Our Life as Homeschoolers

We have been homeschooling for almost six years.  It all started when Brendan was 10 and Kyla was 6. 

We were in the process of changing private Christian schools and while we had the money for the first semester’s tuition, we were not sure how we would keep paying for private schools for three kids (I was pregnant with Ryann at the time). 

Steve was talking to a co-worker about our situation and he said, “you should try homeschooling.”  Then, I got a phone call, “hey, we should try homeschooling.” 

Hmmm….I decided to do what any reasonable person would do, I googled “homeschooling”.  OH MY!  There was a plethora of information, too much for my tiny brain to understand.  I called my wonderful husband and bawled, “I caaaaaaaan’t!” 

Well, he was very supportive and we muddled around until we realized we could use the same boxed curriculum that their previous Christian school had used, A Beka Book.

We bought desks from Ikea and set up a tiny workspace.  I truly did not know what I was in for.

In my homeschooling research, I found links to all these wonderful support groups in the Houston area,  just what a new homeschooler needs, right?  Unfortunately, and much to my dismay NONE OF THE LINKS WORKED.  I was swimming in an unknown ocean.

Panic was just under the surface.  How on earth could I homeschool  without a mentor, or at least someone who had been there?  What about the co-worker’s family?  They were homeschooling preschoolers at the time, no help when I was trying to figure out 5th grade.

Did I mention that I was 6 months pregnant when we started this adventure?

Well, eventually, I ran into someone I knew from our old school who was then homeschooling her son.  I can’t remember her name, but she directed me to a yahoo group for the Greater Houston Area.  Finally, someone to talk to.

I had also found a website for a homeschool store near our home.  We went in and Joann was wonderful.  She talked to us for a very long time.  It was so helpful.  Joann also offered free 1 hour seminars to new homeschoolers at the beginning of the school year.  This was also helpful.

On the yahoo group that I mentioned, I met a wonderful family of pickles, I mean the Dills!  Susan led a homeschooling group called “Smoothing the Way” for new homeschoolers.  Finally, I was meeting real homeschoolers!  Susan and I are still good friends even though the miles separate us.  I still have my notebook with all that wonderful information.

Well, we trudged along with our boxed curriculum, dragging Brendan with us.  We didn’t like homeschooling!  Brendan still does not like homeschool and attends a charter school for science and engineering.

The next year, I bought a few things from A Beka, but tried some new curricula.  I had discovered Unit Studies and Charlotte Mason and so many amazing alternatives to workbooks.  I talked to the kids about them and Brendan said “no!”  So, we tried new workbooks.  I didn’t like them either.

Now, almost 6 years later we haven’t found the perfect curriculum, but Kyla and Ryann are more open to trying new things.  I wouldn’t put them back in school for anything.  Now, if we could get Brendan home….