Some people believe that all books should be kept. Especially if the household home educates. I am not sure where I fit in.
On one hand, books are a necessary part of educating myself and the kids, so they have to be around. On the other hand, I am a Don Aslett De-Junker, who loves to create more space. Space is amazing, and it is something we pay good money for. If you go to a real estate site and look at how much more valuable, houses with more square footage, including the garage, are, you’ll agree. Space is valuable, and houses are listed for $1,000 more, over time, with interest, for 5 more square feet of home.
So call me crazy, but, this home educating mom is prepping for the next local curriculum sale not by saving money, but by gathering books to sell. This is a mom who is fed up with the lack of space.
Truth be told, it is space I’ve had for the past 3 months, when these books have been in taped up boxes, while we’ve been trying to sell this house, so that we can pay $70,000 more than what ours would sell for, to get another 500 to 1,000 square feet to put more books into.
I loved not having as many books to sift through these past 3 months. Now that I have opened the boxes, I am thinking “AHHHHH! I can’t do this! Free me from the prison of junky books!” Because of this, I am rethinking this. Which books will we really use in the next 5 years? Which do I dream the kids will use, but know in my heart, they won’t? Which do I know we won’t use within 5 years?
Some, I will not use in the coming year. I will use them the following year or in some future year. We focused on biology this year. That means I can put away the biology books and get out the books for next year’s science focus: Space, Earth and Physical Science. This sounds  crazy to some home ed moms, who would rather I left all science out. However, I am me, and this is MY HOUSE, and I will do what I want. Not a great argument? Well, it has to be good enough and I have to stop fretting over what the other home ed moms think and be myself.
For me, it will be liberating. I have to eat lunch, though. I have been sifting books a lot today and I am shaky. I need nutrition. I have fresh broccoli and fresh mushrooms upstairs, calling to me.
Relaxed Homeschool Utah 