Homeschool Miscellaneous

I was happy to read the May-June 2011 issue of Home Education Magazine this week. I really enjoy this magazine. It tends toward unschooling, but I still find the articles very motivational and it is interesting to read about what other homeschoolers do. They have just archived their back issues since 1997 on-line. Check it out at http://www.homeedmag.com/HEM/issueindex.html for a wealth of information.

One interesting feature in this particular issue was they showcased an article from 1995 by Karen Mende-Fridkis who wrote about homeschooling her daughter and two sons, then they had an interview with that daughter today. Kate Fridkis is married, received her Master's degree from Columbia, writes for The Huffington Post and blogs at http://un-schooled.net/ She plans to homeschool her own children someday. I just thought it was great to see that juxtaposition of a worried Mom 16 years ago and the remarkable daughter so many years later.

I know when I was deciding to homeschool (it was a lengthy decision process), I kept a list of pros and cons. I kept that list for two full years adjusting as necessary. What I wanted most was a glimpse into the future. Which decision was the right one? Which would help my children be the people God wanted them to be? I didn't want to ruin my children's lives. I was so scared. Let's face it, you pull your kids out of school, you have definitely stepped off the well-worn path. We are finishing up our third year of homeschooling and I've never regretted the decision (not one minute of one day), but I don't think I will breathe a true and total sigh of relief until my sons are grown up and fully contributing members of society.