Never Stop Learning

 Today my daughter posted this on my Facebook wall, which is what prompted me to blog about homeschooling.




We haven't homeschooled in awhile, but I'll always think of myself as a homeschool mom. The one thing homeschooling taught me is that you're always learning, and that's something I think has gotten lost in the modern school system. School has become a thing to dread, instead of something to be excited about. It starts pretty young, too. By the time kids are in second grade quite a few of them only want to go to school to see their friends. When I told people we were switching to homeschooling due to the bullying happening at school and the horrible effects it was having not only on my children's self-esteem but on their capacity to learn, one of the most common reactions was that they had to "tough it out" or "well, no one likes school". Somehow learning and school have become two different things in our society, and I'm extremely grateful I had the opportunity to try something different that worked so much better for our family.

Katrina representing local homeschool group at the regional spelling bee.

 My daughter, who is a Junior at UWEC, educates her fellow classmates about homeschooling all the time and tells people it's not what they think it is. When we were out and about people would find out we were homeschoolers and would ask me about it. I would tell them that my favorite thing about homeschooling is that there is something for everyone, there is no "right" way to homeschool, and that each family has an amazing opportunity to learn more about the world, about what they are really interested in learning, and most of all about each other. We developed our own curriculum that was heavy on reading, real world experiences and writing papers to prepare for college, but many homeschoolers pool together and form a co-op to teach each other's children, and other families may learn through an online academy or order a complete curriculum much like their school district is using. What matters is that they learn at their own pace and gather confidence and a life-long appreciation for learning. I don't regret for a single moment that we stepped outside the box and found that the hardest part was making the decision to do it. Once it was decided and we were in it, the hardest part was convincing others of its value, which got easier with time and when our own confidence in our abilities grew.

Democracy in action, attending the
Kerry for President rally in Madison.

Touring the U.S. Capitol with
one of Paul Ryan's interns.

4H was a huge part of our curriculum,
teaching many life skills such as leadership
and record keeping as well as being a
great place to meet others and socialize.

Katrina experienced a lot through figure skating,
including the opportunity to meet Olympic champion Sarah Hughes.

Cory wasn't interested in sports, but for awhile he enjoyed learning fencing at the Rec Center.

Homeschooling and full-time rv'ing have a lot in common. They are both pursuits that mainstream society has trouble understanding and there isn't any one way to do it right. Sharing our experiences with others broadens acceptance and understanding and also encourages others to be more open to trying new things. So, today, a reminder to us all to never stop learning...about life, about acceptance of other people's differences and most importantly of all about ourselves!