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Sprittibee (Heather): Sprittibee, The Homeschool Post, Gathering Manna, Heart of the Matter, Complete Organizing Solutions

Dawn: My Home Sweet Home, (in)courage, Barefoot Blog Designs, The Homeschool Post, Blissfully Domestic

Homeschooling experience of audience

This conference is supposed to be about helping you homeschool. We chose to talk about how NOT to homeschool because it's really easy for new (or even seasoned) homeschoolers to get into a rut or get into bad patterns that aren't helping you meet your goals. Sometimes you have to look at your obstacles and goals and realign yourself.

How NOT to homeschool:

• Fly by the seat of your pants. There's no need to plan.
• Try to duplicate public school at home.
• Lose sight of your purpose for homeschooling.
• Sit at the computer and expect your kids just to do their schoolwork.
• Make sure you and your house are immaculate every day before you start school.
• Assume your child is wired just like you.
• Teach in a cookie cutter format; force all of your children to do things exactly the same way.
• Let your Bible collect dust while you do EVERY worksheet in your 369 page mathbook.
• Be so structured that you don't allow for life lessons.
• Don't join a homeschool support group.
• Never go to a homeschool conference or bookstore.
• Say yes to every field trip, class, playdate, or event.
• Compare yourself and your children to every other homeschool family.
• Don't expect your children to put away their materials; they'll magically appear the next morning.
• Answer every phone call during school time.
• Use school as a punishment.
• Keep doing what doesn't work.
• Use coffee as a substitute for sleep.
• Don't keep records.
• Be a professional at playing hookey.
• Never take time to educate yourself.