We Are Homeschoolers : Our Story

Most kids in the United States started school today. We home school, so we didn’t.

Being a homeschooler means we do schoolwork right at home. I do most of the teaching and Elisha and Elyssa are classmates. They were enrolled at a private school before we started homeschooling, but have never been enrolled in a public school before.

 We usually start the school year after the girl’s birthday (Elisha is turning 10 on September 20 and Elyssa is turning 9 on September 27). I get up before 6 am each day, but I always let the girls sleep in. After we pray and have a hearty breakfast, the girls each get their computer and log on to Time4Learning, our curriculum of choice.

Elisha and Elyssa are very self-sufficient and I am able to multi-task through some of their exercises. They learn Language Arts, Geography, Math, Social Studies, Spanish… and more! They have also become quite computer savvy!

They say their favorite part about being home schooled is that they can work comfortably at their own pace – they can fly through a lesson when they know it well and slow down when they need extra time. Of course, they love how they can have their mommy’s hugs and hot homemade meals.

Elisha helps teach Elyssa and Elyssa shares her opinion with Elisha on some topics. We have discussions and lots of fun! They love art and so they draw and paint during their breaks. They have lots of supplies and work on commissions, and have even been featured in art galleries. They also practice playing the guitar.

The girls help a lot with chores, too. Elisha loves to help in the kitchen and Elyssa loves to help around the house. I haven’t folded laundry in a long long long while LOL. They put the laundry away and also help unload the dishwasher. Of course, this allows me to work on my own projects and other housework.

Whenever I have a client meeting, the girls tag along and bring their favorite book or crossword puzzle. When I am teaching a webinar or have a radio interview, the girls also read. We are true book worms at home since we never watch TV.

There is no homework when you are home-schooled. When we are done for the day, we are done with schoolwork! The girls love to play in nature or indoors with their American Girl dolls or Littlest Pet Shops. We have playdates with children from church and field trips with parents and children from our homeschooling group. We have lots of fun and go to lots of fun places. Our schedule is flexible and works for us. We make our own work schedule and vacation time. We work hard and we play hard.

A lot of people ask me why I decided to home school. I don’t have a long list of reasons or a dramatic story. I simply want to be more involved with my kids and in what they are learning. I love to spend more time with them and to teach them life skills and principles aligned with my core values.

Homeschooling is legal in every state. A home school in the State of Texas is recognized as a private school. Some states require testing, resulting in 15-30% higher scores than the national average. According to the U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, about 1.5 million children were home schooled in 2007, a number that has been growing. Thomas Edison, Pearl S. Buck, and several U.S. presidents, including Abraham Lincoln, were home-schooled.

I am proud to be a home-schooling mom and to see my girls succeed as homeschoolers. Meanwhile, have a happy first day of school, my darlings!

Elayna is a single mom of 4, award-winning Storyteller, Story Strategist, and Student of Pain. She’s a bestselling author, internationally acclaimed keynote speaker, and 4x TEDx speaker. Founder of the Positive MOM® and creator of the S.T.O.R.Y. System: a blueprint to craft and share powerful stories that will transform your results, so you can have the wealth, opportunities, and freedom you deserve. Connect with Elayna Fernández at thepositivemom.com/keynote-speaker and follow @thepositivemom. To receive a gift from Elayna, click HERE.

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