The realities of a homeschool family

Sheesh, it's been an expensive couple of weeks. I'm deep in the trenches of homeschool prep for our coming year, and that included purchasing needed curriculum items. All I can say is, Rosetta Stone better live up to its claims (tongue-in-cheek; we used it free this past year and loved it, so we purchased all 3 levels of the Latin America Spanish homeschool edition). The next 3 levels of math (one for each student) was also pricey. A few grammar and language arts items plus some basic supplies, and,...
well,...
Does anyone know if cat food can double as a family meal?
(Oh now, stop. Just stop! I know you know someone who tried it before.) Btw, that's not all of our curriculum. I mean, couldn't you just see it?

"Finish your math?
Spanish?
All done, now VAMANOS, pronto!"

No, I already had most of what we needed. It's just that what I still needed was "big ticket" costly.

I have also been busy arranging several fieldtrips for our large homeschool group (approximately 135 families). We all plan at least one event or fieldtrip for the year. Last year, my kids took pottery, toured backstage at the performing arts theater, went to the zoo, participated in the national spelling bee (exhibition round due to age), enjoyed history club (several from our group won at state and got to go to the national History Day competition), toured the mounted police facility, visited residents of a nursing home, visited and learned about various farms, and more. There are many great events we passed on for one reason or another, such as father-son camping, International Missions Festival, various academic classes, and spending an entire school day in a one-room schoolhouse . You're confused on that last one, eh? I mean, don't all homeschoolers attend a one-room schoolhouse? Well, yes.

And NO.

Yes, my kids are learning at home with a curriculum that is custom fit to their specific learning needs and enhanced by their specific interests. But no, they are not alone all the time. In fact, they are very much immersed in our local community, interacting regularly with children and adults of all ages and walks of life. Perhaps we're the opposite of a family who lives in a very remote, rural area. For 6 or 7 hours a day, 180 days per year, their children are in the midst of other children (though not for the main purpose of socializing, but rather focusing on listening to instruction and completing necessary school work). For the other 18 hours a day, those kids are at home together, participating in the dynamics of family life.

Flip the coin. My kids are learning at home during school hours. 180 days each year. They may meet with other homeschoolers for an event or fieldtrip during those hours. Or not. But after school, they are interacting with neighbors and other members of the community. Cashiers. Postal workers. Doctors, dentists and more. They participate in extra-curricular activities like soccer and swimming lessons. They attend Sunday school classes. Birthday parties. Visit family and take vacations.

Needless to say, homeschooling is not life in a vacuum. And if you've ever met my kids, you know they're not shy, withdrawn or anti-social. In fact, they enjoy interacting with people of all ages. When Olivia attended VBS this summer, one of her very favorite people was the elderly volunteer who assisted her VBS teacher. She sought this woman out each evening to sit by her during music time. She loved being with her friends too, but not to the exclusion of this woman whose company she enjoyed just as much.

So,...
Where am I going with all of this? I'm assuming if you're reading this, you may well be aware of what I'm saying. However, there are still so many misrepresentations of what homeschooling is about. Sometimes (as seems to be human nature), a single negative impression is generalized and assumed of all. Often, the misrepresentations come through the media (don't even get me started on the misrepresentations that often occur there). Sometimes it comes through family members who are unsupportive and/or are poorly educated about homeschooling before drawing inaccurate conclusions (not my family, btw. They've been quite tolerant and unbiased regarding our choice).

All that said (whew, long winded), I laughed so hysterically at the video I'm about to share. Many of the stereotypes are there. And while we don't have any Doogie Howzer's in our own homeschool family, we DO ascribe to classical education. No, we have NOT sponsored a Haitian, but only because we were asked to sponsor a child from Indonesia instead. ;)

Kudos to Tim Hawkins for this very funny play on some the stereotypes of a homeschool family. Tim, you rock! Bahahahaha! :D
(move to the bottom of this page and turn off the audio player before starting the video).

Toni