MSNative Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 I was just over at a friend's house and their son told me that he just started homeschooling last month. My friend hadn't mentioned it at all. Their son just goes online, does his lessons and calls it a day. They are all thrilled, but very blase about it. It is almost a non-issue. Seeing that, though, made me realize how much I define myself as a homeschooler. I love it. My free time is spent reading about it, reading classics so I can guide the kids better, coming up with new schedules that we won't follow for more than a week... Just curious: where do y'all fall on the spectrum? Is it your hobby like mine or is it just something your kids do? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tricia Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 I'm pretty much with you. I spend tons of time in prep work in order to educate my kids. Is there another way? What am I missing?:confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiguirre Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 It's my passion and I suspect that most of the posters on this board would fall on that end of the hs spectrum. It's refreshing that you could hs and have it be just one element of your life. I'm way too much of a curriculum/book junkie for that, but maybe some day... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FloridaLisa Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 Home educating our dc has defined much of our family lifestyle as well as my approach to education. We would *look* completely different had we chosen not to homeschool early on. Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HiddenJewel Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 Homeschooling is definitely a passion for me. It is also a lifestyle for our family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brehon Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 I guess I'll be the dissenting voice. Homeschooling is what we do; not who we are. Or rather, it's but one part of who we are. We're just as passionate about educating our children at home as anyone. I (as the Minister of Research and Curriculum Development) do research, review, and plan. However, it's not something that consumes me. I don't spend hours looking at various curricula/catalogs or planning hypothetical schedules which we may or may not actually follow on any given day/week/month/etc. I guess what I'm trying rather inelegantly to say is that we don't define ourselves as Homeschoolers. Homeschooling is one aspect of our lives. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaik76 Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 Homeschooling is just one aspect of our lives. It does not define us. It does allow us to do most of what we want to do more easily. I'm an education junkie. I was one long before we homeschooled, and I remained one even when my son was attending public school. I actually consider that part of my life separate from the actual aspect of homeschooling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 I'm a homeschooler. I'll always be a homeschooler. Yes, even though my dc are 30 and 33 yo.:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet in WA Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 I'll have to admit to being a "dissenter" here, too. It just happened that our sons' place of education was here at home. It didn't "define" us. If we had been your neighbors, you probably wouldn't have known we were homeschoolers either, until or unless you inquired where our sons went to school. Most of our friends and our sons' friends were non-homeschoolers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plucky Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 Right now I define myself as a mom and wife. I happen to homeschool and take it very seriously. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharon H in IL Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 I can't help talking about it, so if I were your neighbor, you'd have heard. ;) A job and a hobby. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom0012 Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 Homeschooling has been how I've defined myself for the last 5 years, but I'm in the process of trying broaden my definition. I love homeschooling, but I want it to be a smaller part of my relationship with my kids. Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovedtodeath Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 It is all I think about much of the time. It's not like homeschooling has really changed me, but schooling or teaching in some form is part of me anyway. I am writing curriculum because I love it. I asked my Dad if it was wise, because the time investment is considerable compared to the return. He asked if it was enjoyable and inspiring. I was so excited about writing it that I was skipping around the house, so at that point I knew that I should pursue it. It combines teaching, writing, planning, and graphic design, all of which I am good at and passionate about. If I wasn't homeschooling I would be tutoring or a preschool or private school teacher. I have always embraced writing and teaching, and I have always planned to teach my own children, so it is more about my personality first. I guess it is more about my personality than it is about the fact that I homeschool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peela Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 Just curious: where do y'all fall on the spectrum? Is it your hobby like mine or is it just something your kids do? For 5 years it was the central theme of my life, and yes, most of my spare time went into thinking about it. However I have noticed in the last year that I no longer identify with it so strongly, obsess about it (I was obsessive). I don't spend all my spare time thinking about it. I have other interests and I even have to make myself sit down and research and make up schedules and buy curricula- its not my passion any more, its just my job. I still enjoy it, but I am no longer driven by it. I am happy with the change. I am coming up to 6 years homeschooling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Inna* Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 Right now I define myself as a mom and wife. I happen to homeschool and take it very seriously. :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragons in the flower bed Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 I'm an education junkie. I was one long before we homeschooled, and I remained one even when my son was attending public school. I actually consider that part of my life separate from the actual aspect of homeschooling. I was thinking this too. Whether I had children to homeschool or not, I'd be involved in information exchange somehow, as a writer, tutor, editor, researcher, museum curator, activist or librarian. I would be doing something that involves helping people easily and enjoyably acquire the skills and information they want or need. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurelia Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 Homeschooling is more like a hobby for me, I spend my free time researching curricula and on homeschooling message boards (yes, more than 1, I'm a junkie :tongue_smilie:). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nestof3 Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 Yes, it is a big part of who I am. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plucky Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 Homeschooling is more like a hobby for me, I spend my free time researching curricula and on homeschooling message boards (yes, more than 1, I'm a junkie :tongue_smilie:). I was a junkie for many years, too. I think it's normal. It's only recently that I realized I wasn't addicted to the search for the perfect curriculum or method. Yep, only took me 10+ years. LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MSNative Posted April 13, 2009 Author Share Posted April 13, 2009 I was a junkie for many years, too. I think it's normal. It's only recently that I realized I wasn't addicted to the search for the perfect curriculum or method. Yep, only took me 10+ years. LOL My husband will be so thrilled to know that it only takes 10 years!! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plucky Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 My husband will be so thrilled to know that it only takes 10 years!! :) I'm a slow learner. You might get through the phase quicker than I. Some people pass through this stage in a couple years. I do not know their secret. It really was an addiction/disease, albeit a harmless one. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fivetails Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 Yes, it is a big part of who I am. :iagree: Very much so... it'll also always be a big part of who I am, in a sense, because while dd12 will eventually go off on her own, ds10 will not - his disabilities are to such a degree that he'll never be able to live independently.. he'll always be with us and I'll keep right on teaching him everything that I can. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veritaserum Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 It's a lifestyle, so, yes, I define myself as a homeschooler. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacy in NJ Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 Homeschooling has been how I've defined myself for the last 5 years, but I'm in the process of trying broaden my definition. I love homeschooling, but I want it to be a smaller part of my relationship with my kids. Lisa I agree with Lisa. When we first began homeschooling 5 years ago, It was a very large part of my life. As we've moved along through the years, it consumes less of my mental space and free time. I actually want this to continue. While it's obviously important to keep on top of school planning, my goal is to spend less time on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcconnellboys Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 Ummmm, no, it's really a lifestyle for us, I think. I can't imagine calling myself a homeschooler if I just pulled my kids from school and plugged them into a computer, instead. How sad for the child in the long run.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 I'm pretty much with you. I spend tons of time in prep work in order to educate my kids. Is there another way? What am I missing?:confused: I have met a few people who have their kids basically do public school online so they don't meet teens who might lead them astray. Each of these had an older sib who went astray. I feel sorry for the whole family, the lonely kid in a room with a computer, the terrified mom, the angry dad, the guilty older sister. Everyone. You aren't missing anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garga Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 To me homeschooling is like doing a job that I love. I can put it aside when the job is done for the day, but while I'm "working" (planning, researching, teaching) I'm pretty content and happy and engrossed in what I'm doing. Being a homeschooler defines me about as much as my other occupations before having kids did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaik76 Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 Ummmm, no, it's really a lifestyle for us, I think. I can't imagine calling myself a homeschooler if I just pulled my kids from school and plugged them into a computer, instead. How sad for the child in the long run.... I have met a few people who have their kids basically do public school online so they don't meet teens who might lead them astray. Each of these had an older sib who went astray. I feel sorry for the whole family, the lonely kid in a room with a computer, the terrified mom, the angry dad, the guilty older sister. Everyone. You aren't missing anything. For some children, this kind of curriculum is just the ticket. My son does so well with computer curriculum, and as he grows older, we will segue into more of it. I love the fact that he's learning, happy, and independent. At seven, we still do a lot together, but my goals for homeschooling are almost entirely academic. We don't do it to foster family togetherness, to add to our religion or any of the other myriad reasons that some families choose to homeschool for (those are nice side benefits, though). I think we do a grave disservice to families when we assume that the schooling choices they make aren't the best for them, just because they wouldn't be the best for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovedtodeath Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 Good point Chaik. I completed High School entirely on my own. My parents were not involved at all. I had teachers at Indiana University that I could call if need be. I think I made 3 phone calls. I loved it. It worked very well. I actually stayed up all night watching movies and plugging away. This was Advanced Biology, Algebra 3 and 4, Art History, Graphic Art, World History, World Government... not easy peasy classes. I am an introvert and plugging into my work alone was good for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denise in Florida Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 Yes, I identify as a homeschooler. We moved to the town where we currently live when the girls were already homeschooling. Most of the people I have met, and become friends with, I met because we had homeschooling in common. I know that this is a temporary stage, I am sending one child to college next year and the other is already in high school. I do not know what I will do when I am no longer homeschooling. I have given this a lot of thought in the last few years because I will really miss this stage when it is over. I am looking for other interests, probably in the education field or working with books. I would love to own a used book store. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosy Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 I'm probably in the middle of your spectrum. I homeschool because I believe it's what is best for my kids, but it's not all-consuming for me. Sometimes I love it, sometimes I'd rather be doing something else. My son takes a lot out of me and he's my primary focus right now school-wise. Also, we just moved a few blocks away from one of the best public elementary schools in the area, and its "kindergarten registration" sign mocks me audibly every time I drive past. :P I'm proud to be a homeschooler though, and honestly I think when we're all (or mostly all) reading and can do less drill and repetition and more of the fun stuff I can see obsessing over it. I like curriculum and I love discussing ideas with them, and I love to teach. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 Homeschooling was my passion and hobby for years. :w00t: This is our 7th year homeschooling. Unfortunately, I've moved into 'this is just what my kids do' side. :( They are now using K12 (again, but this time under my DH's direction) and my DH plans for them to move into National Keystone afterwards. My curriculum junkie days are over. I actually miss the days of researching, discussing, purchasing, and planning. The kids and my DH feel my homeschooling methods were inconsistent and flighty. So basically I've been demoted from the primary teaching position. :crying: I read some of their materials aloud and I make sure they know what they have scheduled every day; however, they go to my DH for most help now. The things they need help on are things that are over my head. I'm rather useless without a teacher guide and answer key. :001_huh: Feeling in a smileys kind of mood, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G5052 Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 I think I did during the first five years or so when I was finding out what it meant to homeschool and working through our approach, but now I know and really don't see myself that way as much. I've maintained a part-time career and have non-homeschooling friends, so that's probably a factor too. Homeschooling is one of the best parts of my life, but not my life at this point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KristenS Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 It's a big part of who I am. We're early in the process and still feeling our way. And, as others said, I was an education and writing junkie before kids anyway ... I'd be teaching or being a librarian if I wasn't a SAHM. (Well, till the layoffs hit, anyway.) It's just what I do and who I am ... help people find out about things. I think the obsessive phase will pass though ... before we moved a few years ago, we had a great but small little house with a nice little yard. I was obsessed with HGTV. (The shows were better back then too ... and I have anxiety issues so it gave me something to watch when I needed to calm my mind.) I was always finding good and simple (and cheap) ideas to improve our living space, and it was actually good for us. Then we moved, into a somewhat larger and absolutely wonderful house. We got ourselves settled, and I suddenly realized ... I was no longer watching ANY of HGTV. We had found / made the home of our dreams and I didn't need to look for help to make it better. (Sure, it needs tweaking at times, all homes do as we grow and change. But basically it's great.) I figure the same will happen in our homeschool journey. We'll find our footing, we'll get a better grip on our goals and our preferred methods, and suddenly I won't have to obsess over every catalog because I'll already have a feel for what we're likely to need. I hope so anyway. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 It's a lifestyle for us. But the curricula is only one part of that lifestyle. Spending a half hour today peering out our front window at the raccoon in our maple tree is part of that lifestyle (a result of our fascination with natural science). Learning to bake "Artisan bread in 5 min. a Day" is not only a homemaking thing for me but a whole family homeschooling thing. I think more than anything it is a lifestyle of 'growth as a family' than of education as such. I only get excited about curricula once in awhile (when we are starting a new phase in our schooling) because I've been very comfortable in my choices for each 4 year segment. So if I were talking to you I would be more likely to be exuding excitement for all the things that our homeschooling lifestyle lets us explore than the academics itself. I will say, that sooner or later someone always ends up asking us if we homeschool - just because of our enthusiasm for learning! But I think I identify more with the label of "life long learner" or "renaissance woman" than a homeschooler because this is a label I will have long after my children graduate from my homeschool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peek a Boo Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 Homeschooling is definitely a passion for me. It is also a lifestyle for our family. Us too, but more in the way of homeschool advocacy. Outreach. :) My passion is more in helping the homeschool community. We pretty much have our own homeschool situation nailed pretty well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rainforest mama Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 I am definitely a homeschooler. It is my passion. My oldest DD is now 10 and has always been homeschooled, and I have yet to lose that passion for it. If I had just put my DD in front of the computer, I probably wouldn't have invested so much of myself in it and it wouldn't be such a way of life as it is now. Most of the people in our small town homeschool via the computer, so they have such a different perspective on homeschooling than I do. For many, it is an alternative to a bad school system and that is all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 I was just over at a friend's house and their son told me that he just started homeschooling last month. My friend hadn't mentioned it at all. Their son just goes online, does his lessons and calls it a day. They are all thrilled, but very blase about it. It is almost a non-issue. At the risk of sounding judgemental, is your friend really "homeschooling" if her ds goes online and does his lessons all by himself? Sounds as if he's a self-learner and she's just enabling it, KWIM? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest janainaz Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 I don't over-think it. I have a homeschool closet and it's where I keep all my stuff. If you walked in my house, you'd never know we do school at home. I don't make a big deal about it around other people and unless they ask, I don't mention it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Katia Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 Oh, yes. Definitely. I do define myself as a homeschooler and have for the last 15 years! Right now I have my last dc schooling at home, so I'd say I'm simply an "avid" homeschooler.....I have one that has graduated college, one in college, and this last baby that is currently in 11th grade.......So, yeah, "avid" homeschooler would be a good term for me. When I was homeschooling all three of them....for, say, the first 12 years...I was more a "rabid" homeschooler. It was all consuming, my entire life and our family's life. Every minute of every day was learning in some form or another and we loved it. We lived it! I've been wondering when the last one is gone...who will I be? But Ellie answered it so elegantly...I will always and forever be a homeschool mom. Just not quite so rabid or avid. Maybe "understated"? I'll need a new term to describe myself, LOL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kewb Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 Homeschooling is something we do. It is a big part of our lives but it does not define who we are. I am many things. I identify as a person. If you ask me about the kids and school you will get an ear full. I can pontificate with the best of them but it is not the driving force in my life. Our family focus is on living life to the best of our abilities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tabrett Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 (edited) It is my job and passion. I don't talk about it with others. Mostly because I feel they are not interested. If someone asks for help, I go crazy with ideas and suggestions! I would love to talk about HS'ing with people, but I haven't found anyone with the same passion as me; except for the people on this board! Unless someone asks, I don't mentions that I HS. Most people don't know I HS until they ask me where my kids go to school. If you didn't ask me that question, you would never know....... Edited April 13, 2009 by Tabrett Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in Florida Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 I guess I'll be the dissenting voice. Homeschooling is what we do; not who we are. Or rather, it's but one part of who we are. Homeschooling is just one aspect of our lives. It does not define us. It does allow us to do most of what we want to do more easily. I'm an education junkie. I was one long before we homeschooled, and I remained one even when my son was attending public school. I actually consider that part of my life separate from the actual aspect of homeschooling. I think this is where I am, too. I usually refer to my kids as "homeschoolers" and myself as a "homeschooling mom." Notice the difference. My kids are homeschoolers (identity), while I am homeschooling (what I'm doing now). I think of homeschooling as a job, and I've had lots of those over the course of my life. I'm doing this one now, and I'll move on to something else when I'm done here. I am, however, and education junkie. Most of my jobs over the years have had some relationship to that, and I expect that will continue even when I move on to getting paid again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murphy101 Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 I'm a learning junkie and was before I even had kids, was when they went to public and private school, and would be thrilled if they leave grandchildren around for me to have an excuse to continue the addiction after they are grown. I don't know about "defining" - the term implies there's somethgn wrong with a woman who does that? I am many things, a wife, a mother, a friend, and an educator and many other things too that define who I am. Right now I'm on year 9 of homeschooling and it looks like I'll be doing it for at least a couple MORE decades, so yes I am and want to be enthusiastic and passionate about it. I'm sure some days/years will be harder than others or there will be more pressing interests at times. But for now, my main focus outside of general marriage and family is the education and raising of my children. And I'm very happy to have it that way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coralloyd Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 To me homeschooling is like doing a job that I love. I can put it aside when the job is done for the day, but while I'm "working" (planning, researching, teaching) I'm pretty content and happy and engrossed in what I'm doing. Being a homeschooler defines me about as much as my other occupations before having kids did. :iagree:This is almost exactly what I was going to say. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaik76 Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 At the risk of sounding judgemental, is your friend really "homeschooling" if her ds goes online and does his lessons all by himself? Sounds as if he's a self-learner and she's just enabling it, KWIM? I don't know...she's still watching over him, making sure he gets his lessons done, even if she is not an "active" part of the process. There will come a time in our lives when my son will probably do most of his lessons on the computer...I will still be homeschooling him. I will be choosing his curriculum (with his input), he will be schooling in my home. I will still be a homeschooling mom, even if he is also accountable to others. I think we tend to give homeschooling too narrow of a definition...thinking it's not homeschooling if it isn't done within a narrowly defined set of parameters. Now, this woman may not identify herself as a homeschooling parent at all. But because she has a son who homeschools, she is in some way. Just as, when my son was in public school, I was a public school parent, despite the fact that I had no real say in my son's education at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paintedlady Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 I do define myself as a homeschooler, b/c it's more than just the way we educate our kids, but a life philosophy as well. That said, I don't eat, sleep, & breathe it either. It's not my hobby to research curriculum all day. I simply believe that it is our responsibility to raise/educate our kids to the best of our ability and I deeply believe that homeschooling is the best way to do it. I think the way we live our life reflects that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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