I've been doing a lot of thinking lately (yeah, surprise, surprise), and I've thought about how much I take for granted. Next year I will be away from my family in a new environment with new friends. I am totally excited about college, don't get me wrong, but the prospect of leaving this part of my life makes me really realize how good I have it. So I'm going to be doing some posting about things I'm thankful for (Yes, I KNOW I missed Thanksgiving, but hey). So without further ado:
10 Reasons why I love Homeschooling
1) Being with my family all the time. I have found that a lot, not all, but a lot of kids who go to school cannot stand their families. They have substituted their friends for their siblings and popular culture for their parents. They probably don't realize it, but they are missing out on the best part of life. Verity is ten years younger than me, and I have been able to watch her grow up. I have been with her nearly every moment of her life. Yes, some moments have been better than others, but would I trade those bad times for the quiet of pretending my sister didn't exist?
2) The friends I have made. It is a common myth that homeschoolers are socially deprived robots living in a cage created by their parents. I have one thing to say to people who spread this myth, and it is, "Really?!?!?! Why didn't anybody tell me?????" My friends range in age from 20 to 13. Their interests range from gardening to dance to basketball and Latin. Some of my friends are homeschooled, some go to public school. Some are in college, and some are in the eighth grade. These friends have been there for me at every point in my life. We have been through some tough times, as well as some really silly times. I know I never would have met these amazing people if I went to school.
3) Working at my own pace. I am really bad at math. Like really, really bad. Like math is practically a different language to me (and it's no romance language at that). Being homeschooled helped me get through my math. Yes, I've had to retake problem sets. Yes, it's been hard, but nothing beats getting an good grade on the first try! I may not be going off to be an architect, but, baby, I can do this math thing (kinda sorta)! Would I be doing recently-ish in math if I went to Littleton High? Nope, 'cause I would have quit trying in the fourth grade.
4) School is everywhere! Recently I was writing an application essay, and one of the things I talked about was that learning doesn't just happen in a classroom. This past summer, for example, I went with Octavia and her family to Rhode Island, and while we were there took a trip to Boston and saw the USS Constitution which I believe counts as American History. I learned more about economics than I ever cared to know on a trip to Germany, this past September. But sometimes I do stay closer to home; I can read or do my science homework on the front porch or even in bed.
5) Homeschoolers are nice. I was at a camp over the summer where the majority of the kids went to school. There were also about four homeschoolers, me included. I noticed something while we were these; while the boys who went to school were, for the most part, incredibly sweet and well-behaved, the homeschooled boys were even nicer. They would hold the door for everyone. They were the ones who talked to every girl whether they thought she was weird or not. They were smart, cheerful, and funny without being crass, at least when girls were around. They were also the ones who dressed nicely, and were a credit to their Mama's 100% of the time. They stood out like, well, an un-sore thumb.
5 MORE TO COME!
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