For us, family travel is a legacy: It’s a priceless inheritance that’s been passed on from one generation to the next. From immigrant families that established new roots in the United States to pioneering families who headed west and farming families who settled down across the plains, my husband’s family […]
Category: NextGen Perspectives
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New Name, Old Game: Is Talent Pipeline a New School to Work — And What’s Next?
When I was in college, taking American Government in the early 1990s, I wrote a research paper on the then-new School to Work Opportunities Act of 1994. It was legislation written to align with Goals 2000, in an effort to transition students from school to the workforce. At the time, my […]
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Homeschool Graduates: The Next Chapter
Many readers know that our two daughters are homeschool graduates: They both graduated from our homeschool when they were 16. Now that several years have passed, I thought it would be a good time to update everyone on how they are doing post-graduation. Our First Graduate Our eldest daughter, Hannah, will be 22 next […]
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Three Generations at Teach Them Diligently
This was my third year attending a Teach Them Diligently Convention. The biggest blessing of the conference this year was being able to attend with three generations of my family: My mom, who homeschooled us in the 1980s, my homeschooling sister and sister-in-law, and three of our homeschooled daughters. My mom, […]
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Being Frugal Without Being a Cheapskate
Are homeschoolers cheap? Hopefully, we are frugal, not cheapskates! There’s a difference between being a good financial steward and avoiding paying a fair share of costs or expenses. As homeschoolers, I think we should strive to be frugal, but not at the expense of supporting those businesses that make our lives […]
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Can Public Schools Learn from Homeschools?
Recently, I was sitting at a stoplight staring up at a fancy billboard ad encouraging people in my district to vote “yes” for a $41 million school bond, and it got me thinking about how our public schools spend their money. This particular bond is earmarked for several things: Chromebooks […]
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Homeschool Veterans: Pay it Forward!
It is time — past time, really — for me to pay it forward in the homeschool community. I have always liked to help people, but I mostly do it on a one-on-one basis — quietly. However, the past couple of years, I have been challenged as a homeschool veteran […]
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Five Reasons I’m Thankful for Homeschooling
As a NextGen Homeschooler, I am thankful for my own homeschooling experience as well as the opportunity to homeschool my own daughters now. Homeschooling has come a long way since the mid-80s when my mom started homeschooling: From more curriculum options and enrichment programs to public funding for homeschooling co-ops. Homeschooling is […]
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Revisiting Our Homeschool Mission
When we first started homeschooling, I believed I was homeschooling for the right reason… and I was. More than anything else, I wanted my children to love God, to have a personal relationship with Him, and to live their lives for Him. But back then, I had no idea how to […]
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Does Common Core Affect Homeschoolers?
As a homeschool blogger and leader in my local homeschool support group, I get a lot of questions about Common Core. Questions like: “What’s the deal with Common Core? Why should I be concerned? Does Common Core affect homeschoolers?“ I’ve even met parents who’ve decided to homeschool or are considering homeschooling […]
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Attending a Homeschool Convention: Dad’s View
Last week, I drove to Washington, D.C. with my family to attend the Teach Them Diligently homeschool convention, but we were also planning to spend time at the United States Capitol. Our eldest daughters (13 and 11 years old) are very interested in learning about our nation’s history and really […]
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Thoughts on OCHEC Tulsa Convention 2014
I missed you this past weekend. Seriously, I missed you. There were quite a few people missing this year at the OCHEC Tulsa Convention 2014 — attendees as well as speakers and vendors. Perhaps the reason attendance was down was because there were fewer speakers and vendors on the agenda. […]