my top 3 homeschool faqs

         

I have been homeschooled for the majority of my school aged life. My parents made the decision to take me out of the public elementary school I attended k-3 at the end of my third grade year, I’ve done Classical Conversations curriculum from grades 5-10, and it has proved to be the perfect fit for my family. That being said, the truth is that there is really no stereotypical homeschool experience. The most important thing to know about homeschooling before you get into this post is that everyone does it for different reasons, and everyone does it differently. All I can tell you is about what homeschooling looks like for my family. 

The first question I get a lot when people find out I’m homeschooled is if I ever plan on going back to public school. To that question my answer is no. Actually though, a lot of the time that question comes out as more of a when am I going back to public school. For my family public school has never been the end goal of homeschooling, it hasn’t been our temporary solution. I realize that for a lot of people homeschooling can be more of a temporary fix then an end goal, but it’s not that way for my family. I started homeschooling when I was in fourth grade. It has its ups and downs just like public school, but I feel like it has helped me have a bigger perspective on things, and really explore life in a different and bigger way. 

Another question I’m pretty sure every homeschooler ever has encountered at least once a week ( Not really, but it feels like it sometimes.) is the shock-faced question of how I socialize, and “Oh, how will you ever learn people skills?” The thing is, I’m homeschooled, not hermitized. I have a wider social circle than I think some public schoolers do. I interact with people my own age, with adults, and with people younger than me that aren’t related to me on the daily. I participate in a lot of activities, like basketball, youth-group, homeschool group, and I’ve also done things like swim team, and other sports. I’m also learning to play the violin, and took several years of piano lessons. I have no shortage of social interaction, and a lot of my life is go go go. I’m not stunted in social situations, and though I am painfully shy, I’m not afraid to put my opinion out there. 

Something I feel like a lot of people outside of homeschooling circles assume is that my work is easy, and that I’m not going to graduate with all the knowledge I need. People assume that because I’m not doing the same work as my public schooled friends, my work must be too easy, and sub-standard. And, while I do understand that this is a reality for some kids who are homeschooled, the exact opposite is true in my family. My parents hold me to a much higher standard than even the best, and most demanding teachers I had in public school, and they’re always pushing me to be better and to do more. My parents are not the ones to sit back and let me do poor work. They have always pushed me to do better, and I am very lucky that they care about me so much. 

There are a lot of other faq’s to do with homeschooling, and if you’re interested I would love to do another post about it in the future. If you enjoyed this post please consider following my blog, and also my makeup account on instagram (@not_molly_19) to see more from me. 

Signed, your friendly neighborhood blogger.