Reviews of Deschooling Gently: A Step by Step Guide to Fearless Homeschooling

(Edit: Deschooling Gently: A Step by Step Guide to Fearless Homeschooling is now available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble!)

Summerm had an advance review copy of Deschooling Gently. She wrote a review of it on her blog. Here’s a snippet:

In Deschooling Gently you explore the many important topics that frequently come up in homeschooling. From choosing the “right” curriculum, to goal planning, to just keeping track of it all. Plus how to find support and how to deal with the ever present doubters and haters. She shares a lot of great information plus lists useful websites and books for you to check out to learn more.

Head over to Summer’s blog to read the whole thing.

Sunshine Alternative Mama has a review as well. Here’s a snippet:

Tammy also shared other insights; in particular I loved that she talked about how much she loved to plan things out, and how life didn’t really seem to work that way, so she would make her plan and put it in her back pocket. She felt safe winging it knowing that the plan was there, just in case. I totally related to that. Another gem Tammy shared was that spending a lot of money on a curriculum has the potential to create an emotional/financial attachment to the curriculum, whether or not it is working for your family.

Go to her blog to read the rest of this review.

If you feel inspired, well, you know where to go

The Overachieving Homeschooler’s Quiz

First, we had a list asking you if you’re a stereotypical homeschooler. Now, there’s a quiz to see if you are an overachieving homeschooler.

Both hilarious. Both worth reading.

And for the record, my score was 27. And I laughed out loud when I got to this question:

Your usual homeschooling day:

1) Is an eclectic struggle to meet everyone’s needs, including your own.
2) Is an evolving blend of Charlotte Mason, classical education, and just plain fun.
3) Can be read about in your best-selling book.

Ok, so I don’t know if it’s “best-selling”, but I have a book, so I answered 3 anyway. Hee, hee.

And this is the first question:

As a fun educational activity, you often have your child:

1) Write the grocery list.
2) Write the grocery list in calligraphy.
3) Write the grocery list in Braille, and then go shopping by himself — blindfolded.

Go read the rest. And, put down your drink first.

Confidence Begets Confidence

Ever notice that cats and dogs just know when someone doesn’t feel comfortable around them?

The same effect happens with new homeschoolers. Critics can smell a new homeschooler a mile away.

Have you noticed that the new homeschoolers are the ones who get the most questions, the most doubts from family and friends, and the most harsh criticism?

Confident homeschoolers don’t get bugged as much. In fact, cool, confident homeschoolers, are kind of frightening. They’ve done their homework, they’ve heard all of the questions, they know a LOT. You can’t stump them. They don’t cower at criticism or worry about what people think of them. It doesn’t make them uncomfortable to be asked tough questions (although it might annoy them). It’s like trying to question a seasoned politician about social security.

Confidence begets confidence. When we have confidence about our choice to homeschool, it puts people at ease. When we are nervous about it, it shows, and people are nervous about it too.

It’s very much like public speaking. When we see a speaker stand up, take control, and show confidence in himself in front of a group, the audience feels at ease, and trusts him. Even if he is saying things that we don’t agree with, his stance and comfort shine through, and we don’t feel like he’s unqualified. But if we see a speaker who is nervous, uncomfortable, or otherwise doesn’t seem to have a grasp of what he’s talking about, the audience feels it, and gets antsy too.

So, fake it until we make it, because it’s when we show we’re confident (not cocky or narcissistic, but comfortable), we put people at ease around us, and they’ll be less likely to grill us about homeschooling.

(The Bohemian Booklover has a great post on this topic, too.)

Great Article About California Homeschooling

The Sacramento Bee published an article yesterday about homeschooling in California. It was well-researched, moderate, and clear. Not to mention, it was totally devoid of the “merits and demerits of homeschooling” fluff that so many articles contain.

If you would like a news article to send to anyone who has questions about homeschooling in California, this is the one.

But, heh, refrain from reading the comments.

Are YOU a Stereotypical Homeschooler? Guest Post by MaryAnna Cashmore

Homeschooling has been in the news a lot lately, and this has brought to light the fact that there are quite a few contradictory stereotypes out there regarding homeschoolers. Here are a few that I’ve seen (with maybe also a little artistic license taken by yours truly). But judge for yourself; are YOU a typical homeschooler?

1. All homeschooled kids are brilliant. They win spelling bees, geography bees, play musical instruments, ace the SAT’s, get into the good colleges on scholarships. BUT they’re socially inept and their parents pressure them way too hard. Oh yes, and homeschooled kids’ GPA is a joke because the grades are awarded by Mom or Dad. (Generally I think people say this out of jealousy and to get their kids to stop begging to be homeschooled.)

2. All homeschooled kids spend all day outside playing. They never learn important things like the alphabet or how to count to four.

3. All homeschooled kids are well-mannered. BUT that’s because mommy and daddy whip them all the time at home. And they’re too docile, incapable of independent thought.

4. All homeschooled kids are kept at home all day to protect them from evil outside influences. BUT their parents are incompetent as teachers, so the kids’ education suffers. Even if the parents are brilliant, the kids suffer because they need to be taught by someone other than Mom or Dad. They miss out on subjects that the parents don’t know. They miss out on things like science lab and the school bus and The Prom. The kids also suffer socially because they don’t have any friends. On the other hand (and I’ve actually had my doctor tell me this), they don’t need their immunizations as urgently, because they won’t be interacting with other kids. (!)

5. Homeschooling parents are the well-educated, financially elite of the community. This makes the schools suffer from a lack of privileged kids and dedicated parent volunteers/donors. Meanwhile the kids are spoiled, thinking they’re better than public school kids. The schools would benefit from forcing these kids back into the public school system, both financially and in terms of higher test scores; also, the children in public schools would benefit by association with these privileged kids, classrooms would be less rowdy, etc. And these parents would be devoting their energies for the good of all kids instead of just their own.

6. Homeschooled families pretend to be educating their children when actually they’re just taking advantage of the charter school funds to buy fun stuff and play around.

7. Homeschoolers could be child abusers who are using homeschooling as a ruse to keep their kids out of the public eye.

8. Homeschooling parents pressure their kids too much, forcing little Johnny to sit at the table for hours at the time, cramming all the subjects down his little unwilling throat, winning fight after fight, somehow getting him to get everything done every day. “I could never do that” is what we typically hear.

9. Homeschooling parents take their kids with them to run errands, use the kids to get chores and farm work done, and then call it all “curriculum,” so actually the kids must not be getting educated at all.

10. All homeschoolers are anti-evolution and anti-tolerance. They use outdated books that teach wildly incorrect information and call it “science” and “history.” Public school kids should stay away from them, lest they be tainted by such evil ideas.

11. Homeschoolers are maladjusted and anti-social, harboring a grudge which could someday explode in the attack of a bitter genius against society. They need to be enrolled in public school so they can experience such character-building things as public humiliation, theft of lunch money, rotten school lunches, and getting their little (somethings) whupped. (Yes, I have actually heard this, many times.)

12. Homeschooled kids are out to make homeschooling sound like so much fun that they will lure your children away from public school. It is important to warn your public school children against homeschooled kids.

13. Homeschooled kids are sort of like the Amish. They are in huge families, and they all wear toe-length homespun dresses, the boys all wear white shirts and ties with jackets, all of them march in file. Like Little House On the Prairie, they learn skills like sewing and farming and cooking from scratch, and they don’t watch tv or even own a computer, and only read books published prior to 1929. For some reason, there are people who mistrust families like this. (Maybe they think Waco and large stores of ammunition, or apocalypse.)

14. Homeschoolers are trying to make the statement that they don’t need anyone, that they are superhuman and can handle absolutely everything with regard to their children’s care all by themselves. If a homeschooling parent ever puts a child in daycare, or leaves him/her with a babysitter, or enrolls him/her in a class outside the home, or allows a child to attend school outside the home, this amounts to an admission of failure as a homeschooler. Every child who goes from homeschooling to public school is a “homeschool failure case.”

15. Homeschoolers are hippies. They wear tie-die home-made shoes, and they have long hair, and if they get upset about anything they drop to the ground in lotus position and start saying “ohm….” They eat only organic foods. (I hadn’t heard of anyone like this before, but it’s in “Schooled” by Gordon Korman.)

16. Homeschoolers are extremely devout fundamentalists who pray and read the Bible all day. (I put this one down as a separate item but my guess is that it’s probably usually in combination with some of the others above….)

17. Homeschoolers only associate with each other. This is because they think other people’s children aren’t good enough for their children to associate with.

18. Homeschoolers think that homeschooling is the only good educational option, and that everyone who sends their kids to public school is a bad parent.

19. Homeschoolers don’t know anything at all about public school.

20. Kids who are homeschooled have an unfair advantage when it comes to having more time to practice their sports training for competition, musicianship, dancing skills, etc.

It’s hard to think of any family that fits all (or even any, exactly) of the above stereotypes. It’s also hard to think of any family that, on a cursory glance, wouldn’t be considered to fit under one of the above. If you’re smart, aha, typical homeschooler. If you’re kid is struggling academically, aha, typical homeschooler. If you’re wealthy, aha, typical homeschooler. If you live on a farm and work very hard and are dirt poor, aha, typical homeschooler. If you spank your kids, or if you spoil your kids, aha, etc. If you use a very rigid, challenging curriculum, aha, etc. If your kids are playing outside today, aha, etc.

You just can’t win.

MaryAnna Cashmore is a typical homeschooler with 3 children in San Jose, California. She is a frequent contributor to the popular homeschool ezine, ClickSchooling. MaryAnna is also the webmaster for the “Sense of Wonder” science website with tons of terrific resources for homeschool families.

Note: Would you like to be a guest blogger on JustEnough? Contact Tammy Takahashi to submit a guest post.

Stumble It!

Deschooling Gently Now in Print

Yesterday, my publisher hand delivered my first copies of Deschooling Gently. I was so nervous! But all my fears were gone when I saw it. It’s beautiful. My publisher did an awesome job with the formatting and colors. It’s a meaty book, with a lot of info. I had forgotten how much I put in it, since it’s been about four months since I turned in my final manuscript.

To celebrate the birth of my book, I held a small pre-launch party at my house with close friends, my publisher, and my family. They were all so sweet, and bought copies of my book. The first book I signed was my friend Melissa’s, and it was so surreal.

I will never forget seeing the book for the first time, the toasts that my husband and publisher gave to me, and all of the wine and chocolate that we celebrated with.

It all started with this post, called Deschooling Gently. Then I added the “fearless homeschooling” to the title. From there, it all came together, and after months of writing, re-writing, deleting, writing some more, editing, and doing it all again another time, a book was born. Deschooling Gently encompasses so much of what I talk about here on JustEnough, the articles I’ve written, and the talks I’ve given. It’s all on paper, and it’s available for purchase.

I’m starting to hyperventilate.

(breathing)

If you’d like to order this homeschooling tome, Deschooling Gently is now available through the Hunt Press website, or Lulu.com. It will be available on Amazon very soon. Be one of the first ones to get a copy!

Do Homeschool Parents Need a Teaching Credential?

Take a second and vote. Do homeschool parents needs a teaching credential?

Putting Problems into Perspective

This morning I’ve been stressed out trying to make a decision. Should we, or shouldn’t we, go to Disneyland?

Pros: We have a Silver Pass, so it’s free to get in. We haven’t been in a few weeks. It’s fun. This week, many kids are still in school. Next week, it’ll be much busier as summer vacation will be starting. The weather is perfect (76 degrees). The kids love the D. I love the D too.

Cons: It takes 1.5 hours to get to Disneyland. Gas prices are high to be driving for 3 hours today. That will be a $40 ride. Also, son, has a class at 3:30, so we’ll have to leave at 2. And that means we’ll have to get the kids up and out the door in the next 1/2 hour. Also, food is expensive at the park, even with our discount.

I really am on the fence on this. Even starting to stress about it. Really wanting to go. Really, really wanting to go. But knowing that the cons will probably win out.

Then, it hit me like a train. We have a damn good life, if on a Thursday morning at the end of May, my biggest problem is deciding whether or not to go to Disneyland.

I’m done stressing now. I’ll save my stress energy for when it really matters. Whatever we do today, it’ll be good.

Education and the Search for Truth - June 8th, La Crescenta

On June 8th, Tammy Takahashi will be speaking at the Unitarian Universalist Church of the Verdugo Hills.

She’ll be addressing the topic of Education and the Search for Truth, an exploration into the reasons people homeschool, and what we’re all really looking for in a 21st century education.

At this event, you will also have a chance to get a sneak peek at her new book Deschooling Gently: A Step by Step Guide to Fearless Homeschooling. Books will be available for purchase.

This is a free event. The talk will be presented during the middle of the church service, and will last about 30 minutes.

All are welcome. If you are going to bring children, please call the church ahead of time, so they can make accommodations. Their children’s program is generally small.

Education and the Search for Truth
by Tammy Takahashi
Sunday, June 8th
10:30am-12:00pm

Unitarian Universalist Church
4451 Dunsmore Ave, La Crescenta
818-248-3954

Summer Reading Programs and Summer School for Homeschoolers

Summer is my favorite time of year for homeschooling. In the summer, the neighborhood comes alive. In the summer, the city and private businesses bend over backwards to offer families and kids opportunities for fun and learning.

In the summer, there are camps, swim classes, reading programs, special promotions, art classes, and so much more. The best part? They are almost all offered during the day, instead of late in the afternoon.

In otherwords, the entire community becomes temporary homeschoolers. In response to that, there are a lot more opportunities during the summer for everyone - and none of them have grades or tests. And all of them are optional. The summer is how the whole year should be, in my opinion.

So this summer, the kids are signed up for two week-long summer camps. One is a full-day camp that takes them to the Griffith Observatory and JPT (Jet Propulsion Laboratory, where they design and control unmanned spacecraft). The other camp is half-day, and it’s called Gizmos, Gadgets, and Goop.

They are also taking some swim “lessons”. I put that in quotes, because it’s through the city, and mostly, they just play. Which, being that it’s only a couple dollars a lesson, is perfectly acceptable in my estimation.

Lastly, they are joining in on a clay class.

There is a lot more going on to choose from. But these are the things the kids wanted to focus on (and the maximum that we were able to spend.) And, we know that there are a lot of impromptu outings that we’ll be taking, such as a trip to the Orange county fair. Oh, and we can’t forget our two yearly homeschooling conferences we attend every year.

Summer is my favorite time of year for homeschooling. The rest of the year we live, and relax, and grow. In summer, things kick into high gear and we “learn” more intensely. For us, summer is when all the fun stuff happens, and when things look the most like how I envision a society without school, who learns together, for real.