Keep curiosity

I found ways to help my children keep their curiosity by cutting out public school completely. Yes, homeschooling is hard and is not a cure for everything. But if we got sick, we could take the time we needed to heal. If we wanted to learn something or go somewhere, we could. We did. We also taught homemaking skills: how to get along with each other, how to leave bullies, how to clean a house and how to cook meals. Yes, there were bullies in homeschool as well as in public school. But we were not powerless. We chose who to spend time with, and if they hurt us, we stayed away from them, or told their parents, or both. And generally parents care how their children are doing. Some parents worked with me to resolve issues. Other parents supported their children's bullying, which is their prerogative. But we didn't stay friends with bullying families.

And we learned. Boy howdy did we learn! My children wanted to know about everything under the sun, and I got to learn along with them. We used the library extensively, and the internet when it arrived. We played lots of games, simulations of activities we couldn't do, like run an entire civilization or strategize winning a war. We produced art and gardens and sewing. We acted in plays and sang and danced. We hiked and swam in the creek. We saw turtles and wildflowers; we ate wild grapes. We counted change and bought groceries. We budgeted. We met a lot of really good people and made some true friends.

My children are all adults now; they're all learning new things all the time. I'm very grateful for them, and especially grateful to my husband for supporting me in teaching them. We've had a great time.

I recommend asking open-ended questions, and then listening, really listening, to the answers. Not answering is a choice, too; listen to what they're not saying. Be the detective your children need you to be; ask God and look around to find what they need from you.