children – Page 18 – Home's Cool!

For Home Educators, Only, Please. Part 3

Posted on August 1, 2012August 1, 2012 by Katharine

Who is left?

Are there any people in this country who truly cannot home educate their children?

There are a few. They are the ones who have had their children taken from them. You cannot home educate children that you do not have.

Those who are childless due to infertility or death, although they eventually may adopt or bring forth more children, cannot home school the ones they do not have.
Those who have lost their rightful children to kidnapping, whether by the state or by individual criminals, of course are truly unable to home school these children.
Those whose poverty includes living in the homes of others who are manipulative, or whose illness includes living in a hospital, may be forced to curtail home school activities until this situation is rectified.
Those who’ve signed themselves up for crippling debt may be forced to work at something besides home schooling.
Those whose prejudiced spouse sues for and obtains the legal right to terminate home schooling activities may feel that they are unable.
Anyone in prison, or whose child is in prison.

Maybe there are more, but I certainly have not met them in the last 30 years.

We need to think about our excuses.

We need to realize that when we homeschool, we are setting the high standard, setting the example, of actually raising the children we brought into this world, instead of hiring it out and farming them out.

We need to want this.

We need to do it.

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Photo credit: Library of Congress

Believe it or not!, Home School, Inspiring, Who's the mom here?

For Home Educators, Only, Please. Part 2

Posted on July 31, 2012November 8, 2013 by Katharine

Should All Families Homeschool?

State educational institutions are often wonderful for adults.

For children, we have homes.

When it comes to children, God says parents should train them, bring them up, teach them. With the return to home learning of the past quarter century, we are discovering that Father knows best and that the brave new world of mandatory public schooling for all children is not the way for civilized cultures.

Maybe it is the best way to germinate Communism or raise up a nation of soldiers, but it is not the best way to grow children who turn into the type of adults we really want managing our finances or our country when we are old.

Various excuses float around for those who do not home school and these excuses need redefining, too.

For instance, I often have heard that some people are unable to home school.

I agree, but for most, it is to their shame and not something to boast about, as they do.

Some people have disqualified themselves from being the ones who raise their children. Perhaps they attack or neglect their children and perhaps they have lost custody. (Perhaps not, too often.)

Sometimes they prefer misleading their children into sports injuries or demonic teachings, and so must drop them off where these things happen.

Many prefer making a show of wealth that requires abandoning the children for two incomes, rather than doing the right thing, as Moses did. (Hebrews 11:24-27)

The fact that these people are extremely poor parenting examples does not mean that home schooling is bad. It only means that some homes are bad and morality is taking a new plunge.

Sometimes we hear of children who do not want to home school. Surely, we do not think the parents ought to home school them!

Well, yes, we do.

Usually these sadly mixed-up children are the products of the above-mentioned types of parents. Attacked, neglected, misled offspring of unfounded and deceiving displays of affluence usually lack ideals, morals, discipline, and even discernible personalities.

If we further define “personality” as “mind, will, and emotion”, we realize that these children are losing their souls.

True, these children sometimes do not work out well in the normal home school setting, especially at first. Neither do they always perform very well in the public setting, but it is not their fault.

And their parents should quit boasting about it.

What ought to happen is that the parents should “die trying” to fix the mess they have made of their children’s attitudes, but they do not.

Some go as far as laughing about it. If there is any hope for these children at all, the remedy, still, exists only in the home. These parents should have home schooled and still should home school.

The alternatives, correctional and psychiatric institutions—as if we would prefer these to the home—usually control or mollify, only, and do not apply true, known remediation, as parents can, if only they have not disqualified themselves.

“Harsh words!” you say?

I say the words are hardly as harsh as the reality. The prisons of the godless school generation are overflowing, as are the mental institutions.

These human wrecks were America’s children, just one generation ago.

More tomorrow.

Is There Life After Homeschool? (katharinetrauger.wordpress.com)
Do NOT Try Homeschooling. Part 2 (katharinetrauger.wordpress.com)
What Is it Like to Homeschool? (katharinetrauger.wordpress.com)

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photo credit: Iowa politics.com

Home School, Who's the mom here?, Wisdom

For Home Educators, Only, Please.

Posted on July 30, 2012November 8, 2013 by Katharine

"Negro mother teaching children numbers a... — Homeschooling– the magnet school for share croppers in Transylvania, Louisiana, 1939. How times have changed!

Note: Please do not read this if you are against home schooling. Thanks.

Should All Families Homeschool?

Our family once celebrated a quarter century of home schooling. I could hardly believe it. The time had sped by so fast – where was it?

I thought about the huge blessing the Lord had given us – He had been so gracious to us, taking us by the hand and leading us in a way that we did not know. We believe that the Lord made all the difference in how our children might have grown up.

Any child’s education is partly dependent upon his micro-culture. For instance, if our children had remained in our public schools, they would have learned things like chewing tobacco, as appropriate behavior for second-graders. I know the tobacco manufacturers would have agreed with me: Giving it to second graders is completely unacceptable. I know it was unacceptable to me, along with many similar ideas. Our home clearly was the best place for our children.

I gave my children the best possible education available to them at that time. If they’d been educated in England, how different their speech would have been! If they’d been educated in a wealthy neighborhood, how different their science courses would have been!

I happen to believe that the home is where all children belong.

Yes, I am one of those who believe that all families should homeschool. I hear you gasping but after I define terms, you might agree.

(There is still time to NOT read this.)

Please understand I have nothing against the idea of schools existing.

I just have problems with detaining helpless Americans against their will in a gun-free microcosm that cannot defend them, indeed refuses to attempt defending them, from physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual attack, and that both proscribes their religious beliefs (but only if they are Christian) and prescribes the superstitions of others upon them.

It just does not fit the American purpose and does not set well with this American.

Participating in such a micro-community should be an act that an informed adult freely chooses. He should be free to attend or to escape, as the need arises. The course content should please him and an appropriate level of autonomy should prevail.

Of course, I define a college or university. Amazing how a little free enterprise can elevate the quality of the goods offered for sale! Paying your own way or earning a scholarship can motivate you to behave and study hard, too.

Although there are degrees of excellence in the public and private colleges and universities, there also is freedom to go where we want, when we want, or to skip it altogether, if we want. That is how it should be.

If you are thinking that is fine for adults but it would be folly to burden children with such decisions, you are right.

That is why schools should be only for adults.

More tomorrow.

Believe it or not!, Blessings of Habit, Home School, Homemaking, Inspiring

What Is it Like to Homeschool? – part 2

Posted on July 26, 2012May 2, 2014 by Katharine

Example of unschooling (home-based, interesed-... — These children are trying to dig out insects from tree bark.

Sneaky changes you WON’T know about!

You will hardly realize your mind is clearing and new direction is sneaking into your lives, but others will notice.

Homemaking

As you welcome the idea of being a maker of a real home for your family, you will realize that washing dishes is not such a horrible chore, after all. You may remind yourself of a powdered cleanser commercial as you clean the bathtub, but you will like it.

Gentler rewards.

The exercise will give a glow to your cheeks, too. In fact, with new work going on, you may actually begin needing small breaks. What’s more, you will find quiet for enjoying your reading during these breaks, and in your favorite comfy chair instead of a sterile “break room”.

Simplicity

As you discover the truer beauty of new, simpler recreations, you will realize it is a good thing, because your costs will shrink, too. You will become quite satisfied with less.

The children

The best change, though, will come over your children. Your heart will sing as your see competitiveness and the resulting nervousness falling off your children.

As you discover their true personalities, you will delight in re-making their acquaintances. As they discover the real you, in return, they will cooperate with you more. You will hardly believe your eyes as you watch your children simply being a family, together. No amount of running around would give this joy, and as there is less running around, there will be much more time for family.

More time

As this newfound time applies to all of life, the educational level and possibilities for your children will greatly increase. It will not be all book learning, either, as you give life to their understanding of the joys of industry and simplicity.

Last, you will find yourself face to face with a new self. It will be great. Old priorities will go out the window and new ones will jump in the front door just as fast. Your amazement at yourself will know no bounds, at first. Things you once shrugged off will take on great proportions and things that once bothered you greatly will seem insignificant.

For instance, instead of fixating on finding the best school supplies for your child, you may discover packing school supplies for Somalian orphans seems somehow more important.

You may acquire a new hobby of crochet or gardening or baking. You could sell your product or teach classes. You could bring joy to those around you.

Most importantly, though, you will never again wonder if you should home school your children. You will finally know. The knowing will bring such peace in knowing you are finally giving your children the best you can, finally doing what you were made to do.

Finally home.

Believe it or not!, Blessings of Habit, Home School, Inspiring

What Is it Like to Homeschool?

Posted on July 25, 2012April 25, 2016 by Katharine

"Doing school" under a shade tree."

The parent who hopes or plans on home schooling probably wonders about it, what it must be like to be a homeschooler.

There are as many answers to this question as there are folks asking it, but the answer we all want, at first, is universal.

Entering the world of homeschooling is entering a whole new world.

It is a new world because immediately, the family realizes new freedom. Since the home school is YOUR school, the sense of liberty is immediate. You realize that you can do whatever you want, and you really like it.

You may choose to do everything just like a little school, but it will be your choice, not something forced upon you.

New Liberty

This new liberty will include the choice of curriculum and subjects. You will have freedom to choose a God-honoring curriculum. You will find yourself free to believe the entire Bible, if you choose, which will be a wonderful new freedom for you.

Along with the freedom to believe and study as you choose will come all sorts of other new possibilities. You could find yourself teaching your children all they need to become a missionaries, Creation scientists, midwives, herbalists, or any other of the fields that are off limits in the public arena.

New society.

As your new world makes these radical changes, your gladness will grow as you discover you also dwell within a new society. You will have new friends who will be happy to help you. You may need help, but it will be ever ready with these new friends.

As you learn to enjoy them, you will join them in their activities, new activities to you. Where you once had to chase ball games, you may find that you have more time to chase Frisbees or butterflies. Instead of hanging out at the school parking lot, you will find yourself hanging out at the observatory or park. You will like these new activities, and as you spend more and more time with these friends, your loving concern for them will grow.

Your concern will grow so much, in fact, that you may find yourself in a car full of folks riding to your State Capital to express those concerns. You may also find yourself enchanted at having the time for expressing such concerns.

You will enjoy these new friends because you will realize that they are a different sort of people. They smile a lot and their smiles are genuine. They reach out to you and you catch yourself looking forward to the next time you see them. You ask them questions because you like the differences you see in their families.

What you will not realize is that the same differences will be gradually appearing in your own family.

Read part two here!

Blessings of Habit, Good ol' days, Health, Homemaking, Inspiring, Photos

I Like Pickles!

Posted on June 25, 2012 by Katharine

It was February, 15 years ago, when I began to write this, a cold misty day – my favorite weather, but I was ignoring it. My heart had attached itself to a small, glossy package of seeds entitled “Little Marvel Pea.”

Oh, how we love these, the best food every created! Each year my children searched store aisles with eager-eagle eyes and then the begging would begin and it would not end until I bought at least two packages.

That had happened in January and the seeds had sat on the table by my back door for over a month, proclaiming marvelousness each time I passed.

They are marvels because they have taught my children to love digging, planting, weeding, and sweating. Sowing and Reaping, the Parable of the Sower, and endless other lessons have been planted in young hearts because they will do anything for “Little Marvels”, briefly simmered and buttered, the earlier in the year, the better.

I’m so glad for what God can do through the simplicity of humbly acquiring real food for our tables.

I’ve been discussing pickles, though, with my friends, lately. Someone asked, “How do you make little, sweet, whole “Gherkin” pickles? My kids love them . . . ” There is such potential for blessing here.

Mom, teach those little ones also to love the simple act of acquiring them!

The answer is that first you buy cucumber seed. You will never find the right cucumbers at a farmer’s market. For the very small pickles you will need many more plants than usual because each plant sets only a few flowers a day. To get enough tiny cucumbers to bother with would take many days and the first-picked ones would wilt . . . so you need enough to be able to pick around 2 quarts at a time.

To accomplish this, plant about 25 seeds.

Now your neighbors will tell you that is too many, but they will really react when they see your whole cucumber patch in one neat row with no weeds.

Yes, plant those seeds in a row, about five inches between plants. Yes, ten to twelve feet of row would be just right. (Forget the neighbors!)

After they sprout, it is time to “subdue” them. Train each vine to follow the line of the row in which it is growing. At the far end, there will be vines trailing where none were planted, so plan a space for that. The concentration of leaves will shade out nearly all weeds and keep the soil moister and cooler. Also, the row scheme lets you walk, weed, hoe, till and harvest with ease.

Once the plants are in full production, pick them every morning. They’ll not be as uniform in size as “store bought” but will cost less. You may save them in an airtight container, refrigerated for a day, but not much longer. This will help you work around your busy summer schedule and provide for a bigger batch to work with each time you heat up your kitchen.

Recipes tomorrow.

Home School, Inspiring, Photos, Sayings, Who's the mom here?, Wisdom