by Christina Wilkins, who has almost completed her home-schooling career
-Tips to help you seem less “home-schooled”
1) Stop talking so loud! We can all hear you.
2) Make friends besides your siblings.
3) Don't wear jumpers or socks with sandals.
4) Try to talk about other things besides yourself and your family.
5) Unless someone asks, don't tell them that you are studying Latin and Algebra in kindergarten.
6) Don't refer to “real school” as “real school.”
7) Socialization! Get involved at church, participate in sports, JOIN A CO-OP, and make friends wherever you go! Break the stereotype that home-schooled students are socially awkward. People should be surprised when you tell them that you are home-schooled!
- Tips for being the perfect home-schooled child
When you are home-schooled, you have an amazing freedom to learn at your own pace in whatever way you choose! The important thing is that we stay focused and don't abuse our freedom.
1) Deadlines! Enter a project fair, participate in a speech tournament, or take a CLASS AT A CO-OP! These help you crack down on your time just like homework does in “real school.”
2) Organized Schoolwork! Discipline is a constant struggle when you and your mom are the only ones keeping you on track. Staying organized with schedules and lists is a MUST to finishing a day's work.
3) Field Trips! There are lots of places to go for fun that “count as school.” Going to the zoo counts as biology, taking a trip to a cave counts as earth science, and making cookies can even count as home economics! When you are home-schooled, anywhere you go can count as a field trip!
4) Multi-tasking! Listening to geography songs in the car or watching educational videos during lunch can add to your home-schooling experience in time that you wouldn't normally be doing anything productive.
- Why you should feel so lucky to be home-schooled!
There are countless advantages to being home-schooled. Whenever you feel blue about not having a locker or taking the bus, remember how fortunate you are!
1) You can do school in your pajamas!
2) You get to do schoolwork outside on nice days!
3) You can do things during the day that “normal kids” can't.
4) You do your school as quickly as you can. If you were in “real school”, you would have to wait for everyone else to finish. And when you're done, you're done, none of that stuff called homework that you have to do AFTER you've been "in" school ALL day!!
5) You have the freedom to go to the bathroom whenever you need to.
6) You always get the matinee price at the movies!
7) Your teacher loves you! You only have to share her (or him) with your siblings!
8) You can study what you really like!
I have learned that home-schooling gives us amazing opportunities to excel in many areas. As home-schooled kids, we need to realize that most of our parents sacrifice having two breadwinners in order that one of them can stay home to put up with us. Go give a giant hug to your hard-working, all-knowing, crazy-loving, home-schooling parent!
