Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Things I'm Learning About Homeschooling

Hi! It's Jilly. As a newbie homeschooling mama there is so much I'm learning about homeschool! There are a lot of misconceptions out there and I'm here to dispel some of those myths.

1) Not all homeschoolers are "weird"




Things I'm Learning About Homeschool from Hi! It's Jilly #homeschool

There seems to be this idea that all homeschoolers are these weird, anti-social, skirt-wearing, religiously fanatical people. That is totally not true! People who homeschool come from all walks of life. Think of all the different types of families that go to public school. All those same family types are also homeschooling. You can't group all homeschoolers into one mold. Which leads me to...

2) There are many different ways to homeschool
Every child is different, and no two homeschooling families do things in exactly the same way, even the families who use the same curricula. There are so many different ways to homeschool it will make your head spin! TJed, Charlottle Mason, unschooling, online school...seriously, a ton of different methods! And, a lot of families use a mix of methods! We're still trying to figure out which method(s) will be the best fit for our family.

3) There are many resources available for homeschoolers
As homeschooling is becoming more popular, more and more resources are becoming available. You can join local homeschooling groups that hold classes and activities, support groups on Facebook, websites with free classes and curricula...that's just the tip of the iceberg! You can also get discounts at museums and stuff as a homeschooling family. Many places even have special homeschooler days! Disney has programs for homeschoolers, too. Oh! And as a homeschool teacher you can also get discounts at craft stores, Barnes & Noble, Staples, Apple, etc.
Things I'm Learning About Homeschool from Hi! It's Jilly #homeschool
touring The Cider Mill with a local homeschool group
4) More people homeschool than I thought
After I announced that we would be homeschooling this year it seemed like I had friends coming out of the woodwork saying they homeschool, too! Homeschooling is more common than I thought! And, they are all "normal" friends of mine, supporting #1. Ha ha!

5) There are many different reasons people choose to homeschool
As I talk to more people I am realizing that there are many different reasons people choose to homeschool. But, it all boils down to one thing--all parents are just trying to do what is best for their children..and that rocks!

Things I'm learning about homeschool from Hi! It's Jilly #homeschool
learning about a baby shark at the beach

What do you know about homeschooling? Do you homeschool? Tell us in the comments!

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