Homeschooling Is Life! - Relaxed Unschooling :)

• Apr. 2, 2009 - Relaxed Unschooling :)

Hi friends,

I wrote an article for Stepping Stones on Relaxed Homeschooling and you can read it here. I'd love to hear your thoughts and if you leave me a comment I'll send you a copy of "Homeschooling Is Our Life" an Ebook of several mini-articles and blogs and assorted stuff on unschooling. You only have to leave me your email in order for me to send you the download, ok?

(Please, for your own protection from the spammers, disguise your email ok? Like: homeschoolmommy at whatever dot com, or something like that. )

Blessings!

Nancy

Comments

• Apr. 2, 2009 - Great job!!!

Posted by Mel

This is awesome, Nancy! I like the way you laid things out there. Much more understandable than when I try to explain it. Can you come explain to my husband? lol

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• Apr. 3, 2009 - Relaxed Schooling

Posted by Anonymous

Nancy,
I really enjoyed your article on relaxed schooling. I've come to realize in these last couple of years, that what you said is true. I have been homeschooling like "institutional school." I've known something is not right, but just wasn't sure what it was! I have made some adjustments and tried to get away from so many textbooks and rote material. Really, the only textbooks we use regularly are for math and language. We are trying to read more whole books, living books. But I still have trouble comparing where my children are intellectually to where the "system" says they should be! Help!

I would really like to learn more about this method. I've just recently come to the conclusion that, as the title of your blog suggests, homeschooling IS life! But how do I go about living it??? Could you suggest any books, or links to articles to get me started?

Thanks so much!

Blessings,
Melissa Vinson
www.momma23blessings.blogspot.com

Edited by ByHisGraceInColorado on Apr. 3, 2009 at 8:54 PM

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• Apr. 4, 2009 - Loved your article!

Posted by Anonymous

Nancy,
I discovered your 'Relaxed Homeschooling' article because I'm subscribed to the Stepping Stones newsletter. What a blessing your article was to me! After reading it, I googled your name and found your blog. Another blessing!

My son is preparing to take the SAT in May, and I've been so conflicted about it... What if he doesn't do well? How will I explain this to my friends & family? Has he learned enough? I think, no I *know*, I'm more stressed about it than he is! When my kids were smaller, we tried doing 'school at home' but it was always stressful and nonproductive. We've evolved into a somewhat self~directed, independent learning style. When Jenna (13) expressed an interest in learning more science, we pulled out our big science encyclopedia and she reads from it each day as much as she wants. She then naturally tells me about her 'discoveries' and shares them with her little brother. Last year she had decided she "hated" science (coincidentally this was after I humored her and let her attend 5th grade in the public school...)

Thank you for your article. It has helped me to stop questioning myself and to remember that all these 'milestones' we strive to have our children reach are not hard and fast. They will reach them when the time is right for them and at that point it will be all the more meaningful for them.

Tana Flores

Edited by ByHisGraceInColorado on Apr. 8, 2009 at 2:47 PM

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• Apr. 8, 2009 - Thank you ladies,

Posted by ByHisGraceInColorado

Thanks for the great comments. I've emailed you all privately and also sent each of you a download. I also deleted your email addresses on your posts so you won't be spammed :)

Blessings on your homeschooling journey!

Nancy

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• Apr. 20, 2009 - Unschooling

Posted by In Him Will I Trust

Hello, I haven't stopped by in a good long while. Thank you for your article. Hope many read it and rest from their "I'm not doing enough" worries. Warmly, Cynthia

Edited by ByHisGraceInColorado on Apr. 29, 2009 at 12:24 PM

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• May. 12, 2009 - Re: Relaxed Homeschooling Article

Posted by mandysmom

Dear Nancy,

I am so happy to have found your site this morning. I just read your recent article, Relaxed Homeschooling, and some of your blog as well. I just want to say thank you. I have been searching for the "right" curriculum for a few years now, and nothing has really clicked with us. As I get real honest with myself, I realize I do desire a more relaxed approach to homeschooling. I think I've been pretty weighed down by state requirements (and the unschooling naysayers), but I'm starting to see that we can meet all the necessary requirements and most probably with greater success, because school will be so much more engaging and exciting! I am so excited to see what the future brings as I am heeding to what the Lord is showing me. Thank you again for your article, and for a great blogsite. By sharing your experience and wisdom, so many of us benefit and are greatly blessed! May God bless you and your family.

P.S. - I would love to read your e-book, Homeschooling is our Life if that is still available. I will e-mail you my address. Thanks!

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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 17, 14, 12 and 10 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.