OUR JOURNEY TO HOMESCHOOLING

It's a beautiful cool Sunday night. The moon is out and there is a cool breeze.

I was sitting working on the lessons for tomorrow. And as you may or may not know, we decided to home school our daughter this year. It started back at Christmas time of last year when our daughter asked about doing something different as she was not happy were she was and we could see she was challenged.

At first I thought to my self (are you crazy we would kill each other). Over the weeks after that I saw how much she wanted to try it. She was researching online the different schools and teaching methods out there and about conventions.

I started to play with the idea of MAYBE. I started off reading about the Duggar family from TLC. http://www.duggarfamily.com/ This amazing women home schools all her children. 19 kids. Can you imagine. I thought to myself if she can do all that I surely can help my one daughter.




We got in touch with a great family and women from London who home schools her children in town and she really showed us the ropes and where to look and what to get involved in. A wonderful lady Robin Saylor. http://robinsaylor.blogspot.com/

In April we attended a home school convention in Hamilton Ontario called Ochec. http://www.ochec.org/ which was great. We meet so many wonderful families and speakers who really opened our mind to the possibilities and new things that we could do. I must tell you my husband was unsure until we attended that weekend. We were heading home with lots of great ideas. We were blown away at the statistics of how well home school children do.

Since then we told people what we were doing and let the school know, which was kind of scary as we heard from others that not many receive it will or think it is very wrong. I quickly learned that those who talk ill about it do not really know much about homeschooling at all, they just here from someone else when they think they know without really learning about it and how amazing it truly is. The school my daughter was at was very supportive which was wonderful as we love the school and think it's the best in our city.

We ordered our material from Sonlight. www.sonlight.com which has been amazing. They have a years package with everything planned our for you. It is a great way to get started if you have never done home schooling or any teaching before.

My husband and I have talked about school and what they teach at schools in great lengths about how most of what is taught in school is not really inline with life today. I feel today sending your kids to public school is like sending your kids to war. With all that distraction kids are unable to focus, grow and learn. This was one key thing I picked up on with our daughter, as there was a few girls who were making life at school not very friendly which I was very disappointed with which in turn made my daughter feel very sad and distracted in turn her school work was not so good and she could not focus. Since being at home over the past few weeks she had taken off full force and aced just about everything she does and loves what she is learning.

I learned that with homeschooling we can help our daughter expand her mind and she can learn at her pace and a way she understands. We can now help her learn and work on things she is passionate about in the afternoons once she gets the key things done.

Then there is the social part that everyone is worried about. The home school groups out there are amazing. We are involved in one were we meet every Tuesday and they have a different topic, teacher and subject. On Wednesdays in town there is a group called Original Kids which is a theater group. Starting next month on Thursday we meet at the YMCA and had sports. I feel sad for those who think there is no social or not enough of it. When you look at the public school there is not much in my opinion. When your kids are in class they are not aloud to talk or they get in trouble. You may have a few min recess time and then lunch about 1/2 after you eat to play and that is it. With home schooling you can talk when you like ask questions get the help you need and with the groups there is a ton of social time. I know what some are thinking write now, with all that how can you get your work done. My daughter works from about 9 until 1 and gets more work done then she did in a whole day at school.

I will say there are days I feel like, can I do all this and teach everything. I am very thankful that my husband works from home. When I have challenges I can ask him for help and from one of the many amazing families in London who are doing the same thing. I love this journey as I am learning along side my daughter. Many things I have forgotten over the year and some thing I never learned well.

I will continue to post on our journey and the new and inventive things we are learning.

Love always

Julie Elliott

Taking Responsibility

Do you take responsibility for your life?

Over the past few weeks we have been watching people and a lot in the news who complain about things but take no responsibility for themselves and taking action or not taking action in life. They expect others to do the work for them or find the answers instead of steping out there and doing that themselves.

We are starting to see more and more of it through out the years especially in the school systems, to business. We see so many who say they cant do something because they do not get paid enough or it is up to the government to come up with the money or make a program before people will take action and make a difference.

I was really surprised that we have become so dependent on the government to do everything for us. The government was never made to do everything for us, but to govern the country not pay for everything.

This really stood out for me today while I was watching the news about the dangers of hoarders and house fires that have been happening. There was this wonderfully lady who spoke about how it a problem we need to help these people but we do not have the money to support it.

DOES THAT SOUND RIGHT TO YOU?

We should be going out and helping those people out there who need help and not wait until the government give you money. We should be taking care of each other like we were called to do. We should be getting together and helps those in need and not expect something in return.

I am finding the sense of community windeling away, families are falling apart and both parents are working to keep up with the Jones (.I know not every family is like that). The love and compassion for others is slipping away and people and becoming quick to judge without truly knowing the heart and story of others or even care what may be going on in someones lives. We can each help someone through our experience in life, we do not need to always run to a specialist. We were called to help each other.

Who can you go out and help today?

Let's each step out there and help someone. Show compassion and love because
you never know when you are going to need it.

Love always
Julie Elliott