Homeschooling for the Rest of Us: How Your One-Of-A-Kind Family Can Make Homeschooling and Real Life Work

by Sonya Haskins

Homeschooling parents are under great pressure. Besides trying to balance teaching responsibilities and family life, they often face unrealistic expectations from relatives, churches, other homeschoolers, and society at large. Even parents considering homeschooling sense the need to be perfect. Sonya Haskins doesn't want any more families to give up on homeschooling. In this book she shares affirming stories and practical ideas from dozens of everyday...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0764207393
• ISBN13: 9780764207396
• Release Date: January 2010
• Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
• Length: 172 Pages
• Weight: 0.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.4" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

An Encouraging Gem

We all have them. Those moments when we become overwhelmed by the expectations (both external and internal), the pressure, the idealistic yet unachievable schedules and curriculum plans. Maybe you've just read The Well-Trained Mind and are wondering if you can really make homeschooling work. What if your child doesn't read by four, tackle Latin by eight, or develop an enduring love for "The Great Conversation." Or what if you don't look like the "perfect homeschooling family" -- your clothes aren't all hand-made and coordinating, your children can't play the violin, and your house is certainly not pristine on most days. If these comparisons stress you out, if you wonder if you are just not made for homeschooling, quickly -- get a dose of Sonya Haskins' Homeschooling for the Rest of Us. Anything but a prescription for the "perfect homeschool" (as if such a thing exists) -- Haskins' accessible, short work of encouragement (172 pages) delivers much needed encouragement to relax and enjoy homeschooling. A relaxed homeschooler herself, Haskins tackles many of the common concerns and areas of inquiry that homeschoolers both new and experience face on a regular basis. Each subject area is filled with her wisdom as a veteran-homeschooling parent of five, giving just enough detail to inspire and encourage before moving on to the next topic. Haskins gives us the low-down on living in a very messy house while also providing suggestions for chore assignments, she shares with usreal schedules from homeschoolers balancing life and education, gives advice on character training, and helps us think through the issues of socialization. This sort of down-to-earth, realistic, caring hand of help from the trenches is just what so many of us need to read. Another feature I loved were the sidebars including thoughts from homeschooling parents worldwide about their challenges, learning moments, and the fruit they've seen -- all encouraging manageable, realistic approaches to home educating. Homeschooling for the Rest of Us isn't promoting a particular educational agenda (though the author is Christian, and that shines through), learning style, curriculum, or program -- you'll still have to do your own research, What this book does do is encourage us to examine what really works, the basic foundation of homeschooling, and to make plans that are uniquely our own -- plans that will work for our families. I'm putting Homeschooling for the Rest of Us on my list of books to re-read annually. Its manageable length and word of encouragement is incredibly valuable -- particularly around curriculum planning and homeschool convention time. When you're tempted to over-plan, over-perfect, over-worry, and over-stress, this is truly a precious volume to have on hand.

The nuts and bolts and answers to the real questions

I recently recommended Homeschooling For the Rest of Us by Sonya Haskins after skimming over the media release and reviews. I thought it was a great resource for homeschooling families. Since then, I have read the book and can offer my thoughts and a review. They begin with the word Excellent! When we first started homeschooling 4 years ago, I didn't realize it then, but we had a long road ahead of us. Along the way, we have tried several curriculums, many schedules, and I have dealt with (in some cases unsuccessfully) concerns regarding our decision. In my quest to find answers, I've read alot. (That doesn't surprise you, though, right?) I've learned so many different ways to teach, curriculums that work and don't work, classroom sizes and types and how far to go in decorating-but to tell you the truth, I never read a book that addressed the heart of the matter. The more answers I got regarding curriculum and other aspects, the further I felt from getting the most crucial answers. As in, am I doing enough? What about the pressure I put on myself and pressure from extended family members that just don't support our decision? What can I do if my child falls behind? What does my schedule look like compared to others? What is a reasonable time to spend on each subject a week? Those were the questions that kept me awake at night, staring at the ceiling. Chapters titled Pressure, Perfection and Progress, and Nurturing Your Childs Heart jumped out at me right away. But then I see Developing Positive Relationships that points out young children need to learn to obey, how to interact in relationships and be read to more than they need a strong academic schedule. That totally made sense! The chapter regarding Dealing with Relatives gave me a game plan for the next visit when I was most apt to overhear someone ask my child "When are you going to real school?" Oh, and that clutter that drives you nuts? It's addressed in the chapter Living in a Very Messy House. It's not about excusing the mess, but rather in finding ways to get it to an organized mess you can live with. Written from a Christian perspective aldo helped. At the end of the day, Haskins points out, if you lack wisdom, that's when you pray for direction. How can any homeschooling parent leave it to luck and destiny when it comes to their childs academic and social future? Speaking of socialization, be prepared to be WOWED as you read that chapter. You won't stress over whether your kids are getting proper interaction ever again. As a homeschooling Mom, I recommend this book be read first if you are on the fence about homeschooling. If you are already educating from your living room or playroom, you still need this book. So many fears and concerns are addressed that you don't realize come with the package until you are nose deep in the adventure. Haskins answered my questions and calmed my fears. I realize now, it's really not that hard!

Finally, a homeschool book for the rest of us!

So many homeschool books picture the homeschool family with all the kids going to Harvard, kids that are polite and spiritual giants, and homes that are spotless. Sonya Haskins explodes the myth of the perfect homeschool family in her book, Homeschooling for the Rest of Us. In the 30+ years I've been involved in homeschooling, the perfect homeschool family is MOST unusual. Instead, just like traditional schools, there are good days and bad days. Some of our kids turn out to be auto mechanics; others become college professors. Some of our kids live to please their parents and others keep us on our knees. And most of our houses are far from spotless! Haskins' book gives a realistic picture of the typical homeschool from academics to housekeeping and from socialization to budgets. She shows you how you can succeed in homeschooling and not be picture perfect. She shows you how to focus on relationships with God, family and others in the community. She explains the variety of routines that homeschoolers have and how you can find one that works for you. She clarifies how to choose extracurricular activities and academics based on your child's individual gifts and goals. Most of all, she helps you relax so you can homeschool your family knowing this is what God called you to do. It's not your job to be perfect, just obedient. 5 STARS for a book we can read and be encouraged to do what God called us to do! Thanks, Sonya.

Anyone homeschooling or considering homeschooling should READ this book!!

This book was AWESOME for me! I wish I could have found something like this for advice to help me along the way 2 years ago when I first started out. It gives so much detailed information about anything you can think of or that you may have questions about and it doesn't take much time to read this book. I've already starting using some of the technique's and suggestions the author talks about, they are helping a lot! After reading this book I realized my son does much better learning his math verbally then sitting at the table doing a worksheet.(that would take him a lot longer and he can be done in 15 min if I ask him questions myself) There is so many other ways to approach learning for our children and different ways to look at it then what I imagined until I read this book. This book offers so much advice and so many suggestions. I think everyone should take the time to read it even if you have been homeschooling a long time or if you are new to homeschooling. It gave me a lot of encouragement!!

Excellent for people new to homeschooling, veterans or considering!

Homeschooling for the Rest of Us is a wonderful book! I have really enjoyed all of the information! We've been homeschooling for 3 years and I would have loved to have had this book when we were first starting out. I like how the author gives information for questions on topics that beginners would ask, but it is approached in a fresh way that doesn't make you feel as if you're reading the same old info. However, even homeschooling for as long as we have, I still have found the book full of wonderful advice and suggestions that can help me to improve our schooling experience. Beyond that, it is very encouraging! It seems as if Haskins is speaking directly to the concerns and problems that we (and I am sure most other homeschooling families) are facing each day. I also love the length of the book. It is packed full of information but it is not overwhelming. It was easy to find time to read the book, unlike some homeschool books that are so long that I have had to skim through their content. A definite 5 stars!