You Know You Homeschool When...

Everything in your home becomes a part of school. A foggy bathroom mirror is a perfect place to practice writing your letters.

Our First Day of Homeschool

Today was our very first day of homeschool.

The kids woke up and got right to work. It was a challenge in the beginning because Bug and Oney did not realize that all the toys I put in the living room meant that they actually had to stay in the living room and play.

After I got the little ones to understand what school meant and how they had to behave, things went more smoothly.

Lil D was very focused and did his work in a flash. Miss took a little more time with her work. She did get upset once; she thought I was going to get mad because it was taking her a longer time to get through some of her subjects.

In Miss’s old school she was rushed and was never able to finish. That meant at least three hours of homework for her and I to do when she got home from school.

I must admit I was becoming frustrated with her use of time. I was in traditional school mode that put strict time limits on the work Miss was doing. I called Big D to share my worries about my abilities of being an adequate homeschool mom. (It was my first day and I got a little case of the jitters)

Big D reminded me of the reasons why we are homeschooling in the first place. I went to Miss and explained that she was not in a race and that she needed to focus and take her time.

Miss felt better and used her time more wisely. She picked up her pace and got to work.

We ended with our Viking unit study. The kids enjoyed picking out a Viking name and writing a poem. When we finished with the unit study I looked at the clock and saw that it was only one in the afternoon.

School went by so fast and we still have most of the day to go. Although the beginning was a little bumpy and I was a little nervous, I think the day went well. The most important thing I learned today was to go with the flow. Teach my kids the way they learn best. If one child takes longer than the other there is no reason to panic.

Our very first day of homeschool is over and we all made it. I think we all had a lot of fun too.

Lil D, fast and furious


Miss working hard


Bug practicing the letter O .


Oney hanging out and getting banana split pie everywhere. (Yes, I gave him pie to keep him happy for a few minutes. It was my first day, sheesh!)

Child Psychology and Nonsense by G.K. Chesterton

My dear husband sent me this article by G.K Chesterton.

I found this article to be quite interesting. Chesterton explains why adults can sometimes be caught up in the ways they teach their children and forget that there is a child involved.

I think it is important when educating your child to think of them. What is on their mind, how do they learn? As I start to homeschool it will be beneficial to my children for me to remember this. Yes they need to learn math, English, science and so on. I want to do what I can to teach them the way children learn. I want them to enjoy it.

"In this age of child-psychology nobody pays any attention to the actual psychology of the child. All that seems to matter is the psychology of the psychologist and the particular theory or train of thought that he is maintaining against another psychologist. Most of the art and literature now magnificently manufactured for children is not even honestly meant to please children. The artist would hardly condescend to make a baby laugh if nobody else laughed, or even listened. These things are not meant to please the child. At best they are meant to please the child-lover."

One of the many reasons I decided to homeschool was because I wanted my children to love learning. I think that's why Chesterton's article hits home with me. I want my child's learning to please my child--not just the "child-lover." I think homeschooling allows just that.

Read the full article Child Psychology and Nonsense by G.K Chesterton

God Bless These Chicken Nuggets

My kids teach me a lot of things. They teach me patience, I seem to be a slow learner at this, I keep tying. They teach me about love, kindness and they teach me how to have faith like a child.

Big D and I want to teach our children that you don’t have to hide your faith, we are open and talk about God with them everyday. These little folks are not reserved when it comes to talking about their faith or prayers around anyone, for this I am grateful.

The lesson they taught me happened one day at McDonald's I took them there for lunch and to run around in the play area. We got our nutritious meal of cheeseburgers and chicken nuggets and sat down in the crowded play area to eat. My kids know they have to eat all their food before they can play. I guess that gives me a point for being a good mom, even though I feed them fast food sometimes for lunch.

The place was packed. Moms, Dads, and kids filled the tables. There were also kids running around playing. We were about to start eating when Miss said, “Wait we have to say grace.” This was at a time when we had just begun making prayer apart of our daily lives. Being reserved in my faith, I felt uncomfortable. I did not want my kids to see I felt this way, I put my burger down and said, “Go ahead."

The kids quietly folded their hands and made the sign of the cross. In a normal voice they said Grace. I followed their lead. I had my head down so I don’t know if people were looking at us or not. I didn’t care; after we said Grace I could not have been more proud. I thanked God to myself. I thanked him for these children, and I asked him to help me to be like them.

That day as my children and I said Grace over our chicken nuggets and cheeseburgers I felt God was truly giving me a lesson through these little children. Have faith like a child, God is everywhere, (even McDonald's) and never be afraid to be who you are. Now our family always says Grace before we eat no matter where we are. I don’t feel uncomfortable about it at all.

My children taught me that.