Interesting Discussion.

Yesterday in my Sunday School class I mentioned that I homeschool and there was a young lady in there with 2 preschoolers who was interested in it.  She wanted to know basically how I balance working and homeschooling, since I am a work at home mom.  I told her that right now, it is really easy since my kids are pretty much completely independent at this point, however, when they were little (we started homeschooling in 1st, 3rd and 6th grades), what I did was a little different.  There were a few things that were different then.  One, I had not gone gluten free and chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia were kicking my hiney, all the time.  Every day.  Also, I was working fewer hours each day (at least part of that time, I can't remember exactly).  So, what I did was get up in the morning and we'd all do our combined lessons in Konos or Christian Cottage, unit studies.  Then the older kid would go and do his independent work (or not, sometimes) and the 2 younger ones and I would do their math which they were in together, then the next oldest kid would go do her work independently and I would work with the youngest.  Then I'd take my fibromyalgia/chronic fatigue/gluten intolerance nap, get up, have dinner and then work from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.   The kids would stay up late and go to bed at the same time I did, something we continue till this day.  We are all a bunch of night owls. 

One of the people in the room pointed out that not everyone was qualified to teach their children at home, but that I can because I have a degree.  I respectfully pointed out that a degree is not required and really, how would I use it?  I pretty much don't remember any of the math I studied.  I majored in teaching preschool but didn't have any preschoolers when we started homeschooling.  I had been out of college for a while at that point and really I just did all new research, figured out how to teach my kids at home and did it.  I don't think that what I had studied all those years before  had much at all to do with it.   We taught what we could and hired help or bought computer programs or books for what we didn't know.