Nichol suggested to me to read the book The Well-Adjusted Child: The Social Benefits of Homeschooling. Part of me is super glad she did the other part is amazed I stayed awake. It was nothing against the book, just never mix allergy medication with a book. As for the book if you are concerned about the social ideas behind homeschooling this is the book for you. When I first talked to my husband about homeschooling he was extremely concerned about our kids being social awkward. Well lets be honest they are but not because they are homeschooled they are just really really weird kids. I enjoyed Gathercole's Chapter on what do homeschoolers do. The great thing about this is she shows no two classrooms are the same. In regular public school all the classrooms have a certain unison to it because everything is government regulated. You can only change so much to the curriculum and the actual class before someone gets offended and says something. At home what can they say? I hate the color of your walls? Would you stand for that or just kick them out? I still have to follow some guide lines but I design my stuff based on my beliefs and how my child learns. Gathercole talks about more than that (you should really read her book). The other Topic I really loved in the book was "Freedom and time to be a kid (before having to be grown up)." I love this topic because our public school is an 8 hour day and what is it really preparing you for? I recently read somewhere on one of my fun science websites that the human mind does not really learn until after 10 am. Yet by that time you would have attended how many hours of class? In school you do not get to enjoy playing and other child activities. You go home after a long 8 hour day but you have home work. When do you get to be a child and play? My classroom is based on my kids and most of my learning are games. Math has become a new favorite in my house and my 3 year old is doing basic math in his head. Part of me is confused where he learned it the other part is completely impressed. We started out playing Learning Resources Sum Swamp Game and I just added a few pompoms to the box to help with the counting. (Next time we play we will take pictures and write a whole article with what the kids think.) Last but not least I also truly enjoyed "the homeschooling parent's social life". This is a topic I struggle with I personally have a hard time going out somewhere for a few reasons. Mostly where am I going to go? I am not the most social person and honestly rather my own solitude more than anything but I am at the age where most of my friends like to go out drinking and partying or they are just starting to settle down and start their lives. I do not drink or care to party, and I live in wine country. Where am I going to go Walmart? Call me crazy but that is not a fun time and going out by yourself is not easy. Once you start homeschooling and really get into it you forget about your sanity and what you need for yourself because you are so busy trying to make sure your kids have it all. She explains all of this and how to give your kid that perfect life you really need to take care of yourself. Please do not take this as a book review it is more of a book suggestion. Pick up it and add to your homeschooling library because it is worth the read.
