Faces of Homeschooling - The Hoagland Family

Welcome to another edition of Faces of Homeschooling! 

This week, you'll get a peek inside the lives of the Hoagland family. 

Mom Melanie and Dad Brian have two daughters who are 7 and 4.

What brought you to homeschooling?

I never wanted to homeschool, especially as my firstborn approached kindergarten age. We just butted heads too much. But I also didn't want to send her to public school - she was just too easily influenced, and I didn't like where that was going. So we talked private school for a while. But my husband came from a big pro-homeschool church and his sister was homeschooling all 6 of her kids. So when he asked me to consider homeschooling our kids it wasn't a surprise, but I was NOT happy about it. I agreed to pray about the decision, went to bed, and woke up the next morning super excited about the idea! I guess that's what you'd call an answer to prayer. :)

The Hoagland family's homeschooling space.

What has kept you at it?

Sheer will. Seriously. I've had days where I literally almost called to enroll her in the local public school. But then I would tell myself that I would probably regret that decision the next morning. It takes reminding myself why we are doing this... sometimes hourly. :)

Walk us through a typical day in your school.

Typical? That means a schedule.... hmmmmm. Well, we have a fairly basic layout of our day. Get up around 7:30. I read to them while they drink their morning cup of milk. Then we eat breakfast, get dressed and ready, and start school around 9:00 or 9:30. First we do Bible together, then my 2nd grader works on some things independently (cursive handwriting, spelling, and math) while I go through my 4-year old's pre-k curriculum with her. How much she and I get through depends on her mood. :) Then I do history, language arts, and science with my 2nd grader again, while the preschooler does some on-line learning games. We can usually get done around 11:00 or 11:30, but there are days it takes us until 1:00. It all depends on how motivated the girls are to finish their work. We do a lot of extracurricular things in the afternoons and evenings.

Panning for gold at Mahaffie Farmstead.

Favorite moments?

Seeing my oldest "get" reading, and watching her take off with it. Learning and watching their strengths, and not just being told by their teacher once a semester. Like discovering that my 4-year old has a serious math bent. It's so awesome!

Biggest challenges?

Ugh. The lack of motivation and perseverance (some days) of my second grader. It can take 15 minutes to get through math, but sometimes it takes 2 hours. Very frustrating.

What do you (and your kids!) like best about homeschooling?

My fave thing about HS is the flexibility we have in our schedule. Fun new park to visit on a beautiful fall day? Girls, let's do double school tomorrow! Family in town? We'll work some extra to get done early. Vacation in October? Take the books with us in the car. Also, the community and support there is in the HS world. My kids and I have made some great friends doing this. And I think they would say the same thing. I point out to them frequently that they would just be getting back from school at 3:30 in the afternoon, followed by an hour of homework. They love not having to get up early in mornings too.

Tribal necklaces and bark "cloth" that were part of a unit on Africa.

What have you learned in your time as a homeschooler?

Patience. Perseverance. Humility. Complete dependence on God.

Tell us about the curriculum you use. How did you select it?

Trial and error! We pick some things that I think they'll love, and 2 months into the year I see it's not working at all. So we switch, and we CAN! I love that. We used Logic of English to teach reading and I really loved it. Now that we finished that one, we are doing Rod & Staff for spelling, and just reading & writing poems for LA. Life of Fred for my non-math-loving 2nd grader. Reading really cool living books for Early American history. And Rod & Staff Pre-K books for my 4-year old. Those are really great! We do Notgrass Draw-to-Learn Bible with both of the girls.

A peek at the curriculum the girls use!

Do you have a "Hidden Gem" or "Secret Weapon" to share with other parents?

Let it go. If it's not working, it's ok. Just let it go. Not worth your relationship! A really great book I would recommend is "Teaching from Rest: A Homeschooler's Guide to Unshakeable Peace" by Sarah Mackenzie. Very game-changing book that all HS moms should read.

How are you going to teach your kids subjects that you haven't learned?

Oh dear, I haven't gotten that far yet. I have no idea. I will say though, that I am learning right alongside them. It's really fun! Hopefully I will approach those subjects the same way.

What about socialization? Are you worried that your kids are missing important skills by not being in a traditional classroom?

Seriously? If my kids were any more "socialized" we wouldn't have any time for school! And no. A traditional classroom is not prep for "real life". As mom, I have the opportunity to instill our family's values in my kids before we send them out into the wide world. In a classroom, they learn their peers' values. Which aren't much to speak of. We are involved in enough other activities to teach them skills like taking turns, helping out, being kind to each other.

A chromatography experiment in which the colors separate as the liquid moves up the paper.

How do you find balance between homeschooling and your other responsibilities?

I don't! Ha ha! Don't show up at my house unannounced please! :) We get school done in the mornings, so we can get the house cleaned/laundry done/dinner made in the afternoons. That's the plan at least. Some days we just have to take a day off (or have a light day) for getting things done.

How would you respond to someone who says they are not patient enough to homeschool?

Then don't. I don't think everyone must homeshool. Although if you feel like this is something you are supposed to be doing, consider it a great growth opportunity! I'm not patient either, but I am learning to be. Slowly. It's like saying that you aren't fit enough to work out. Hmmm. How is that ever going to change?

What keeps you sane?

My HS friends! I live for our weekly get-togethers! And the chance to have spontaneous down-time during the day.

Watching a blacksmith at Mahaffie Farmstead.

What would you like others to know about homeschooling?

You CAN do it. It's the best, hardest, coolest, most challenging adventure you will embark on. But having the opportunity to teach your child not only school subjects, but also values and life skills, while watching them grow and grow up is priceless. I wouldn't trade it for anything.