Welcome to Himschooling!
An introductory post to introduce myself, the site, and what to expect!
First of all, thank you for being here!
As a veteran homeschooling mom with over 20 years of experience homeschooling my three children in a faith-based environment, I am hoping to “pay it forward” by serving as a resource for other parents.
My original major in college was Child Psychology, then I moved to Child Development and Early Childhood Education. I ran a call center for parents looking for quality childcare. I developed a series of handouts for them, and created a workshop based on these materials.
However, I already knew once I had children of my own, I wanted to homeschool.
I believe our education began in the womb, because our son came out knowing our voices! We built a completely Christ-centered preschool routine, and when it came time for elementary school, I devoted myself to a interest-based whole-child approach. What does that mean? When my oldest was six, he said he wanted to build robots. I understood him to mean actual working robots, so I contacted a man who taught older kids. He adapted his curriculum to meet the needs of first and second graders, and it became something my son followed through high school. Robotics and Botball had group research projects, oral presentations, geometry, science, reading and following rubrics, a dash of history, as well as inter-personal dynamics. To me, this met most of our subject areas.
Another example would be the course we followed with my youngest son. He studied the Afro-Brazilian martial art of Capoeira. Thus we covered PE, music, foreign language (Brazilian Portuguese), and history.
My daughter knew at six years old that she wanted to work with animals. At 12, we found an organization that let her volunteer directly with animals. Later, during her years at a community college, she did her externship at a clinic that hired her the day after she graduated with her Veterinary Assisting certification.
All of these were areas of interest for my children, and all of them encompassed almost all the subjects needed while fueling life-long learning goals.
All three were raised in a faithful Christian household, where we attended services three times per week, in addition to things like gospel meetings, VBS/camp, and other activities.
Here are a few things you can expect from this site:
Unvarnished reviews: We kissed a lot of frogs to find the various curricula used. With three kids — all with different learning styles and body clocks — we cobbled together some pretty amazing subject matter. Though I will use affiliate links to support the work here, I will give you my honest opinion of the books and companies used. Further, I will clearly mark what we used specifically, versus other products listed when I share these links.
Understanding and support: Been there, done that. The good, bad, and ugly. The days you feel like the worst parent ever, and the days you see those “lightbulb moments” where it all clicks for your child and you know every sacrifice has been worth it. I get it, and I’m here to help you when you hit that half-marathon wall, as well as when you crest the peak of the mountain. Chime in on our discussion threads to find others who “get it” as well.
Answers: Answering the endless “what about socialization” questions, advice from well-meaning (and not-so-well-meaning) family and friends, and those comments from family members who do not support your journey. Further, I hope to do a number of “Ask Me Anything (AMA)” threads.
Scriptural encouragement: I hope to post things to boost your faith, and ideas to help your children grow in the “grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18).
Developmental tidbits: I hope to draw from my background in education, as well as my own experience as a homeschool veteran. Additionally, I have some experience with gifted, Twice Exceptional (2E), and special education.
Let’s hear from you! As a homeschooler, what would help support you on your journey?