Monday, October 28, 2013

Planning mode


I have a lot of goals that I am looking to set it motion very soon. Gone will be the days of spending the morning on pinterest or snuggling with Britton while watching Bubble Guppies until 11 in the morning. There are going to be so many changes and it is a bit overwhelming.

First, there's homeschooling. This in itself is going to be a full time job for me. Right now, I ship Anistyn off to school and then its just me and Britton. I can let her play while I catch up on laundry or whatever else I'm working on. Once homeschooling starts, I'll be spending a lot of time, especially in the beginning, staying on top of her and her work, teaching her things, lesson planning, and everything else that goes along with it. I'm extremely excited about starting, but it will be a big change for me.

Then, there's cooking. We haven't always been the healthiest when it comes to our eating habits. I've been doing a lot of reading and have decided that I really want us to cut out as many processed foods as possible. I want to do my best to eat as many whole foods as possible. This is going to require more time and preparation in the kitchen. Again, more time and effort on my part, but its something that I feel is best for my family.

So, I'll be juggling homeschooling and spending more time in the kitchen. What am I getting myself into?!?

On top of that...there's this housework stuff. Ugh.

Somehow, in between cooking and teaching my kids, I'm supposed to keep my house maintained? I'm not OCD about my house of course, but I'm spoiled and like clean underwear. I dunno...just a thing of mine.

I'm a fan of keeping my house maintained and at least presentable. I adore structure and I work best when everything is written and planned. It helps me keep myself accountable and remind me what I need to do next. I figure that these next couple of months are going to be my 'planning' phase. I'm getting curriculum together, collecting all of my recipes, and making a list of things that I'll need to make sure all of this goes somewhat smoothly. 

I'm extremely excited about all of this though. I know that my life is going to be a lot busier...but it will be so worth it to me. 

And if anyone knows of a REALLY good planner...send it my way!



Thursday, October 10, 2013

The World of Homeschooling

Did you ever get into a new hobby or interest and discover that there is a whole new world full of information about a topic that you never knew about?

Like if you've never been into fitness and then decide one day...you want to look into the best way to get fit. So you look into it and discover a world of diets plans, work out routines, and a whole list of things you never knew existed?

That's what I discovered when I decided to look into homeschooling.

I cannot  tell you the amount of time I have spent this week researching just about everything there is to research about homeschooling.

Did you know there are types of homeschooling methods? Yeah...I sure didn't.

It seems overwhelming at first. There's classical homeschooling, unschooling, the Charlotte Mason method, eclectic, unit studies...phew!

They all offer different methods and strategies to your approach on homeschooling. It really made a newbie like me really have to dive in and ask myself some serious questions I didn't even think about. At first, it was just a decision. I am going to homeschool. Pretty simple.

Now, I was asking myself...HOW do I want to homeschool? What point am I trying to get across to my daughter, not just about a subject, but on learning as a whole?

As I read through each method, I was thoroughly intrigued by each and every one of them. They all have such great and valuable points. I can understand why someone would teach under ANY of those methods. I like them all so much that I have put myself under the 'eclectic' group. Eclectic homeschooling is when you pretty much mix and match the different methods. I dig it.

I really had to think about what was best for Anistyn. She's been in public school ever since she's started. She's used to structure. She's used to schedule. She's used to textbooks and tests and quizzes and all of that. And...she's done extremely well in that environment.

So, does that mean I want to confine her to a chair and throw textbook after textbook at her? Not at all. But I also don't want to throw out everything that she has known the past few years and try to restructure her learning process all at once.

I do think that the core subjects are important. I also think (and have researched. Don't forget the research!) that homeschooling opens up doors to learning in ways that I never thought of! Learning should be fun, exciting, and intriguing!

I learned that on top of all of her core subjects...there's a whole world out there that I get to help her discover! How exciting and nerve wracking!

I have decided that the best way to go with Anistyn, is to start off with a schedule. Oh, its good for me too...best believe. In the morning, we can cover all of her core subjects. Science, Math, Social Studies, Language Arts, Reading, etc. (time permitting of course.) Then, in the afternoon it frees us up for extra learning. The fun part? She can learn about whatever she wants! If she wants to learn about starfish...we can get into that. If she wants to learn about how clothes are made...we will! The options are limitless and exciting.

I never knew how much I would learn just by looking into homeschooling. Its not just a choice. Its a lifestyle change for our whole family. Its one that we're all on board with and I'm so incredibly blessed to have the support of my amazing husband who has dubbed himself  'The Principal.' Fitting, ha!

No matter what method someone uses to teach their child, in every forum or blog or discussion I have read about styles of homeschooling, there is one common denominator. The children. They are the core of it all. You get to decide what works best for YOUR child. Whether its unschooling, or Classical...as long as your child is happy, learning, and thriving...then its the right method for them.

I am so excited to learn more and to share with anyone willing to read. I can't wait to get started, but know I have more steps to take before we finally take the plunge!

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Changes!

I have made a decision that I honestly never thought I would. 

Anyone that knows Anistyn, my eight year old...knows that she is very smart. Don't say she got it from her mama, because she most definitely did not! LOL.

Anistyn has loved school ever since she stepped foot through the doors. She is in the third grade right now, and has been in public school every year although she is in a charter school this year. I never had a problem with any of her schools nor did I have any complaints about her education or teachers. Especially in second grade when her teacher loved her ALMOST as much as me! 

The first point I'm trying to make is that I have never had a problem with the public school system or Anistyn's education because she simply thrived. She has excelled and is in gifted classes. She is creative and thinks outside the box and is loved by her teachers. I never had a problem with her education. Until now.

Its not the teachers. Its not the schools. Its not even really the public school system's fault. Its the government's. 

I'll spare you all of the details, but in a nutshell, after researching the Common Core curriculum I am just not comfortable with what they are pushing into public education. I've seen samples of it and I just simply can't agree with it. Its a debatable topic, however, I feel that my children are not up for debate. They, along with their education, are extremely important to me. I don't want their education to suffer because of a debate. 

It took a lot of thought, but I have decided to homeschool Anistyn. I never thought I would, not because I thought there was anything wrong with homeschooling. I just simply never had a problem with public school as far as Anistyn went. 

I am extremely fortunate to have a sister in law who homeschools her children so she has a lot of experience with it. Also, my mother in law is a retired schoolteacher and has a vast amount of knowledge! So between the two of them, I have a lot of insight to help get me started!

I am very nervous, but excited about this new venture...and Anistyn is too! So, it looks like this will become a homeschool blog as well!