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Top 15 Mottoes to Get You Through Your First Homeschooling Year

September 7, 2007 by Leave a Comment

I have said it before, and I will say it again: the first year of homeschooling is the toughest. No matter who you are, no matter what background you have, no matter what ages your children are, the first year of homeschooling is the most challenging, simply because it is uncharted territory, both for you and for your students. You are understandably nervous.

Because of that, I am sharing these articles from the archives of Guilt-Free Homeschooling, just for you, Brand New Homeschooling Parent. (Homeschooling “veterans” are allowed to read them, too.) Read them as often as you need the encouragement. Recite the titles as your own personal mottoes as often as you need the reminders. Copy the titles onto note cards and tape them to your bathroom mirror or your kitchen cabinet doors. Shout them as declarations of defiant resistance to the voices that would challenge your ability to teach your own children effectively. Hold your head high and your shoulders back, knowing that you are making a positive difference in your children’s lives. And know that I am very proud of you!

Who Taught This Kid to Walk, Talk, and Potty? (You, did, Mom, that’s who!)

What Didn’t Work for Today Can Be Changed for Tomorrow (Homeschooling is infinitely flexible.)

Every Day Is a Learning Day, and Life Is Our Classroom (Again, homeschooling is infinitely flexible.)

I Give One Grade: 100% — But You Get to Keep Trying Until You Get It (for as long as it takes, because homeschooling is flexible)

“Family” Is Spelled T-E-A-M (Your children are not your enemies. You are all on the same side, and they are your teammates.)

You and I Drive Different Cars (and teach our children in different ways)

Who Wrote This “Rule Book” and Why Do I Feel I Have to Follow It? (The Official Omnipotent Homeschooling Rule Book does not exist!)

“Parent” Is a Verb (Who’s in charge here anyway?)

Any Dead Fish Can Float Downstream (And anything worth having is worth working for.)

We’re Not Raising Children — We’re Raising Adults (What is your desired outcome?)

Classic Literature Is Not Necessarily Good Literature (Who decides which books are better than others?)

Knowing How to Find the Answer Is the Same as Knowing the Answer (Where in real life are you required to know everything at every given moment?)

If You Can Present Your Case with Facts and Logic and Without Whining, I Will Listen with an Open Mind (Negotiation is an excellent skill to possess.)

Your Children Will Not Always Be Like This (I promise.)

Do the Best Job You Can, and Pray for God to Clean Up the Rest (No one can expect you to do better than “your best.”)

Filed Under: Deciding to Homeschool, Encouragement for Parents, Homeschool How-To's, Homeschool v. Public School, Homeschooling as a Lifestyle, Leaving Public School, Top 10 (and other) Lists

10 Ways to Ease into Homeschooling

August 16, 2007 by 4 Comments
(For Your 1st Year or Any Year)

1. Do any simple craft project together. Don’t obsess about neatness: have fun. Make decorations for a “Family Friday Feast” party and kick off your new school year with a celebration.

2. Read aloud to your children, even if it’s only for one week of the summer or for a short period each day. Pick a short, simple book or use fun poetry. Be expressive! Use different voices for each character. Take turns and let the children read, too. Listen to an audio book as an alternative.

3. Take your children for a walk each day. Keep it short, if desired. Focus on everyday sights you usually overlook. Use this time to get into the routine of discussing simple things together.

4. Use the hot summer days to hide in the air conditioning and learn italic handwriting, read and write silly poetry, read a stack of books from the library (even picture books), do a jigsaw puzzle, or play every board game you own at least once.

5. Visit a museum, zoo, or other “field trip.” Follow up with a time of family discussion about each person’s favorite points and new discoveries.

6. Hold a “Cooking Marathon Day” to make some basic meal components ahead and freeze them for use on busy homeschool days. Make a huge batch of cookies and freeze them in small packages for quick treats in the car on field trip days.

7. Hold a “Game Day” and let each child select a favorite game, and everyone plays together, rotating through the selections. Relax, laugh and get silly, and enjoy each other’s company.

8. Hold a “Family Conference” to discuss what each member expects from homeschooling. Let each express his hopes and fears, likes and dislikes. This time of open sharing will reveal some new things you had not thought of trying and some other things you may want to avoid. (I had not realized how traumatizing a teacher’s red pencil had become to my formerly public schooled child until she shared, so I then began marking her papers with other, happier colors.)

9. Back-to-school shopping–even homeschoolers enjoy a few new items. Find some new containers for homeschool storage, art materials, or just some fun pencils and notebooks. Purchase a special reference book, wall map, or other useful learning aid for the whole family. If your students have left public or private school to begin homeschooling, allow them to choose some things that were not allowed for use in their last classroom (Trapper binders, mechanical pencils, colored-ink pens).

10. Begin classes with only one subject per day for each student. After a week, add a second subject; week three, add two more subjects. Continue until you are up to your full schedule.

Filed Under: Activity Ideas, Auditory Learning, Deciding to Homeschool, Homeschool How-To's, Kinesthetic Learning, Leaving Public School, Scheduling, Tactile Learning, Top 10 (and other) Lists, Visual Learning

Top 10 Signs You’re Doing a Good Job as a Homeschool Parent

June 20, 2007 by Leave a Comment

Time is not a factor in homeschooling. Finishing lessons quickly or working on lessons all day long is not an indicator of quality in education. Here, however, are some more important signs that can show that you are doing a great job as a homeschooling parent.

10–Your children think “writing” involves more than a text message on a cell phone.

9–Your children know that the first line of the National Anthem is not “Take me out to the ballgame.”

8–Your children read without being bribed. Or threatened.

7–Your children hear about an interesting science experiment and insist on trying it for themselves, even though they already know the outcome.

6–Your dictionary never collects dust.

5–The TV news mentions a remote country and your children already know where it is located.

4–The TV news mentions a remote country that your children don’t know, and they race each other to the world atlas.

3–People notice that your children get along well with each other.

2–People ask you questions about homeschooling, and your children answer for you.

1–Your children giggle and elbow each other when people ask, “What do you do about socialization?”

Filed Under: Encouragement for Parents, Top 10 (and other) Lists

Common Mistakes Made by New Homeschoolers

December 7, 2006 by 1 Comment

The following list contains some of the more common mistakes that are often made by families new to homeschooling. These items are in random order and are by no means all of the mistakes that could be made, nor is the existence of this list a guarantee that all new homeschoolers will make these mistakes. In an effort to help families avoid these errors, I have included links to other articles containing further help, encouragement, or explanations.

1. Doubting their ability to teach their own children

2. A. Attempting to copy the schedule, curriculum, or lifestyle of another homeschooling family
B. Attempting to copy public school classroom models for time schedules, room arrangements, or teaching methods

3. Being overly strict with schoolwork, teaching methods, and discipline, thinking that is how to avoid homeschooling failure

4. A. Leaving the house too often, due to over-involvement
B. Not leaving the house enough, due to fear or due to a too-intensive load of schoolwork

5. Trying to do too much — too many subjects, too many activities, or too many projects

6. Viewing the household chores as Mom’s Work, instead of as a team activity that benefits everyone

7. Assuming that what they may have heard about homeschooling is true, without checking into the facts: legal accountability requirements, time or financial commitment, or curriculum availability

8. Giving too much information on official documents

9. Refusing to try alternate methods or materials, even when something is not working well, feeling that changing methods will bring inconsistency

10. Giving up too quickly, instead of allowing themselves time to adapt to this totally new lifestyle (the second year is much easier than Year #1)

Once again, beginning to homeschool your children does not mean that you will make any or all of the above mistakes, especially if you attempt to tailor the academics to your children’s interests and fit the educational experiences into your family’s lifestyle (instead of the other way around). Guilt-Free Homeschooling is based in the homeschooling method which is comfortable for you and keeps you relaxed (not tense and stressful). Guilt-Free Homeschooling fits your family’s lifestyle — and there can be few mistakes in that.

For more encouragement, browse through the Titles Index for intriguing articles, or check out the category listings in the Topical Index for help with a specific problem you may be enduring.

Filed Under: Deciding to Homeschool, Encouragement for Parents, Homeschool How-To's, Leaving Public School, Top 10 (and other) Lists

Top 10 Things I Did Not Need for Homeschooling

June 12, 2006 by 3 Comments

Homeschooling requires a minimal amount of preparation: it can be started with a few books to read, some paper and pencils, and a few broken crayons as basic art supplies. Institutional schools receiving government funding would lead us to believe that much, much more is needed for adequately educating students. I quickly discovered that certain institutional necessities were, in fact, completely unnecessary in our homeschool setting. And so, here, without further ado, are the Top Ten Things I Did NOT Need for Homeschooling.

10. Attendance Charts, Seating Charts, Hall Passes, or Restroom Passes — We relaxed and made ourselves at home… because we were at home.

9. Lunch Punch Cards — Our lunches were all paid for before we took the groceries home from the store.

8. Hall Monitors — I could hear trouble from anywhere in the house.

7. Playground Monitors — Unless you want to count the dog.

6. Harassment Policy or That Desk Facing the Wall in the Back of the Room for the Disruptive Kid — “Don’t hit your sister,” “Don’t hit your brother,” and “Go to your room” covered it all for us.

5. Parent/Teacher Conferences — Unless you want to count talking to myself.

4. AIDS Awareness; Diversity Day; or G*y, L*sbian, Transg*nder, & Bis*xual Day — We were too busy with learning the more important aspects of education… such as how to read, write, and calculate.

3. Police Officers, Metal Detectors, or Pepper Spray — I even encouraged my students to use and carry pocket knives.

2. Zero Tolerance Policies — I possess critical thinking skills and know how to use them to analyze problems on a case by case basis.

And finally, the Number One Thing that I did not need for homeschooling my own children…

1. RITALIN! or any other mind-numbing drugs to control active children — Physical exercise was much more effective for getting the wiggles out and preparing my students to learn.

*[Unfortunately, the spelling of certain words must be altered to reduce unwanted search engine hits. I apologize for any confusion.]

Filed Under: Deciding to Homeschool, Encouragement for Parents, Homeschool How-To's, Homeschool v. Public School, Leaving Public School, Top 10 (and other) Lists

50 Reasons Why I Could Never Homeschool

April 12, 2006 by 26 Comments

If you are a parent who thinks you could never homeschool, be encouraged: I used to be one of you. If someone had suggested back then that I should homeschool, I would have had a dozen reasons ready why I could not do it. One day, I ran out of reasons. Actually, the reasons why I wanted to try homeschooling began to outnumber my excuses for not trying it.

When my daughter was old enough for Kindergarten, I didn’t have to worry about homeschooling because it was not yet legal in my state. Later, I avoided homeschooling because I thought my toddler needed too much of my attention. Still later, it became obvious that the government’s public school system was failing both of my children, and I finally took a serious look at homeschooling. Our lives (and their education) changed completely within the next few months, and it has been a change that we have never regretted.

When people say they “could never homeschool,” they usually complete that thought with one of the lines listed below. Sometimes the line is spoken aloud, and other times it is merely implied. Still more often, the spoken phrase, “I could never homeschool,” stands alone as a substitute, a coded message, for one or more of these assertions. If you think you could never homeschool, give some consideration to these tongue-in-cheek explanations and reflect on why you feel homeschooling is not for you — be sure that you are not avoiding homeschooling for mere excuses.

I could never homeschool–

1. …I’m too disorganized. Homeschooling works with as much organization as you are willing to put forth. However, if you can keep your silverware sorted, you probably have what it takes.
2. …I don’t know how. Have you ever begun a new adventure already knowing everything about it? Like anything else in life, you learn as you go.
3. …I wouldn’t be any good at it. How do you know? Have you tried and failed at this before? If you have, then you know what problems to avoid this time.
4. …I’m too lazy. Are you saying that it is easier to get your children up, dressed, fed, and off to school at the crack of dawn five days a week, than it is to allow your children to do math in their pajamas?
5. …My husband/family won’t let me. Is that because you have run yourselves deeply into debt and need multiple incomes to keep up the payments? Or is it because of utopian ideas of what institutional schools can do for a child?
6. …I’m not smart enough. Did you teach your child to walk or talk? Did you help him learn to dress himself? Did you teach him to sing “Happy Birthday”? Then you probably have what it takes to teach him to print his name. The rest you can learn as you go.
7. …I don’t want my child to end up like that weird homeschooled kid I know. Don’t worry–your child will end up with his own brand of weirdness, whether he is homeschooled or not.
8. …I can’t stand to be around my children. This is a bigger problem that you need to resolve, no matter where your children go to school.
9. …My children can’t stand to be with me. Again, this is a bigger problem that you need to resolve, no matter where your children go to school.
10. …I want to support the local Christian school. That is an admirable goal, but is the Christian school more important than your own child? The quality of education (even at Christian schools) is far below what a child can receive at home. Also, Christian schools are populated with the thugs, bullies, and reprobates who managed to get themselves expelled from public school.
11. …I want to support the community through the public school. Again, is the community more important than your child’s welfare and education? The quality of education at public schools is far below what a child can receive at home.
12. …All my children’s friends go to public school. Any friends worth keeping can still be seen and played with after school or on weekends.
13. …I don’t have the patience to homeschool. Did you become impatient when your child was learning to walk or talk? Were you impatient when helping him learn to ride a bike? Homeschooling is no different–it is teaching new skills to the children you love.
14. …My child has “special needs.” Many parents homeschool their “special needs” children, feeling that no other teacher can understand or care for their child better than the parents can.
15. …I don’t know any other homeschoolers–I would need help. Homeschooling is growing so quickly that there are probably some homeschoolers in your area already. There are also resources on the internet for helping you connect with homeschooling families near you.
16. …I don’t want to insult my friends who are public school teachers. Right. Because their feelings are so much more important than your child’s feelings and education.
17. …I have to work. Some families have been able to adjust their work schedules and their homeschooling schedule to fit together. Other families have found financial benefits to homeschooling that eliminated the need for both parents to work.
18. …My children don’t want to homeschool. How do they know? Have they tried it before? My children loved having a fully stocked refrigerator available in their classroom.
19. …I have a degree, a career, and a corner office that I have worked hard for, and I’m not giving that up. Right. Because it’s all about you, isn’t it? But your child would like his own chance to obtain a degree, a career, and a corner office.
20. …I can’t teach algebra, geometry, calculus, or chemistry. 1.) If your child is just starting Kindergarten, you don’t have to worry about the advanced subjects just yet. 2.) The lessons are all explained in the textbooks.
21. …My children won’t listen to me, don’t respect me, or don’t think I am smart enough. Some of this will disappear the first time you answer a question as Teacher, and more will be conquered as you continue to homeschool. However, some of this may stem from bigger problems that will need to be resolved no matter where your children go to school.
22. …I have a life and social commitments, and I’m not giving those up. It’s still all about you, isn’t it? Many commitments outside the home can still be maintained–and some may be easier because of the lack of school-related commitments during after-school hours.
23. …I don’t want to wear a denim jumper, put my hair in a bun, kill my own chickens, or have 18 children. And you don’t have to. Homeschooling should fit your family’s lifestyle–no matter what your lifestyle is. Some athletes homeschool around hours and hours of daily training, and some families homeschool on the road in the cab of an 18-wheeler. Homeschooling adapts to you and your lifestyle.
24. …It costs too much money to homeschool. Many of the costs associated with homeschooling (such as curriculum purchases) can be spread out by re-using the materials for several students, or recouped by reselling the materials when you are finished with them.
25. …We can’t afford to start now; maybe we’ll start next year. Along with your financial costs, be sure to consider the personal costs to your child. In some cases, the emotional and mental anguish from one more year in public school can do irreparable harm.
26. …We might homeschool later when the kids really need it. How will you know if you’ve waited too long to start? In some cases, the emotional and mental anguish from one more year in public school can do irreparable harm.
27. …My child has been looking forward to going to public school, and I can’t break his heart. 1.) Your child is probably looking forward to either a ride on a school bus or a chance to play on the school playground. Are those more important than the quality of education? You can ride the city bus (or a church bus), visit a local playground, and then make cookies together at home (something he can’t do at school). 2.) Who is responsible for deciding what is best for the child–that child or you, the parent?
28. …I don’t want to go to jail–isn’t homeschooling against the law? No. Homeschooling is legal in all fifty states, as well as many foreign countries. Home School Legal Defense Association is consistently on top of homeschooling law cases and will support any member family at no cost. (info at http://hslda.org)
29. …I want my children to get into college. Homeschoolers are actively recruited by colleges for their dedication to excellence and self-motivated learning.
30. …Homeschooling isn’t really that important. Homeschooling can turn a poor student into a great student. Imagine what it can do for your student.
31. …I went to public school, and I turned out all right. The school you went to is no longer available. Schools are dramatically different now from what they were even five years ago. Ask a child who is currently in school what a typical day is like.
32. …I want my children to experience all the good things from public school. Again, the school you went to is no longer available, and you may have forgotten many of the painful or difficult times that accompanied your good experiences. Ask a child who is currently in school what a typical day is like.
33. …My baby/toddler takes up too much of my time. Have you found ways to prepare meals or do laundry with Baby around? Homeschooling can also be adapted around baby’s schedule, and toddlers and preschoolers love to join in the fun. There are many ways to homeschool with younger children about.
34. …My mother is a teacher! Then she should understand why you want to skip all of the undesirable elements of school and focus on personalized academics. It is a very rare grandmother who does not want the best for her grandchild. And you have the bonus that she can help teach your child how to stand in line for the bathroom or show you how to inspect him for head lice.
35. …My children won’t have any friends. Do they have friends now? They can still get together with the school friends they enjoy, and friends from the neighborhood or church will still be around. Homeschool support groups provide new friendship opportunities, plus field trips and group activities.
36. …I’m dyslexic–I can’t teach my child. Some dyslexia results from incomplete understanding of phonics and reading skills, which parents can learn right along with their students. Any other homeschooling adults would be understanding and happy to help you through any difficult spots.
37. …I’m not creative. But many other people are and are making their ideas available to other homeschoolers. Low-cost and no-cost ideas are available on the Internet, at public libraries, and through cooperative homeschooling support groups.
38. …I’m not religious–homeschoolers are all religious fanatics. Many homeschoolers have no religious preference but choose homeschooling for the excellence in academic instruction and opportunities for personally tailored learning.
39. …I want my child in the Gifted Program. “Gifted” in public school programs often means “compliant worker-bee.” Boat-rocking, buck-the-system, freethinking individuals are rarely admitted into Gifted Programs. Your child can develop his gifts and personal interests without all of the bureaucratic red tape or funding cuts.
40. …Homeschooling takes too much time, and it takes more time each year as the kids get older. Wrong. Homeschooling takes less time for the parent as the students get older and become able to work more independently.
41. …I could teach arithmetic, but I don’t know how to teach a child to read. There are many programs available for teaching reading, including some which guide everything the parent should say to the child. Teaching your child to read is much simpler than it seems and is an unbelievably rewarding experience.
42. …I want my child involved in sports. Homeschooled children are involved in sports through city recreation leagues, through dual-enrollment with public schools specifically for the sports, and through the many homeschool cooperative groups that are starting teams and hosting tournaments.
43. …I can’t teach art. 1.) “Art” must be your child’s name. 2.) Art can be taught, even if he is stubborn. 3.) Dump all of your crafty supplies on the floor and let Art loose. Library books can guide you into specific artistic techniques, but creativity is built in to all children.
44. …I can’t teach a foreign language. Excellent foreign language programs are available on CD-ROM that allow the student to hear the correct pronunciation, free of regional accents. (Have you ever heard French spoken with a Texas accent? I know a public school student whose teacher taught French with a heavy drawl. It’s funny.)
45. …My child is too active to keep up with. So you’d rather send him to a school where they will medicate him with drugs to make him sit still? At home, that child can run, jump, and play, and then do the schoolwork when his legs are finally tired and want to rest.
46. …I’m a single parent. Many single parents are finding ways to homeschool their children through flexible scheduling (of the job or the lessons) or work-at-home options.
47. …My neighbors will report me for child abuse. Do you need to be reported for child abuse? If not, try talking with your neighbors to help them understand your desire to provide your children with an excellent education. Bake cookies for the neighbors and have the children ask them about their hobbies, careers, or where they grew up, as part of a homeschool project. HSLDA will defend member families against false reports, but not homeschooling out of fear is cheating your children out of a wonderful educational opportunity, not to mention the emotional abuse they will actually endure at public school.
48. …I don’t have an extra room in my house for a classroom. You don’t need one. You can do lessons on whatever surface you currently eat dinner (kitchen snack bar, dining room table, or TV tray) and sit on the sofa for reading. Books and supplies can be stored in a box in the closet or in a corner to keep them from wandering off.
49. ...I don’t want to homeschool. It never stops being about you, does it? Is your leisure time really more important to you than your child’s education and your child’s welfare?
50. …I wouldn’t know how to start homeschooling. There are abundant resources for homeschooling, including the one you are reading right now.

I strongly urge you, if you are not homeschooling now, to give serious thought to why you have not considered homeschooling your children. If your reasons now seem as frivolous as the reasons stated above, perhaps you need to look at homeschooling as a real possibility for your family. Families have begun homeschooling as a way to care for dramatic health needs or because they had serious disagreements with the philosophies put forth in public school curriculum. However, homeschooling is proving itself to be an ideal way just to strengthen individual families and prepare children for college and the real life beyond. Besides all of the wonderful reasons for justifying homeschooling, it is just plain fun for both the children and the parents. Investigate this phenomenon called homeschooling–you may be very glad you did.

Filed Under: Deciding to Homeschool, Encouragement for Parents, Family Unity, Homeschool v. Public School, Leaving Public School, Top 10 (and other) Lists

Disadvantages of Homeschooling

May 2, 2005 by Leave a Comment

[This article is intended to be satire and should be taken as such. For more information on homeschooling, visit any of the other articles on this website.]

Most people will agree that the one-on-one tutoring of homeschooling has some distinct advantages for the student. However, those same people will point out that there are also many disadvantages to homeschooling, besides the obvious reduction to only one spouse’s income while the other remains at home to teach the kiddies. Devout homeschoolers promptly argue that they find rewards in teaching their children at home far beyond what they could derive from a second income, but is there more to the story? Let us take a deeper look into some of the other disadvantages of homeschooling.

1) No certification of teachers — Instead of highly educated, state-certified professionals, homeschoolers must leave their children in the care of the parents. The latest, university-recommended, state-of-the-art, leading-edge, experimental teaching techniques are replaced by a 24/7 relationship based merely on familial love and first-hand knowledge of the entire family situation. Long-used, old-fashioned methods must suffice.

2) Removing the “best learners” from the classroom — Parents who choose to homeschool are removing the “cream of the crop,” and leaving the public school teachers to deal with the dregs of society. The teacher who explained this stated that once the easy-to-teach, eager-to-learn, “good” children have all been transferred by their parents to education at home, her job will be much more difficult as she would have to work at teaching the remaining “hard” students. Parents should, therefore, leave their children in public school to make the teachers’ jobs easier.

3) Extreme organizational skills required — Homeschoolers should maintain perfect order in their homes at all times, oversee the storage of every book, workbook, writing assignment, art project, and science experiment, and supervise all reading, writing, and mathematical computation. In order to verify a quality education, it should be absolutely necessary to produce all previous student work as proof of proper understanding. Attendance charts, grade books, and records of all homeschool-related spending should also be mandatory.

4) Life in a Bubble — Homeschoolers have no opportunity to experience life in multi-cultural classrooms. Homeschoolers are restricted to their family experiences, which are limited to their own biased lifestyle. Homeschooled students usually do not hold classes on drug use and abuse, s*x education, or alternative lifestyles, and therefore will see a naive, Pollyanna-like view of the world.

5) No socialization — Homeschooled students are primarily only-children whose families live in extremely remote areas and never visit anyone. They also never shop in stores or go to the doctor or dentist. They have no friends, no extended families, and no church. They steer far away from scouting, organized recreational sports, and all other club-type activities. Since these homeschoolers have no opportunities to attend prom or participate in team sports or vocal/instrumental musical groups, they will obviously never meet members of the opposite s*x, never engage in casual dating, and, therefore, never marry. (However, this should prevent any future generations of homeschoolers and set at ease the minds of public educators who are worried about job security.)

6) No breaks from your children — It would be like having the dreaded summer break last all year: the children would not leave in late August and be gone until early June. They would not be occupied Monday through Friday with an 8-3 schedule, supplemented by evening and weekend events, nor would they have homework to fill their remaining time. Instead, they would be at home, every day, all the time.

7) No age grouping — Homeschooled children are not grouped with others their exact age, except for the infrequent case of a twin sibling. They are subjected to a world full of adults.

8) No peer influences — No group of fashionistas to advise your daughters on the latest in haute couture. No group of super-jocks to initiate your sons with long celebrated locker-room rituals.

9) No yearly shopping trip for back-to-school items — No longer would parents have good reason for racing to the back-to-school aisles as soon as they are stocked in early July. Homeschooled students will be totally ignorant that their recently selected fashions will have become outdated (by public school standards) as soon as October, and they will continue wearing the clothing for as long as it fits.

10) No riding the school bus — A vital part of any quality education, no bus rides also means a lack of experience with “pecking order,” the right of older students to control who is allowed to sit in which seat. Homeschooled students are fated to take their field trips in the family car/van, confined by the seatbelts and airbags which are not required in buses.

11) No schedules — Homeschoolers rarely have to keep to a time schedule, which will cause them to become inherently lazy. While home educators are expected to teach specific subjects and hold classes every day, their students are not under pressure to be up by a certain time each morning, rush to catch the bus, or have assignments done by a deadline.

12) No diploma — High school diplomas are only awarded to students who have proven their ability to survive four years of intense peer pressure and substandard educational fare. A truly civilized society should require that you produce your diploma as a basic form of identification.

13) No college opportunities — Colleges do not want students who study in their rooms and actually complete assignments. Colleges depend on free-spirited, loose-moraled students to maintain the party atmosphere, so any serious-about-education homeschoolers would surely be rejected immediately.

14) Incredible cost — Besides purchasing all of the necessary homeschool curricula, there is the added cost of further education, should a homeschooler actually break out of his shell and be accepted into a college. The ubiquitous high grades will attract a few scholarships, but those only cover part of the costs, leaving the parents to come up with the remaining fees. Since homeschooled students seem to be quite fanatical about education, many desire further schooling past high school. Some start with community colleges or correspondence classes, thereby persuading universities to accept the education that began at home.

[For those who may be confused, check the disclaimer at the top of this article. ]

*Unfortunately, the spelling of some words had to be edited to eliminate undesirable search engine hits.

Filed Under: Top 10 (and other) Lists, Uncategorized
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