Sneak Peek...

So...what do you two do all day?

I get this a lot.  Seriously.  And Noah's not even officially "school age" yet.  In order to answer that question (and also deal with the "What about socialization???" question we deal with just as often), I thought I'd offer up our tentative schedule for next week to give you all a little glimpse of what it's like in the daily life of the average homeschooler...and his busy, busy mama. :) Ready?  Here goes...

Sunday:         

10am -           Worship Service at the Kroc Center/Children’s Church

1-3pm -          Back to the Kroc Center for some crazy pool fun!

Monday:

 8am -             Gym for me/Childwatch for Noah

 10am-            Homeschool (30minutes)

 12pm-            Coral Reef Walk with the MHEN homeschool group

 3:30pm-         Homeschool (1hour)

Tuesday: 

 9am -              Homeschool (1-2 hours)

 12pm -            Kidnastics (gymnastics)

 1pm -              Playground playdate

 3pm -              Gym/Childwatch

Wednesday:   

9am -              Homeschool (1-2 hours)

                       **Cleaning Day**

4pm -              Music Class

Thursday:      

9am -             Children’s Discovery Center

2pm -             Homeschool (1-2 hours)

4:30pm -        Gym/Childwatch

Friday:            

8:15am -        PE/play group with the EBHS group

12pm-            “Sword in the Stone” play with CHOH group
4pm-              Homeschool (read and review)

Saturday: 

10:30am -       Soccer (we're taking a break from his current group to start with another league in April)

Yes...we stay pretty busy.  This itinerary is pretty average - some weeks are more hectic, others are more laid back.  We are actually involved with three separate homeschool groups, but not as much as some families are since Noah is still only four.  To be quite honest, I'm really looking forward to when he turns six, as a whole new world of homeschooling opportunities will be available to him...but I'm also just a wee bit afraid, too.  It's easy to burn out as a homeschooling parent (more on that in my next post) and you sometimes have to be willing to say, "I'm sorry!  We just need a day at home today!" The beauty of homeschool, however, is that your schedule is entirely up to YOU, so opting for a day at home or a break on occasion is very easy to do.  Flexibility = Success

We also just discovered the Ewa Beach (where we live) Homeschoolers.  Once a week, homeschool families gather at a local park to give their kids access to group sports activities like soccer and flag football.  Noah really looks forward to Fridays...and I look forward to the fact that he gets to 'hang out' with such a diverse group of children.  When we've gone, I bet there's at least 30 kids out there, ranging from toddlers up through high school.  I LOVE this aspect of homeschool groups, as I think it is a extremely vital (and often overlooked) part of socialization that kids learn to play and communicate with not only those within their own age-based peer group, but people above and below their age as well.  In the Fall, the EBHS is also looking to add several co-op classes that Noah will be able to attend - science labs, art classes, Bible studies, etc.  Another option Chris and I are considering is the addition of Classical Conversations, which is a classical (read about the Grammar stage of the Trivium here) Christian group that typically meets once a week for twelve weeks to cover memory work across subjects such as History, Science, the Bible, Latin, and English.  It'll give Noah the chance to brainstorm with other children, too - one of the few 'perks' of traditional school that can be difficult to recreate in a homeschool setting, particularly if you have only one child.  Thus, Classical Conversations is great way for Noah to experience the classroom, while still having the one-on-one advantage of a homeschool education.

So, that's our schedule.  What do you think?  As I mentioned above, I love that homeschool provides a great deal of flexibility - you can take your lessons with you, rearrange your daily/weekly plans to accommodate the unexpected (like illness), or take week (or month) long trips or even PCS (that's relocate for those of you non-military folk) without having to worry about interruptions in your child's education.  While I'm not a big fan of changing or adjusting our schedule based upon other people's agenda or availability, we are able to accommodate the last minute playdate, field trip, or even a doctor's appointment without a great deal of strain or stress.  It's simply fantastic. :)



In case you're wondering, I haven't forgotten about the 'Obstacles to Homeschooling' post I promised.  It's coming.  Writing it just took longer than I expected and with the crazy week of weather we had in Hawaii this past week, I've been unable to focus a great deal of time to blogging.  I may have to divide it into two posts, but I'm on it! :)