different from the personalities of other homeschool moms. We love our variety and differences!

Homeschooling is the Road Less Travelled By. How has our choice to homeschool our children “made all the difference?”

My child showed me a video about choices called “Leave the Party.” It is from an LDS General Conference Talk by Bishop Gary E. Stevenson called, “Be Valiant in Courage, Strength and Activity.” He talked about a choice made by a young man at a party in Japan. Then he said that the choices each of us make now will make a difference in what happens in our life, in who we become. Every choice helps to shape our lives. It is so true. I pondered it, and thought about our choice to homeschool our children years ago.

It also reminded me of this poem many of us love by Robert Frost called, “The Road Not Taken.” I have it in a book which has the poems illustrated with beautiful watercolor paintings. I really love these 3 lines the most:

“…. long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;”

     These lines are touching to me. I like to put it into my life and my soul. “Long I stood” in 2011, pondering, studying, consulting and deciding. Long I stood then, next to my husband, in 2011 and 2012, he travelling beside me on the path. Should we homeschool? And (in January 2012, we) looked down as far as (we) could, to where (the path of homeschooling) bent in the undergrowth (at that time, that point was, until the next school year started. We just wanted to try it for the rest of that academic year, and be ready to put the kids back in school in August of 2012).

Now to go over these famous lines:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

     For sure, Homeschooling is the Road Less Travelled By. How has our choice to homeschool our children “made all the difference?”

• Homeschooling helped our children to be happier, get along better with each other, and has brought more of the Gospel of Jesus Christ into our home.
• Homeschooling has helped others, who have followed us down this path, they seeing that someone they knew was tredding on that path.
• Homeschooling has given me a more thorough education, as I get to review and teach the things my children must learn. I learn (or review) things along with them and prove my basic education, giving me a stronger foundational education.
• Homeschooling has led me to learn more about the U.S. Constitution and what is going on in politics in my county, state and country. I had been involved in politics and in learning about the U.S. Constitution, but not as much as I am involved in it now.
• Homeschooling has led me to meet people whom I never would have met had I not started down its path. These people have helped to shape my life.
• Homeschooling has helped me to become closer to Heavenly Father because it is so tough and I cannot do it without His help. I have learned and relearned that lesson.
• Homeschooling has helped me to learn more about the Old Testament because in Life School and in Discover the Old Testament, we have been studying the Old Testament.
• Homeschooling has made me happier, personally an has improved my health.
• Homeschooling forces me to improve, as I have children whom I have taught, constantly encouraging me to be a better example to them.
• Homeschooling helps me know my children on a deeper level. Because I spend more time with them than I would if I sent them to public school, I know more about them. (They also know more about me than they would the other way).
• Homeschooling has influenced my childrens’ lives immensely, as, for one, they are exposed to completely different learning than they would be were they sent to school. I am not only talking about academic learning, but social learning, also. 
• Homeschooling gave me and my children more chances to know more about my Grandma Preece and my Uncle Steven, who have now passed into post-mortality. Much of the time we spent with them was during what would have been otherwise, time with them away at school.
• I have had more time during the days, day after day, to teach my children life skills which they should not have to wait for adulthood and free daytime hours, to learn.
• I believe my children are closer to Havenly Father and love the Bible and Book of Mormon more than they would otherwise.
• I truly believe that the choices my children make are better choices than they would have been had they been sent to school all these years.

“The Road Not Taken,” by Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

A Love for Socialism is Taught in Public Schools

The truth is that most parents have heard that there is socialism taught in schools, but they do not want to see it, so they do not see it. All they see is that they need to send their child to school because they just cannot homeschool. You know, it is not easy for any of us. Those of us who do it know it is by all physical and scientific laws, nearly impossible to homeschool our own kids. We also have found that God helps us. Miraculous as it is,  we can do it because of God. Believe in God. Trust Him. He can do miracles. He can do what you think is impossible if you just trust him and take a leap of faith. God wants you and your children to learn the truths and not the lies. This is only possible if you homeschool your children.

This Article is About How Schools Are Influencing People to Love Communism  It shows also that youth believe Socialism is good and Communism is bad. It shows a belief that Communism and Socialism are different. They are not. Socialism is just a different word used to describe the same thing.
“Consider how 80 percent of Boomers consider communism a problem. While a high number, it’s still a statistically significant drop from their elders’ 91 percent figure. And this is just part of a pattern, with the percentage of each age group that views “socialism” positively being as follows: age 65+, 13 percent; 50-64, 25 percent; 30-49, 34 percent; 18-29, 49 percent (Pew Research Center, Dec. 28, 2011). Evident here isn’t an overnight sea-change, but steadily increasing ignorance.” This quote is from this article about what public schools are really doing in America. The Younger People Are, The More they Love Karl Marx

The sad thing is, they really don’t know what communism or socialism are. They just believe that everyone being at peace is the Socialist goal. They believe the Socialists will make all people happy because nobody will be poor. They believe that socialized medicine will make it so everyone can get all healthcare cheap or free. That is a big lie. 

Socialized medicine does not make it so everyone can access the medical professionals for cheap or free. I served my LDS Mission in Chile, a Socialist Country which has full-on socialized medicine. We met a woman who was extremely sick and bedridden. She was also pregnant. She refused to go to the hospital and I was confused as to why. She said she would go there and sit in  a waiting room all day and night. She would just sit and wait. She would be in the waiting room with people who have all sorts of viruses and contagions. She would be exposed to all of them and with her immune system already being weak, her health would only get worse.

That is the truth about socialized medicine.

In Chile, we also met a girl who was devastated because the country had found out that her sister had a mental deficiency. Thye had tried to keep it a secret, but the government had found out. They had come and forcefully taken her away, supposedly to a mental institution. The family was beyond mortified because they do not think they will ever see her again. I wonder if she even lived a month. Hitler took people like her sister away to give them a good education and then later, the families were told that all of their youth had died of natural causes. Right. Natural causes.

Kids are taught in school that they need to write essays and then they are GIVEN the textual evidences of both sides of the argument. They are told that whichever they have more textual evidence for, they should write in favor of. They are not told to write essays based on their own research or things they have already memorized, like I was taught. Most essay topics are about socialism, or lean toward socialism. Tests are being used to indoctrinate, and it is illegal for any teacher or parent to be shown what is on the tests.

If your argument for keeoing your child in public school is that YOUR school is better than other schools and YOUR CHILD’s TEACHER is sweet and nice and good, please at least consider that every child in the nation is taking the SAME TESTS snd thr TESTS ARE TEACHING SOCIALIST PRINCIPLES TO YOUR CHILD!

Don’t tell me that you will just have your child OPT OUT of the tests, either, because that is virtulaly impossible for a person who likes their child’s teacher. The teacher, whom you love, will beg and plead for you to allow your child to take the test, saying that your child is doing well and will help raise the average scores. The children are also pushed into believeing that it is all about performance and they are told they need not worry because they will do well on the test. I need to remind you here that the teacher is NOT ALLOWED TO SEE THE TESTS, even after they are over with! Your child’s teacher HAS NEVER SEEN ONE OF THESE TESTS, EVER! You are the blind, being led by the blind. only actually, the teacher does not HEAR the tests, either, so YOU ARE (symbolically) BEING LED BY A BLIND AND DEAF person and you are blind and deaf, too.

WAKE UP, AMERICA!

Change of Plans in Homeschool

I love that I CAN have a change of plans in homeschool, either after much pondering, or on a whim and of a sudden. I have no need to contact a teacher, a principle, a common core standards creator or implementor or any government leader. Yesterday  was nauseous and vomiting. By mid-day, I was fairly sure it was a virus. By evening when my husband started vomiting, I knew for sure it was a virus. However, from 5 am until 10 am, I suspected it was because of anxiety over political things, things about the future of our nation and homeschooling. 

     One thing that came of it was a journal entry about how I need to make homeschooling easier on me and on the kids. The big thing I decided was that my child will not be taking any tests for college credit this year. Possibly, she will not next year, either. I am glad there are people who homeschool who can do that kind of thing and I am glad to know about the option t get college credit while a child is young. However, it is not for us right now. Still, we will learn the things about history because the DVDs and books about ancient world history I bought are great. The childrens’ fun “interactive notebook” (lapbook) and Power Point Presentations Bundle from a Teacher’s Pay Teachers store are also great. I will use them. The difference will be in my anxiety level and the anxiety level of my child. We will do it more slowly, more casually and more enjoyably! We will do it at our own pace with no pressure or worry. We will be enabled to enjoy the journey more.

     Another thing that came of it was a decision to write down one or just a few things, to focus on for each child in our homeschool. That is pretty much what we do at the beginning of the summer and I like it. I focus on their biggest needs and do not worry about anything else. They do a lot of teaching themselves based upon their interests, either intense or “on a whim.” I have come to see that the latter is how they learn more and learn more intensely.

     Recently, for example, my son learned Power Point from his cousin, so yesterday, he got on the computer and made something in Power Point. He really is doing things he could d better in Photoshop, so I need to teach him Photoshop! My daughters learned more about sculpture by making sculptures. She wanted to sell them on Etsy but I told her that making ten good sculptures and submitting slides to galleries will be a better way to go. She seemed upset, but I told her she could sell her sculptures for more that way. I also told her I did not learn that until I was thirty years old, so she is blessed to know it sooner. That is fodder not taught when you get a Bachelor of Art Degree in Visual Arts. It should be. One of my children has also been working much on learning to follow recipes and is having much learning happen there. Another really wants to learn many things but I have been too worried about other things to get to any of it nad help him. 

     I am still going to keep my rules for them, which rules regard television and technology, which I have listed in another post at length. I do not believe in having kids do whatever they want all day. I do believe in telling them they must be doing learning, housework, yardwork or doing something productive. I consider much play to be productive, too, which is crazy. I think they will understand Physics when we watch the physics DVDs and read the physics books I have on my amazon wish list, better after all of the playing they have done this past week. They learned much about gravity, acceleration and safety hazzards after their recent intense play as a group of siblings. I also taught them a lesson about wisdom and discussed with them how I was a child like them once and did learn by getting injured, just like them. I told them that people who have more years on them were always once children and that much of what they tell you, such as not to do this or that because they could get hurt, comes from learning that happened in their childhoods.

     I am eager today and tomorrow to learn, without throwing up, from the leaders, apostles and Prophet of God in the General Confence of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I hope everyone is healthy today. I am grateful I am not throwing up!

Homeschool With Nieces and Nephew

Today I have guests in our homeschool! Our classroom size has grown today! This is exciting and different for my children and for me. We just finished our Life School Lesson, so now the children are working. My nieces and nephew are playing on BigBrainz on the computer. My children are doing their Life School assignments in their books. 

I think this is great for all of them, so I am glad my sister also homeschools. It makes life a little nicer. If you homeschool and nobody in your family does along with you, I urge you to pray for the hearts of your family to soften toward homeschooling. I hope it helps with time! 

Have a great homeschool day and week!

The Freedom’s Light Festival 2016

The Freedom’s Light Festival

September 15-16, 2016 from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

at Bountiful Park in Bountiful, Utah

(Free)

The Freedom’s Light Festival is Sept. 15-16, 2016 from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Please attend one of the hours of day or night you can spare. These fesitivities celebrate Constitution Day (September 17th). http://www.freedomslight.us/

The events are open house style with the exception of the late-night programs. These are very important for learning about our history, our liberty, the founding fathers and mothers of our country, the original 13 colonies and their plight, the Declaration of Independence and our U.S. Constitution (includng the Bill of Rights).

The events with the exception of the late night program are for adults, youth and children. There is food available to purchase, but not much of it, so please eat before or bring a sack lunch or dinner. There are boweries to use.

This is worth even a ton of petroleum and time in order to come to it! It is amazing: Extremely fun for children and full of learning for all ages! and you will love that you came! Bring your children or grandchildren! Invite everyone who loves the U.S. Constitution! Plan on at least 2 hours, but to get through all of it you will need more like 4. If you cannot spare but one hour and live as close as or closer than within 30 minutes, it is worth your time! 

Spread the word to all who love God and Liberty!

Constitution Bee

Homeschool: How Not to Over-Extend Your Family!

I read this post and it was so good! Whether you parent by sending your kids to a school or whether you choose to homeschool, this post applies to you. It is about how there are SO MANY OPTIONS AND CHOICES AND ACTIVITIES, that if you chose to do even one tenth of them, you would never be home.

My suggestion is to decide how much time you want to have as “just our little family” time, then add in to your schedule church worship services and church activities for the mom, the dad, the youth and the children. After that is done, look at what time there is left.

Next, you will have to consider that each child does need some alone time. They need to pray, write in their journal, read the scriptures and think about life. They need some time to rest. They need some time to work on personal goals and hobbies. They also need some time for friends. All of this is vital to their well-being and happiness.

After considering the above, what time is left? What are this child’s needs? Is there time for lessons or clubs or classes? If so, how much time is there? Don’t go choosing too many things. Only choose what there is time left for!

Keeping the Home in Homeschool

Now let’s review:

• “Just Our Family” Time
• Church worship time
• Church activities time
• Journal, Prayer, scripture study time
• rest and relaxation time
• friend time
• time for personal goals, hobbies and interests
• Other (lessons, clubs, field trips co-ops, classes, etc.)

Free Ebook “The Underground History of American Education,” by John Taylor Gatto

Great chance!

This is an awesome book. I just finished it. In print, I bought mine for $30 on Amazon.com It is very much about politics and very much about the history of education in America.
It is also about the evil elite and social engineering with eugenics.
Please take advantage of this chance to get it in ebook form free only until Aug. 31st! It is John Taylor Gatto’s “The Underground History of American Education.”free ebook:

https://hsconv.com/29ZZHyy

P.S. Having the print version is better as this is a classic must own!

Socialization in a Different Light

I quite often get asked about socialization, since my kids are homeschooled. The worry of the folks is that my kids will be weird and will “Stand Out.” Please watch this video at the link below and think about what it would mean for this woman to stand out. It is hilarious and hard to believe. It is what really happens to adults here in this video. If it can happen to adults in a real-world situation, it can happen to your kids in real-life situations, too.

Where do my kids get socialization from, if not from public school? The truth be told, they are mostly taught by me and by one another (siblings). This is not a bad thing. This means that my child will be taught manners, politeness and empathy by me. They will be taught about making friends, bullies and standing up for themselves, by me. When they play with kids they socialize with, all of the homeschool moms are there. They all influence the kids. When they socialize with adults in the real world, as they often do, they are taught social behavior by those adults. Even then, most of those times, I am still there.

Many people think this is crazy and that it means I am too controlling and I am not letting my kids grow up and be mature. The truth from my perspective is, I do not think that before they are mature adults, that they are old enough to be away from me as long as kids who are in public school are away from their parents. I am still training them because they still need it. I do not think that letting go of time with kids is supposed to happen too often before certain ages. I do believe that as kids get older, they can keep the socialization they learned from me when not with me, more and better. For this reason, I allow them to be away from me more and more as they get older.

One thing that appalled me about the Weber County Early Intervention Pre-School I took my son to years ago and stayed to observe, was the following. There was a girl with muscular dystrophy and maybe also cerebral palsy, in the classroom. She cried and cried. I wanted to get up and go comfort her. I did not but I asked the teacher why nobody cared that this girl was crying. The reason, she said, was that she cries like this every time she came there. She told me, “Just ignore her.” A few minutes later, her extremely militant, very cruel physical therapist came in. This therapy was probably something the parents were happy that their daughter could have for free at this government-paid-for preschool program because of her “individualized student plan” needs. I do not think the parents knew what was going on. This physical therapist, who, quite obvious to me, had never experienced the things that this little girl was faced with, called her lazy and stupid, yelling at her, then forcing her to move. The little girl said it hurt and the therapist just kept telling her to move and stop being lazy. All of this, my son and I were supposed to “just ignore.” Everyone else was just ignoring, after all. I decided not to send my son to this place. It was a place of no empathy.

Now watch the video on this blog post (Reason #330 to Homeschool) so that you know what I am rambling about!

Weber State University General Associates Degree Using Many CLEP & DSST Exams

Weber WSU General Associates with CLEP and DSST Exams (Download entire document for free here)

Page 1 of the Document: Weber State University Associates Degree Guide for Homeschoolers 9th-12th Grades (Early College for Homeschoolers in Northern Utah)