Wanna Be a Steader!

As I have mentioned in earlier posts, having been the Miami County Ohio homeschool coordinator for the past 10 years I have noticed that so many homeschoolers can become so concerned with how our children are doing academically - so that doubting relatives, nosy neighbors and assessors will be impressed - that our children grow up, graduate and enter their adult years not able to even fry an egg!  I have been determined that my children - particularly since they are all daughters and I am training them to be keepers of their homes - will know how to carry on with life after they are on their own.

Here's what we do in our homeschool (I go into some of this in my presentation "Homeschooling as a Lifestyle")...

We begin their high school education and collecting credits in their 8th grade year.  I find that 7th and 8th grades are basically "review and refine" and find that they can be rather waisted years.  So, in 8th grade, out come the Freshman level academics!  (Remember:  when you begin keeping transcript info don't use dates; colleges aren't interested in WHEN your student did something, just that they DID it.) 

Now, here's the major twist in how we homeschool - we spend their entire Senior year concentrating on LIFE SKILLS.  I glean from a WIDE variety of materials:  Training Our Daughter to be Keepers at Home unit study (can be used for up to 7 YEARS!), Far Above Rubies unit study (can be used for up to 4 YEARS!  There's also a boy's version called Blessed Be the Man), Martha Greene's Treasury of Vintage Homekeeping Skills (AWESOME!! - EVERY new homemaker should own this new book!!), Karey Swan's Hearth & Home, reasources like Marilyn Moll's Urban Homemaker catalogue and - of course, LIFE!

If any of you would like any other information or would like for me to come and speak to your group or convention, let me know.

Blessings from Ohio, Kim Wolf<><