I'm sure that any of you visiting have noticed the blog hasn't been updated since 2009. I briefly moved to a hosted Wordpress blog, but that didn't last very long. This blog is still available to read and maybe one day I'll read through it as well and remember all the fun things I did as a homeschooling mom. Currently William, my son, is now 18. We moved to Alabama in 2010 and at that point he decided to get his GED. So our homeschooling days are now done. So did I "fail" as a homeschooling parent since William decided to go the GED route? I don't think so. Getting a GED is just the option that was chosen for him to finish his education. There are other options. But upon discussion as a family we all decided that it would be in his best interest to obtain a GED. The primary reason for this was for better job opportunities in the future. Some companies and schools would not accept a homeschool diploma, and while I still believe that inclusion of homeschooled families should be recognized and fought for, we felt that going ahead and getting the GED to stop any problems down the road would be the best thing for William, and he agreed. I look back with several fond memories of the field trips, the lesson plans, the experiments, the people I met, the blogs I followed. I enjoyed those years so much and I don't regret even one of them. If you are trying to decide whether or not to homeschool your child, I urge you to truly look into yourself and ask yourself some tough questions. Homeschooling can be a full-time job. I enjoyed the years I homeschooled, but there were always times of doubt, always times of struggle, and that was with just one child! Trying to homeschool as a working parent also had difficulties all its own. No matter what your decision for your children's education - homeschool, private school, charter school, online public school, regular public school or any other variation thereof - be an involved parent. Know what your children are doing from day to day. Keep up with your child's teachers. Many offer contact through email today, but don't abuse that contact. Go to parent teacher meetings and join the PTA or board if you choose private school. Let your children know that their education is important to you. Helping them with homework is much more important than watching television or doing something online. Plan an educational component into family vacations. Go on a walk or a hike or just play with your kids. Learn about child development. Does your two-year old really NEED a preschool program? (IMO, no, they don't. But that decision is up to you as their parent.) Thank you to everyone who joined me for the years I homeschooled. I will never forget them and I am so glad I have those memories today.

Labels: fail homeschool, GED, homeschool high school, involved parent

I posted in January that we would be starting high school this fall. That is still the plan, even though we are probably going to be moving at some point within the next six months.

To gear up for the new year I've been reading a few books about homeschooling high school. One of my favorites is Homeschooling: The Teen Years by Cafi Cohen. I've read this book three times already! I've also been reading Homeschoolers' College Admissions Handbook also by Cafi Cohen. I've learned a lot about planning for high school courses, what tests he needs to take and when, and how to integrate his goals for the future into the schooling plan. His goal right now is to become a police officer, so I will try to integrate some of what he will need, such as leadership skills, physical fitness, logic and writing skills.

It's will be good to be blogging on homeschooling again and getting caught up on other blogs I was reading before.

Planning will start in July for the new year, so be on the lookout for more posts and information.

Labels: Cafi Cohen, high school, homeschool high school, homeschooling