The Five Most Common Homeschool Questions {Guest Post}

Our office move is finally wrapping up, but I’ve got one last guest post for you today! Beth blogs over at Our Pretty Little Girls and  has two sweet girls. One of the things I love most about blogging is meeting people I would never meet in real life and reading their perspectives on things. Beth is a SAHM and a homeschool mom – two things I likely won’t do, but I love hearing her why and her reasons. She’s talking about homeschooling today! I hope you guys have enjoyed each and every  one of these guest posts and will make them part of your daily reads!

Good morning Being Mrs. Beer readers!

My name is Beth and I blog over at Our Pretty Little Girls. Over there I typically talk about life as a stay at home/homeschooling/girl mom. You’ll find a few recipes, DIY ideas, kids crafts, parenting or faith talk and a ridiculous amount of photos of my two girls #sorrynotsorry.

I am excited to be taking over for Jess today. My favorite part of blogging is easily the connections and relationships with my readers and other bloggers. Being able to help Jess out during this busy time is awesome.
Today I want to talk to you about homeschooling.

Believe it or not I used to do a big ol’ stuck up eye roll whenever anyone brought that subject up. I was a self-proclaimed homeschool hater who swore she would NEVER homeschool her children. Maybe I should have listened to my mom when she told me I should never say that I won’t do something. You can imagine the shock our family went through when I began feeling like it was something we should consider. Fast forward a few years to find us starting our third year of homeschooling. Nowadays, I can not imagine a better fit for our family.

Sometimes the things you love the most are the things you never expected to love. 

As a homeschool mom I get a million reactions to the phrase “we homeschool”. Looks, comments, and questions are abundant and sometimes the silence or quiet huh or oh is even worse.

Reactions can range anywhere from a look that says “Where is your denim jumper and crocs?” to genuine curiosity. In three short years, I feel like I have seen it all, but sadly I am sure that I haven’t.

Today I want to share with you the answers to the five most common questions people ask me.

How did you get started?

I  am pretty sure I talked to everyone I knew that was currently homeschooling, had been home schooled or knew a homeschooling family. I did plenty of research on the internet if you do this make sure you look up trusted information that is particular to your state (every state has different laws). I was also able to connect to several local groups through word of mouth and Facebook.

How much instruction do you actually give or are your kids more self-motivated?

At this age, quite a bit of instruction is still needed. I have noticed a huge difference between Kindergarten and second grade as reading skills have  greatly improved. Some subjects such as Math and Writing tend to be more independent, but others are taught and will continue to be that way for years.

How long do you plan on homeschooling, through high school?

Honestly, I have no clue. I would like to say I know but homeschool really is a year to year decision for us. At this point, I feel pretty confident that we will most definitely homeschool through all of elementary. I would also say that I can’t imagine putting a kid into public school for the first time in the 6th grade, but who knows.

How do you stay sane spending that much time with your kiddos without a break?

Some days it’s easy other days it’s just not. I’ve lost my temper, gone outside to cry and taken naps while Russ is home on his lunch break. To say it has all been fantastic would be a big fat lie. Exercising, me time, amazing support, and most importantly the grace of God all get me through my days and weeks.

Why?  Why do you homeschool?

Some people think we do it to shelter our kids others think I am sticking it to the man and bucking the system. I would be lying if I said there weren’t many things that appealed to me on a shallow basis (including sticking it to the man). I can talk about God however and whenever I want with my girls and teach things from the Christian viewpoint that Russ and I feel is important. I can set the curriculum to my child’s level and adjust it as needed. The flexibility homeschool provides is pretty unbeatable and a one on one education is pretty hard to beat test score wise. But we don’t homeschool for “the perks.”