Tag Archives: homeschooling

For the Distractible Writer

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My Neo is a little word processor that I love. Both my daughter and I use it when we want to write without the distraction of the Internet, or anything else for that matter.

The Neo is a small, sturdy little keyboard that can go anywhere. It runs for ages on three AA batteries. It was built for the classroom, so it’s tough.

The only thing it does is let you write. No formatting, no bolding, no italicizing, no change of font: nothing to distract you from the task at hand. If you turn it off (or let it shut off after a few minutes of non-use), it saves whatever you’ve written. When you’re ready to edit, post or print, you just send the file to your computer with a cable, or a point-and-shoot infrared device you can add on for a small fee.

Even if you’re not a writer (not even a blogger), you’ll find this useful for your kids. They can learn to type on it and write their school assignments on it, freeing up the family computer for surfing and other purposes.

I paid around $225 for this gadget several years ago and thought it was worth it. Now it’s come down to $169. Such a deal!

Destruction of a Homeschooling Family

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A homeschooling couple I know just broke up. It’s certainly not the first time I’ve heard of this happening, but this particular couple is a special one and I feel really bad about it.

Surely Christian families are under attack. What else possesses a man to leave his wife and several beautiful children whom he supposedly loves to “do his own thing” except sin?

He knows his decision will force his wife back to work and his kids back to school (where they originally struggled before being homeschooled) and little ones to daycare. But sin convinces him to put himself and his desires first.

The mom in this family is a strong person, with a loving, loyal family who will have her back. But that won’t erase her pain, nor the lifelong damage done to trusting young children who are about to learn firsthand about betrayal.

Did you ever want to go up to someone and smack them upside the head and knock some sense into them? I do, right now, but that’s not what Jesus would do, so I’m just going to pray for this family instead. I hope you will, too.

No More Homeschool Mom?

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I just finished submitting the online form required of homeschooling parents here in Wisconsin…..for the last time.

Our youngest child turns 18 next spring. According to Wisconsin law, we can legally stop educating him after that semester, whether or not he graduates.

Of course, he’s not done learning (is anyone, really?) and we’ll continue to work with him as we always have. But it’s a strange feeling to think that we’ll no longer be officially homeschooling after this school year.

I’ve been teaching my kids for well over 20 years; 27 years this month, to be precise, if homeschooling begins at birth. It’s really hard to think of myself as anything but a homeschooling mom. I guess I’ll have to start adjusting that view.

Wish You Were Paid to Homeschool Your Children?

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(UPDATE 10/16/18 SEE BELOW)

With the economy being the way it is, most of us could use some extra income. That makes the idea of being paid to homeschool our children pretty tempting, at least at first.

After all, if we weren’t homeschooling our children, we could be out in the workforce bringing in some much-needed income. I once worked out that by staying home to homeschool my kids, I’ve missed out on over a million dollars in income. I guess you have to be really convinced about the superiority of homeschooling to give up that kind of money.

In New Zealand, the government actually pays parents to homeschool their children. It’s not a fortune: the pay starts at $743 per year for the first child, with lesser amounts for additional children. But it would cover a nice quantity of books, software and field trips, that’s for sure.

The writer of the New Zealand article I just linked to thinks we need a program like this in the U.S. I don’t agree. The problem with taking money from the government is that you open yourself up to being told what to do and how to do it. This is the same danger that many people ignore regarding state-run virtual schools.

There’s an old saying: “He who pays the piper calls the tune.” It’s true of employers, and it’s also true of governments. I don’t want government money. I just want to be free to choose how to educate my kids.

Do you feel the same way? Or are you ready for a paycheck?

UPDATE 10/16/18: In the eight (!) years since I wrote this post, I believe it’s become even harder for families to live on one income, because housing and health insurance costs have skyrocketed. That’s why I imagine the desire to be paid to homeschool is greater than ever, because it’s so hard for one parent to stay home. That said, a split schedule where one parent works while the other homeschools the kids may be your best option if you live in an area with a very high cost of living. Ultimately, getting paid to homeschool your children would still be a risky proposition because you’re letting the government tell you what to do.

Angry Dads

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My husband sent me this video (yes, we email back and forth even though he’s in the next room) and told me he understood this dad’s frustration.

After watching it, I had to agree. I know this dad scared most of the kids on the bus, but he was defending his daughter, who has cerebral palsy. Maybe now the culprits will leave her alone, and the others will be too scared to ever pick on her.

I am so glad we homeschool our son…..I can’t imagine how hard this kind of situation would be for him, and how angry my husband and I would be if bullies were tormenting our son on the bus.