This Crazy House

Gearing up and messes made for the homeschooling adventure.

2:34 PM

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Ummm yeah...the love hate relationship of homeschooling; and I haven't even started yet!

3:54 PM

Borrowed from here

Let the cussing, screaming, yelling, headbanging on table begin! If your like me you are right now in some closet or bathroom at this moment contemplating if your doing the right thing by homeschooling your minion...I mean child(ren) at this point...your ripping your hair out and that bottle of wine is looking really good too.

Where oh where is your sanity and is there an adult version of Go the F*ck to Sleep. Oh yeah and people telling you to breath is getting on your nerves...your not giving birth. Anywho...are you in this place yet? Do you want to give in? Well don't! Drink that bottle of wine, scream, rant , whatever you need to and listen up.

No one ever said educating your child was going to be easy. However, in the long run it's worth it. Of course as usual here are some links about that sticky situation of home school vs P.S.

http://www.nheri.org/research/research-facts-on-homeschooling.html

http://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2013/04/17/just-the-facts-the-pros-cons-of-homeschooling/

https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=91

As you can see with the stats on this issue our homeschool kiddos are actually more prepared for college and or a career. The reasons to home school also vary on why some of us chose to go this route.

Now the other issue is curriculum. I know you seen my posts on this issue and well still trying to fill out my son's studies with his input still about drove me nuts. I'm sorry but I am not spending over 200$ + to get a kit in the box. We as home educators need to be able to purchase what we need without extras that don't fit our kiddos or their learning styles. There has to be a better way to do this and so far I haven't found it.

I'm sure there will be a way in the future but that doesn't help us parents NOW. So I suggest joining groups on FaceBook, Yahoo groups and more to help you and your kiddo. I have found some awesome women in this journey that have helped me and still are. We pass resources like a good bottle of wine. If I can't use it I pass it on to someone who can. I can tell you right now that 3rd grade is a beast to find everything, but with help in these groups and resource groups on facebook I have managed to do it.

Till the day I can go to the library and actually check out said curriculum from them this is where I have to go and what I have to do as well as so many secular schooling parents.

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Home Schooling links...or random home schooling things I've run across

7:44 PM

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Curriculum the difference between secular & non-secular; and reading ramblings

4:13 PM

Rebuilding Freedom.org image

So your gonna homeschool like me Sweet. Welcome to the millions of parents who are and have been doing it for years. I'm sure you have done what I did pour thousands of hours into the curriculum that you are going to use. Yeah me too...I've been to Currclick, teacher's pay teachers, scribd and more. Only problem that I have noticed and you might have to is what's the difference between "secular" and "non-secular" when it comes to studies. I can sorta answer this.

And there you have the definitions of what each one means...confusing to say the least. Now for the fun part of homeschooling. There are many reasons why one chooses to home school their kiddos. We are doing it for reasons that were mentioned in another post.

So the massive con that I have noticed that most curriculum one looks for is very "non-secular" and that's fine but when you want to go out side of this curriculum it's a nightmare; between trying to find the grade you need and the cost being enough to make a car payment what is a parent that is limited in $$$ to do?

You can search Google for hours and Pinterest too. The issue is the same not enough secular curriculum or you can find one book but not the next, and of course what does your child have to say about the books you have picked? It's mind numbing and yes my head hurts and I question myself sometimes and my sanity. It's when my son comes up to me who is one of the most reluctant readers I have ever met asks me....Will I be able to read Captain Underpants when you teach me? Why heck yeah you can read about Captain Underpants why do you ask? My teacher...yup you heard it his teacher won't let him read these books. I ask him why and of course no answer.

I did my own digging on this and found the following: Captain Underpants is and was designed for the reluctant reader. Now that he is in to book 5 most the books in the ever growing series is between 3rd and 4th grade reading level. Helps give them the basic understanding of chapter books that is exciting and has you wanting to know what will happen next.

So with this new found love reading I get his opinion on all areas of study he will be doing. I say for reading curriculum this is a pro...all the way!

I still fight through the cons of curriculum because there are so many more options for the "non-secular" groups of home schooling. The "secular" groups have to fight and research for topics that fit our kiddos. I just hope that sometime soon some of these publishers will lower their prices (Yeah you Pearsons, MacMillian/MacGraw Hill, and others) so that we too can give our kids the best education out there!