My thoughts on homeschooling

I have no great religious convictions about homeschooling, although I believe that it is the parent who is responsible for what their child is taught. Andi and Zac both attended public school. But, as they say - that was then and this is now.

Now, some of the most frequently asked questions about homeschooling here at the ol' Comfy Couch Academy that I am asked would include:

Why did you start homeschooling? Do you report to anyone what you do? What's your day like? How long does it take you each day? Don't you worry about what your kids are missing? As I sit here typing this, we are now in our 5th year of homeschooling and can honestly say I like it more each year.

So -- Why did we start homeschooling? The answer I am always apt to give is that I was just selfish. When it came time to send Jacob to Kindergarten, I was thoroughly enjoying my time with him. He was a funny kid, bright and articulate and I just didn't want someone else to be spending the day with him when I couldn't. He already knew how to read, so it also seemed rather pointless to me to send him down the street to learn his ABC's. So I didn't.

I taught him at home that year and the next year, I told Bill I wanted to keep him at home again. He wanted to know for how long and I told him I would let him know when I was ready for him to go to public school. After a couple of years, he quit asking. At this point, it is our intention to homeschool them through high school. If we need to, we can enroll them in a satellite school for any advanced classes they may wish to take. We are also very fortunate that both Andi and Big Guy excelled in things like physics and calculus and have agreed to teach them those things.

When Jacob started his second grade work, then Carly and Wesley started their Kindergarten year and the next year, I added Ryan. The joy that they get when they learn to read is matched only by the joy that I get from knowing that I taught them how to do it and unlocked that door for them.

We school year round. In Indiana, you are required to go to school the same number of days as the public school. So we school 3-4 days a week, depending on what we have planned otherwise and get our days in easily. There is no state agency checking on you in Indiana. It is a very homeschool friendly state, which is great if you are actually teaching your kids at home. It is not so great if you are laying in bed all day while your kids play X-Box and don't know how to read.

There is great freedom in homeschooling. The kids can take their books just about anywhere. Our church is getting ready to open a food pantry and women's clinic and I will be volunteering there and they will be there with me, helping out and doing their school work. Our evenings can be spent as a family - not doing homework for hours.

Our typical day begins about 7:30 when Bill gets home from work and the kids roll out of bed and brush their teeth. We very seldom have cereal for breakfast. We usually have a hot breakfast which I prepare while the kids have Bible study with Bill. Then Bill goes to bed.

While the kids eat, I read to them. I read their history out of a book called The Story of the World. Next, I read the biography of someone famous. Right now we are reading about Harriet Tubman, but in the past few months, we have read about James Cook, The Wright Brothers, Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell and Clara Barton. Did you know that Clara Barton was born on Christmas and died on Good Friday? I thought that was very interesting.

After that, it's time to clean up breakfast dishes, brush teeth and get to work. The kids each have a list of things to do each day and when their books are done, they bring them to my desk and pile them up for me to check and mark off. They know what they need to do and how many pages of each book by looking at their chart. They each do reading, math, language, vocabulary, spelling, time, money and a thinking skills book daily. They also read library books daily.

They are usually done with their books by noon. During lunch, I read some American history to them and sometimes Science. Sometimes, I also read them a Cadlecott or Newbery award winner library book. If you aren't sure what books to read to your kids - look for this section in the library. They are not your typical Junie B. Jones books. These books have won awards for the best children's book and the best illustrated children's book of the year. So they are either great books or have great pictures.

Since Sophie's birth our routine has changed slightly since it seems as if after every subject they complete, they want to take a break and play with her for a few minutes. She is pretty well entertained constantly while we do our school work because they don't get done with subjects at the same time.

After lunch - and a third teeth brushing - we cook, do art projects, craft projects, science experiments or just play. There is no TV watching unless it is something I have recorded for them off of National Geographic, Discovery, History Channel or Animal Planet. This is also when laundry and such is done. Oh, and they may actually get out of their pajamas.

Right now with us reading the Bible in 90 days, I can see where their homeschooling minds come into play. I was reading and we came to the word ephod and since I wasn't sure how to say it, we stopped to look up the pronunciation and the official meaning of the dictionary. Then we had to do a search for images to see what different ones looked like. Next, they had to discuss what color of stones they would put into theirs if they had one - and what they thought the different stones represented. Later, some of them designed their own ephods. I'm pretty sure a kid in public school would not have had the freedom to stop the story and look into the word with so much depth. That is another reason I like homeschooling. Whatever they want to learn about - they can. I know public school kids can come home and learn whatever they want to, but I bet the large majority of them don't. I say this based on what I hear from other parents and the number of kids I see doing homework before church on Wednesday nights, I'm guessing they are too busy doing their homework to be sidetracked like that.

I recently read an article in Reader's Digest that states there are now over 10,000 schools in America that have competitive cup stacking as part of their PE program. I have no doubt whatsoever that my kids are getting more activity in per week than an hour of cup stacking - shared by an entire class.

Lastly, do I worry about what they are missing? No. Not at all. I'm well aware of what they are missing. There is nobody assaulting them. There is nobody offering them drugs or trying to get them to start smoking. There is nobody wanting to show them inappropriate pictures or trying to talk them into doing something sexual. There is nobody teasing them for the way they talk or the glasses they wear or the size they are or the shoes on their feet. There is nobody trying to sign them up for the Friends of the Gays and Lesbians Club. There will never be anyone in their school holding a gun to their head or a knife to their throat. There is nobody cursing at them or calling them names. I'm OK with them missing all of that. And if they miss the prom, well that would be where a lot of the things I'm OK that they are missing happen, so I'm OK with them missing the prom also.

They have a teacher who loves them and wants the very best for each of them. They have a teacher who has the time and financial resources to make sure they get what they need to succeed and hopefully be happy in life. They have the freedom to pray before meals - out loud. They can stand and salute the flag and pledge their allegiance. They are not going to be taught that their ancestor was an ape or that the world appeared after a big bang. They are forming strong bonds with their siblings that will continue for the rest of their lives. They are learning that not everyone in life is as fortunate as them through their volunteering.

I don't know how the kids will turn out as adults, but most of the time they are well behaved, respectful and mannerly. They can hold a conversation with people of all ages. They are comfortable in many settings, not just in a classroom with 30 kids their same age. They love to learn and know how to cook, use tools, clean the house and do laundry. They all have great imaginations and have lots of fun together.

They are great kids and I am very blessed to be able to keep them home with me and teach them. If you were to ask them - they're OK with that.