Search Results for: blog home schooling a blessing in disguise

Is Homeschool Right for My Family?

Today we have more options than ever before when it comes to finding the best education for our children. Charter schools are being built all over the nation, private schools have gained in popularity over the years, and home school is becoming less of a frightening thought and more of a “thing to do.” But far from being a fad that will go out of style, this alternative is gaining long-term support, and more and more families are choosing this method of schooling for their own families. But how do you make the right choice for your children? I suggest … Continue reading →

Home Schooling Is Cheaper Than Public School

Being able to home school my girls was a choice I was glad I made. Not only could I see over their education and spend quality time with them, but it was far cheaper than public school. Back when I was a kid public school was free. Each child got their books, pencils, paper, art supplies, and many other school supplies for free. We’d even go on several field trips throughout the year, all for free as well. About the only thing my parents had to pay for was my lunch. Times have definitely changed, especially over the last decade. … Continue reading →

Home School Blogger Intro

I started as a home schooling blogger on Families.com about a month ago. My introduction post is a little overdue, but I wanted to share with others a bit about myself and my background as a home schooling single mother. My two oldest daughters went to public school all the way through high school. A move to a rough area of Baltimore had me quickly pulling my three youngest out of school and home schooling them myself. It was a decision I wish I had made with my older girls. Live and learn though, right? For the most part I … Continue reading →

My Mini Zoo – New Pet Blogger Intro

As a new pet blogger here at Families.com I felt I should write an introduction post and share the story of my mini-zoo with everyone. I’ve had pets ever since I could remember. In fact, none of my homes have felt complete unless there was at least one four-legged furry critter running around. About ten years ago this love for all things feathered, furry or finned hit a high point. My second daughter worked at Petsmart at the time so she always had some tale of woe about a guinea pig, hamster, snake, fish, or other animal that had been … Continue reading →

Overdue Intro From A New SP Blogger

Yes, my introduction is long overdue. As one of the new Single Parenting bloggers, I’ve wanted to say hello to Jacky Gamble who’s another SP blogger, and to everyone here at Families.com, but I’ve been so intently focused on writing informative pieces that this kept slipping my mind. Here I am at last. I’ve been a single parent for about 7 years now. After my second divorce I truly felt it was better to go it alone with my five daughters. It seemed apparent that I hadn’t chosen husbands wisely, so it was high time for me to get out … Continue reading →

Home Schooling – A Blessing In Disguise

When people find out that my three youngest girls were all home schooled they look at me with shock and admiration. Then, they always ask why I decided to do it. My answers are probably similar to many other home schooling parents, even if we all have our unique reasons and ways of handling things. We do it because we believe in doing the best for our children. My personal reason for choosing to pull my two third graders out of public school, and never let my youngest step foot in a classroom, was simply because I felt I was … Continue reading →

Pushing Younger Kids Beyond Their Comfort Zone

When I first started home schooling my last three girls, two were in third grade and one was just starting preschool. It was a challenge wondering how I would present the lessons when there was such an obvious age gap between the older girls and the youngest. Being able to home school our kids allows us a lot of freedom though. Kids don’t have to be pushed ahead when they aren’t ready or held back when they are. What I did was to offer the same exact assignment for all of my girls, always at the age level of the … Continue reading →

You Can’t Fill Every Role As A Single Parent

Single parents often feel very alone, almost like you’re the only one in the world facing these particular problems and challenges. Although everyone does have their personal uphill battles, according to the US Census Bureau, in 2006 there were 12.9 million one-parent families in the United States. Of those, 10.4 million were single mothers. Assuredly, today there are millions more. So, the good news is that we really aren’t alone. The bad news is, it’s still a tough job fulfilling so many roles. Is it really possible to be everything to your child or children? As a self-proclaimed workaholic and … Continue reading →

Residual Income with Suite101 – Being Frugal With Your Time

As a work at home mom, I’m always looking for new ways to bring in money. Being a blogger for the Single Parenting, Home Schooling, and Frugal Living categories here at Families.com is one way to make a little bit of cash while doing something I love. However, there are a lot of scams and just a lot of bad deals on the Internet. Over the past 7 years I wasted more time than I care to think about. I simply learn the lesson and move on. Then again, there are places online where people make a lot of money, … Continue reading →

Quick and Easy Cleanup at the End of the Day

Home schooling kids is rewarding, but it can also be messy. Having children around the house all day long rather than away at school for six or more hours means that we need to clean up several times a day rather than just once. Parents are notorious for trying to be superheroes and tend to do everything themselves. Whether it’s vacuuming, doing dishes, laundry, or cleaning the cat box, it’s often easier to just do it ourselves rather than listening to the kids moan and groan. Not to mention, we often have to prod them a thousand times before they’ll … Continue reading →