Homeschooling Is Life! - Relaxed homeschoolers, I need your help!

• Nov. 30, 2008 - Relaxed homeschoolers, I need your help!

Will you help me? I need about ten quotes on "relaxed homeschooling."

Tell me how it works for you. Tell me what you really like about it. Tell me the pitfalls you have with it, or the blessings. I'd like to be able to quote you in an article, so if you respond here be sure to give me at least your first name and an initial.

The first five who leave me a comment will receive a free download of my E-book, "Homeschooling Is Our Life!"

I need those right away, so please leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks so much!

Nancy

Comments

• Nov. 30, 2008 - relaxed homeschooling

Posted by Linda

The blessing has always been that I can teach my children in the way that
they learn best. All seven of my children have a combination of learning
styles and it has been an adventure to learn along with them.

What I really like is not having to follow someone else's idea of what my
children should be doing when. If a child in Jr. Hi wanted to study Physics,
Calculus, etc. we let him. If the child needed more time to learn a skill,
we had all the time he needed. We tried not to 'keep up with the Jones'
whoever they are. We have unique children, and love their style.

:: Permanent Link

• Nov. 30, 2008 - Relaxed Homeschooling

Posted by belindaletchford

I used to say that homeschooling was our lifestyle but now I say our lifestyle is our homeschool! With this slight change of perspective comes a lot of freedom to live our lives with our children, taking the time to teach them the things that are closest to our hearts and develop in them the skills necessary for the things closest to their hearts. By using the opportunities that our lifestyle offers, we give our children a rich and varied education.
Belinda Letchford
www.lifestyle-homeschool.com

:: Permanent Link

• Dec. 1, 2008 - Real Life Learning

Posted by Mama9blessings

The biggest blessing for me in being more relaxed is being able to go with the flow of daily, *real life*!

When I have tried more traditional methods/schedules, I find myself chafing at the "interruptions" that a real life of many children and a mini-farm (not to mention a self-employed husband! : ) might bring.

Now the "interruptions" become part of our learning!

Added to that, I would say the freedom to let the children learn at their pace--immersing themselves in a subject they are passionate about, and at the same time, they can just have a "nodding acquaintance" with other information that they might need a little of, but aren't necessarily passionate about.

One of the things that has really freed me is to stop making them do a polished, finished project with everything they do! Yes, there is certainly a place to learn some character by finishing what you started, but sometimes, things just fizzle out and there is really no sense in "beating a dead horse"! ; )

The struggles? Probably the biggest struggle is letting go!!! Of my schoolish expectations, most of all.

We do have a routine, but we flex a lot for needs of others. I feel our children are learning most of all through serving others. And not forcing a lot of bookwork for the sake of bookwork leaves them with time to learn and hone skills that will help them serve even better.

I am amazed at how much they learn when we just have a loose plan and let life and needs dictate our "curriculum"! My favorite "homeschooling verse" is Isaiah 54:13 "And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children." It's been an adventure, for sure, and I wouldn't trade it for anything!

Trisch Richardson

:: Permanent Link

• Dec. 3, 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by SandBetweenMyToes

Relaxed homeschooling allows us to do just that~relax. There is no pressure of what should have been done. I am able to enjoy time with my children without pushing them to get finished with their work. Our work is our life, our play, our learning. We are able to study the things they are interested in most, and touch on those that are not so important. So much is learned through conversations. Things that are actually learned and remembered, not facts thrown at them to know temporarily. When life interupts for a while, we don't have to fret about being "behind". We simply go on learning in whatever that interuption is.
Letitia S.

:: Permanent Link

About Me

Hi There!

Welcome to my blog.
How nice of you to drop in. What is this all about you say? Well, take a look and see.

Just like the plants springing forth we are following the Son, soaking up the living water and pulling the weeds. We can't wait to see what will bloom THIS growing season!

Oh, and just for fun, I will tell you a little about me, since that is what this space is for. :)

I am a mother of four lovely kids who are perfectly human in every way. They are sinful, selfish, loving, happy, grumpy, excited, capable, frustratable, (I know, that isn't a word but sometimes I make up my own) and sometimes contrite, and just like their parents. But they are ours and we think they are all keepers!

We have homeschooled them all since birth with the trial and error method. I think they all have "made the grade" and they are now 16, 13, 11 and 9 years old.

We're not experts, except in the area of making mistakes and living to tell about them and hopefully learn from them! We hope you will find some encouragement here as you read about the seasons of our life as a homeschooling family.