You asked. I’m answering. It’s lookin like a marathon of everything under the sun! So in order to consolidate, I’m organizing all your questions into groups and answering them that way.
(really old photo of me and my sis – don’t be jealous of my glasses)
HOMESCHOOLING QUESTIONS
- Did you also go to public school or private school? (versions: were you homeschooled all the way through? how does it compare to other types of educational facilities?)
I was a public school student from Kindergarten through 8th grade. My mom purely homeschooled my 9th and half of my 10th grade year, we went to a private parental guidance school (less than 30 students total K-12 where my mom taught) half of my 10th and 11th grades, and homeschooled my senior year. During that time, I also did video classes (for spanish especially where my non-bi-lingual mother had trouble), took individual classes from college professors at a local homeschoolers ‘school’, and participated in fine arts programs specifically for homeschoolers. Technically speaking – I attended public, private and was homeschooled…so I believe I have a pretty good understanding of different types of education systems.
A lot of people ask me to compare them all – but it’s hard for me to say that my view will be the same as other peoples. First – times have changed. When I was homeschooled, it was not the cool or popular thing to do. It was odd. And the opportunities were limited. And the majority of kids were odd and thier parents were odd. Now it’s kinda trendy to homeschool. I don’t think it’s for everyone and I do think you can get an amazing educational experience from public and private school…BUT I think my mom and dad did what God had planned for our family – they obeyed His calling to homeschool us – and I fully believe that because of that submission to His Grand Plan – that we kids are thankful and glad that we were homeschooled.
- Why were you homeschooled? (versions: why did your mom decide to homeschool you? what’s your homeschooling story?
We like to say that we didn’t choose homeschooling…homeschooling chose us. A little back info – When we moved from a very rural area in New Jersey to the suburbs of Atlanta, we were immediately enrolled in our local public schools. My mom and dad were both educators in Jersey and when we moved, my dad took a position with a company that dealt with computers in the medical field. It was a really good job for him financially but it meant that he was traveling alot and I think he missed the interaction that comes with teaching (and coaching since he was like a coach of a million sports at the highschool). My mom then was a full time stay at home mom – she had stopped teaching in a school environment and no longer did music lessons from her house. It was basically just a big transition for everyone.
One day we all went to school and my older brother had a pocket knife. It was like a tiny Swiss army pocket tool. It just happened to be the first year of the Zero-Tolerance policy in that school…so long story short – he was expelled. My parents enrolled him in a private school. But there is something you should know about my brother…kid was a playa. He started ‘dating’ the principal’s daughter who was three years older than him. The principal didn’t like that at all. And since he was already labeled a troublemaker, it didn’t bode well for him. That year my mom had one choice…pull your kid and homeschool him.
This part of the story is really my moms to tell – but I can say that she didn’t want to do it at first and felt inadequate to homeschool an 8th grader. But she had no other choice.
That first year they both survived and my mom then started noticing that my little brother (2nd grader I believe) was still not reading well…even simple words like car and dog. He excelled in science and math and was HUGE…head and shoulders bigger than all of his classmates…so there was some anxiety on his part being in a classroom setting where he was expected to perform at a higher level because he was physically more developed. So the following year after homeschooling Brad, she gave Timmy the choice to homeschool too. He choose it.
The following year my sister and I were ‘brought home’. We didn’t get a choice. We were told that is what was happening. At the time, I resented my mom for that decision since I was excelling (straight A’s, in the excelerated program, member of Jr. Beta, a school’s technology assistant)…but looking back now, I can say without a doubt that my mother saved our family’s life. It was a hard decision and transition but now I am very thankful that I had that as part of my educational story.
- How did you feel about being homeschooled? (versions: did you love being homeschooled? did you ever feel like you missed out because you were homeschooled?)
There are a lot of good things about homeschooling and a lot of bad. Obviously things may be different now…but when I was homeschooled there were certain homeschooled kid cliches – there were kids that were REALLY rebellious, the uber conservative socially inept, and the weirdos. I probably fall into the weirdo category. We were lucky enough to be very involved in a homeschoolers sports program…and a fine arts program. So I had a social outlet 5x a week plus church.
But even with all that social interaction – I didn’t connect with a lot of people – more specifically – I didn’t connect with a lot of girls. My best friend in highschool was a guy…a guy who was two years younger than me actually. So I do feel like that was one area that I missed. I remember thinking that if only there was more girls closer to my age, I may have had more friendships. But it was probably a good thing too because I was forced to befriend people of all ages, sexes, and maturity levels. Yes, I invited several 11 and 10 year olds to my 16th birthday party 🙂
My sister however had many best girl friends that were homeschooled too so I really believe it was just an unlucky age thing. In the end, it just makes me appreciate any girlfriends I have now even more. We were also really involved at church – so I did get to go to a public school homecoming. But I did always feel like I wish I had the chance to go to a prom. (my sister also got to go to a homeschoolers prom so again – age thing).
This is probably the best place to put this info – my senior year I believe that I suffered about a ten month period of depression. I didn’t want to talk to anyone. I didn’t want to be around anyone. I basically just was enormously sad…all the time. I tried to hide it from the people around me. I had experienced that same lowness in seventh grade…when I was in public school…but it lasted a shorter period of time then and it was really easy to not show family because I was not around them…I was in school. In high school though, it wasn’t as easy to hide because I was constantly with people. My mom, who has struggled with it in the past, was a huge source of help through that time. And I truly believe that if I wasn’t homeschooled, I wouldn’t be here today. Whew. Heavy stuff.
- Are you going to homeschool Will?
Maybe. I don’t know. I will cross that bridge when I come to it. Let’s just say that for now I am his pre-formal-school educator and I feel called to work on a system for him that will provide him the resources to grow mentally, emotionally, socially, artistically, physically and spiritually to the best that I can give. That’s where I’m at right now.
- What curriculum did you use when you were homeschooled? (versions: did you feel you got a decent education?)
I don’t remember everything we used curriculum wise but I know that it was Saxon Math all the way, some A Beka books, and whatever was assigned by any other teacher. I don’t know how things are across other states and what the requirements are for other areas for other homeschoolers but when I was homeschooled, we had to send in all our work (reports, tests, etc.) to the local school system. I was also tested with the same standardized tests as the local schools. Oh here’s a fun nugget for ya – when I was a senior and applying to colleges, I had to do the SAT and the ACT and three SAT II tests…because back then, the colleges I applied to didn’t believe that homeschoolers were fully educated 🙂
So that is way more than you’ll ever need to know about my homeschooling experience. Next : Photography Questions 🙂
I just want to say the picture of you two is adorable! I learned a lot about homeschooling from this post!!!
woohoo! photog questions next!! i would love some photoshop tips about how you make those colors pop! along with a slew of others…can’t wait!
So can I ask if you went to college, and how you adjusted to it after being homeschooled?
Katie-
I just wanted to say I really admire you sharing your past battles with depression. It’s something I’ve struggled with in the past as well- especially through high school. I wasn’t able to do home schooling, but I appreciate you being so supportive of the option. I definitely would have jumped at the opportunity if I had been able to. I know it can be a life time battle, but the more that people share with their experiences, the farther we will come in finding treatments and prevention. Thank you!
Okay, so I didn’t ask this question, but I did want to say thanks for sharing this. I’m considering homeschooling my little guy. As a kid (we’re about the same age), I thought most homeschoolers were odd (but my BFF was homeschooled, and she was normal). But now, like you said, it’s the new trendy thing to do and there are so many resources that are available now. Anyway, thanks for sharing your experiences. 🙂
That photo is a classic :). I was homeschooled as well, from 1st grade through high school graduation. I have some awkward photos, but also a lot of great memories. At least homeschooled boys are finally learning not to button the top button on their tucked-in-polos-with-knee-high-white-socks 😛 .
i think you are awesome. i wish you were my next door neighbor so we could be friends in real life.
that is all. 🙂
Saxon math HOOBOY.
I was homeschooled from 8.5th grade until graduation and we used Saxon math too. You’ll never forget anything ever and MAN YOU’LL KNOW HOW TO CALCULATE WHICH CAR WILL REACH WHICH CROSS-COUNTRY DESTINATION FIRST.
My youngest sister came to visit me recently and I was helping her with her Algebra II out of that red Saxon book. I don’t hate math, but let’s just say I’m glad that business is done with.
I think our family fell into the off-beat category too (I’m hesitant to use weird, as I generally reserve that for the social inept homeschoolers and boyhowdy did we know some of those). I don’t know if I’ll homeschool my son either. It’s nice to have the luxury to wait and figure it out for a few years at least!
:awkward homeschool kid high-5:
I agree with you about it being a “weird thing” when I was growing up. I was homeschooled in 5th and 6th grade and really missed social interactions (went back to public). There’s such a range to pick from now. From homeschooling with co-ops to charter public schools. And each city/state has a different rep too
I went to a small college right after highschool so I didn’t have a terrible time adjusting. To me it was nice just to be around the boys 🙂
xo – kb
Will you, pretty please go into depth on your pre-teaching of Will?!?! I have a 15
Month old son(I am a stay at home mom) and I am currently struggling on providing him educational and enriching
daily activities. I would so love to hear what a day in the life of Katie and Will Bower
entails!
P.S. if there are a million typos I am sorry – I am typing this on my phone and I really stink at texting…
Thank you!
Yes! Photog questions are next! I’m so excited!!
It’s kind of nice to know that there are other homeschooled “weirdos” around. I was homeschooled from 6th grade until I graduated (ie, took the GED). I thought it was interesting that you mentioned the age thing; you and I are the same age, and I’ve often thought that I was on the outside edge of all the fun stuff. My four-years-younger brother got to do ALL kinds of things that I missed out on. The opportunities just weren’t there.
It’s too bad we didn’t live even remotely close to one another. We could have been goofy, homeschooled friends. We totally could have gone shopping for non-prom dresses. 🙂
Love your blog!
Don’t feel bad about the best-friend-is-a-guy thing. In high school my best friend (and perhaps my closest friend ever in my life – we’ve fallen apart a bit as adults but are still amazingly tight) was a guy and I went to public school my entire life (and we had almost 6,000 kids in my school [kinda weird… basically, we had multiple high schools on one campus in a sort of awesome mini college], so I had a lot of girls available to befriend!).
Where’d you go to college?
Thanks for sharing your experiences, very interesting to read. Homeschooling is still very unusual here in the UK but judging by the blogs I read seems much more popular in the US. I’m a teacher myself in a state school, I guess that’s the same as your public schools, but I can totally see the benefits of home schooling. I kept my own daughter out of school for first grade (we don’t call it that though) because I knew she just wasn’t ready for that environment when she did start school she was at no disadvantage and perhaps a little better at communicating with a wider variety of age groups.
Thank you also for sharing your experience of depression something that I have also struggled with on and off since high school. I think it is very important that people are honest about this subject, I don’t know about the US but there is still a huge stigma about it in the UK.
Thank you so much for your post. I have to admit that, as the daughter of a teacher and as someone who’s always been able to spot a homeschool kid a mile away, I’ve been kind of judgemental about the whole thing. The homeschool side tends to make it seem like their way doesn’t have any pitfalls (especially the socialization issue). From personal experience, I know that the private school side isn’t perfect. And the public school side is just a mess. The moment that each side owns up to the problems along with the successes, is the moment that we can have a real discussion. Because I’ve definitely heard a lot of anger about this issue.
I’ve got to say that I already have a better attitude towards the few friends that I have who are homeschooling. Thanks!
I laughed when I read about saxon books. We tried to adopt a little girl and home schooled her for 6 months. She went from a 2nd-4th grade level in that short amount of time. Bottom line is: If God calls you to do something He will Bless it 🙂
Thank you as usual for being so open. I think it’s awesome you are able to share your experiences without having to make it all perfect and rainbows. S0 many people IRL and bloggers paint a one sided picture of things and to me at least it seems painfully obvious that it CANT be all rainbows all the time. To EVERYTHING in life there is a negative….at least sometimes …if even for a minute. You’re always telling BOTH sides to everything. Cloth diapering, being a SAHM, having one income, etc. You probably have no idea how ‘real’ that comes across to me and I’m sure many other of your readers.
I’m DYING for your photog post! I bought a Dslr because your posts made it sound easy to manage. I read my manual over and over like you said to. I got the 1.8 and then upgraded to the 1.4 and just invested in the 24-70mm also. Basically…you’re my unofficial teacher of all things photography. Should I be paying you?:)
Keep the great insights coming KB!
A little clarification: Brad chose homeschooling over repeating the 8th grade at either public school or private school, as well as, Daddy finally relenting that it might be a good idea. (I had prayed for about 6 weeks because I thought that God was calling me to it.) And yes, I didn’t WANT to do it!! Hardest thing ever but the best too!
Tim ASKED to be homeschooled since he was not reading and the kids were calling him,”stupid idiot” in the 1st grade. Not deal-breakers but wanted you to know that my story is a bit different. I appreciate your attempt – it is hard to get eveyrthing right when it is someone else’s story.
Love, love you!
another photog question – do you use some type of small business insurance?
My high school best friend was a guy…who was two years younger than me! And I wasn’t homeschooled. Somehow I’ve just always been one of those girls who was better at being friends with boys…although I never dated them…its the “always the friend” thing. Its not weird to have a boy best friend…he is still the only person from high school that I keep in touch with. But I am thankful for the great girls I found in college.
I have to admit, I’ve always thought homeschooled parents and kids were weird. The kids I knew lacked serious social skills (and some competency skills) so I’ve always been against it. But now? After reading your post? I realize there are exceptions and flaws in my thinking. I can see why your parents made the choice to homeschool and how it was the best decision for your family. And from what I can tell, you and your siblings don’t lack any social skills whatsoever!
High school isn’t easy. And some of the crap that goes on at high school shouldn’t happen, but it isn’t caught by teachers and parents, so as a young girl struggling with depression – even if only temporarily – high school can be a very dangerous place.
Besides, you didn’t miss much with Prom. I’m pretty sure no one sits around saying “Oh prom, that was the best night of my life!” If so, they’re losers and you don’t want to be friends with them anyway. 😉
Just want to say I heart you and your honesty. It’s refreshing to know someone as quirky and cutesy as you has had her moments. Depression is the worst most hopeless, bottomless feeling you can experience. My sister saved me through my 5 month bout in junior year of college 4 hours from home, if she hadn’t been there, life would have been so much darker. Seriously, thanks for keeping it real like the Situation’s 12-pack:)
P.S. Love the hair then and now. You’ve got range:)
Thanks for sharing all of this. I feel like I can relate in so many ways. Had bouts of depression on and off during college. I’m about the same age as you, and I feel like people didn’t really recognize depression in that age group as much back then- just chalked it up to teens being teens, I guess. I think it’s of great benefit to talk about these issues. So thanks for opening up about that. I’m also a new mom (still new at 8 months, right?), and strongly leaning towards homeschooling my son when the time comes. Still have some time I figure out exactly how that will work in our family though. Definitely appreciated reading about your experiences, and looking forward to the next installments.
PS- LOVE the new haircut!
Thank you for sharing your experience with home schooling.
I look forward to your other Q&A posts!
Very interesting info! As for having your best friend be a guy…chances are that would have happened in a public school as well. I went to a public school all my life and my closest friends {for the long term at least} were always guys! Guys were always just so much easier to get along…so much less dramatic!
Hi Katie,
This post brought up a few questions.. maybe you could add them to later posts? 🙂
How close do you live to your parents and Jeremy’s? Positives/negatives to both?
Thanks!
Hey lovely! I agree that you should do a “Day in the life of The Bowers” blog. I’m sure all 628765843892 of us would like to see it 🙂
Melissa xoxo
Thanks mom! I knew that there would be some ‘flaws’ in my story since it was a long long time ago! I thought you had asked Timmy if he wanted to and he said yes 🙂 And I didn’t know they were gonna make Brad repeat 8th grade. Thank you for telling me…it helps me have a little more compassion toward Brad 🙂 Love love you too.
xo – kb
Okay 🙂 I’ll take any money people are willing to hand over 🙂
xo – kb
I went to Bryan College – then came home to have knee surgery and went to Georgia Perimeter – and then to UGA.
xo – kb
I have to say this wasn’t the homeschooling story I was expecting — in a refreshing way! I have several friends in another state who are homeschooling their kindergarteners, while we have chosen the public school option for our daughter (in a very good and supportive school system — we are lucky!) It often feels like an us vs them mentality (kind of like working moms vs SAHMs) and I feel like I’m always hearing about why it’s so much better to homeschool. It’s nice to hear a more balanced experience! Also, I am in awe of your mother and all who homeschool because it seems so hard. After being a SAHM for almost 6 years, I really enjoy a little time apart from my kids and love hearing about things they have learned apart from me and the relationships they have made that are outside of our family. And no school can stop me from teaching my children whenever I get the chance. 🙂
Also, thank you for being honest about your struggles with depression. It is something so many of us go through, and the more we are open about it, the less stigmatized it is and more people reach out to get the help they need. Thanks!
First, love your blog!
Second, love this idea of answeing FAQ’s in-depth
Third, please do a Day-in-the-life post
Oh, and you rock 🙂
There were 2 homeschooled girls who lived down the street from me when I was growing up. After I got home from public school, I would go to their house to play. I was secretly jealous of them because while my mom was working full time, they got to be with their mom all day.
This was very interesting, thank you for sharing Katie! I was homeschooled after my first semester of highschool, because of depression. And after awhile I was back to being myself. I think they’re is alot to be said for homeschooling, its really great for kids I think, and makes them even more well-rounded. I dont have kids yet, but personally I just would not feel comfortable at all putting them in public schools.
woo hoo, can’t WAIT for the photo questions!
Saxon math and A Beka books all the way! I was homeschooled up until I went to college (a state university) and I used both of those.
Thanks for writing about this. =)
Muchas Gracias.
Homeschooling is on the table for me. But, considering that I can only remember the Freddy Kruger version of 1, 2, Buckle Your Shoe, I doubt Ruthie will amount to much. Unless she becomes one of those stories: ‘I excelled in spite of.. (my mom’s attempt to teach me arithmetic which resulted in her crouching in a corner eating a bowl of chocolate cake batter and shaking uncontrollably, for instance) Seriously, when did letters enter the numbers world. I could care less what ‘a’ equals.
You and I have similar withdrawal stories. Oscar Wilde helped:
“I don’t want to be at the mercy of my emotions. I want to use them, to enjoy them, and to dominate them.”
XO – I just one upped you on the all-caps. Picture me standing in the middle of a crowded cafe screaming, KISSES AND HUGS! Where’s Oscar Wilde now?
Carolyn
I like this post 🙂 Pretty cool perspective. Thanks for sharing!
We definitely feel called to homeschool our kids.
Hey Katie! Thanks for the great post.
Just wanted to put my two cents on this conversation. I am from Canada and was home schooled for 3 years. Grades 3-5. And, then and now, I can honestly say that I loved it. At the time, my mom felt that me and my siblings weren’t getting a proper educational foundation at the school we were attending. So the three of us (later followed a fourth little sister) home schooled for three years and were tremendously blessed by it. My mom is a teacher, and is now a homeschooling facilitator (she monitors about 100 families through a home schooling board here in Alberta), but honestly, using the curriculum we did, any parent would be capable of giving us the education she did. We had a great social life and above it all, emerged from our homeschooling experience with a true love of learning.
I know not everyone’s experience with homeschooling is positive but mine certainly was….for the most part 😉 I can also say this… to anyone considering it, there are great support systems in place now. There are separate school systems dedicated exclusively to homeschooling and teachers like my mom who drive from home to home, checking in on families and their progress. It’s like having a private teaching consultant a phone call away, at all times. I think, so long as the parents’ hearts are into it, and they can find a decent support system (school board, curriculum, homeschooling groups, extracurricular activities, etc.), homeschooling can be a great alternative for any family looking outside of traditional schooling options.
Thanks so much for posting this Katie. It sounds like your mom is an amazing mom, knowing when to brave a challenge that wasn’t expected but was necessary for the health of your lovely family. Clearly everything turned out, because your family (from what can be gathered by reading your blog) is a loving, smart and hilarious bunch of people 🙂 Sounds like success to me.
Can I just say I love that your mom reads your posts and comments? how sweet is that!
just wanted to say: hi KB’s mom! we love “little debbie!” :o)
I would like to thank you for writing this post. As a public school teacher, it’s really easy for me to defend public school systems, but I’m very afraid (?) that with my husband’s line of work, it may be easier and/or be God’s calling for us to homeschool. I don’t want to “not support” the field where I got my degree. I don’t think that public schools are FULL of bad exposure (and I work in a low-income school), so that argument from some of my middle- and upper-class friends really frustrates me. However, I do feel like it 100% depends on what you show your kid, publicly schooled or home-schooled. So, long story short (-ish), I really appreciate you giving a view of all of these things and really respect your parents for being so intuitive and identifying what would work best for your family. I hope that I can have the same intuition (and not be prideful about my love for public schooling) when I have kids. Also, I was a freakish child who, not only loved elementary school but, LOVED middle and high school. Where most kids have a tough transition at some time, I loved it all (and college). I hope that my kids will, too, but it’s great to see someone who took a different route and appreciates that as well. Thanks for being so candid and honest! 🙂
This isn’t Katie, but I’m a speech language pathologist and I promise that you don’t have to work too hard to educate a 15 month old 🙂 involving them in your day to day activities, reading books, and playing together is all he needs! Have fun 🙂
Definitely agree there! I went to four proms (both junior and senior prom for my grade and the one ahead of me since all my good friends were a year ahead) and while they were all fun, they really weren’t that exciting. Basically like going to someone’s wedding but without the alcohol, lol!
She says that it’s her way of catching up with me…even though we see each other at least twice a week 🙂
xo – kb
Wow! I could have written most of this post, from being homeschooled for high school plus some but with a lot of additional odd forms of schooling thrown in there, to resenting my mom for homeschooling, to finally realizing it was the right choice for our family. We all survived and (can I admit this?) thrived.
Now, one of my frequent comebacks to people for either good or bad or completely unrelated stuff, is “Oh, I was homeschooled” with a little shrug. Makes for some pretty funny times.
I was one of those who asked this question. Thank you so much for answering. It’s an idea I’m struggling with for my own children. My oldest is in 4th grade, in a new school and having a miserable time. It’s heartbreaking to have to send him to school each day. Thank you for your insight
=)
I love reading your blog. Thanks for your honesty. During the time you were homeschooled I taught high school at a fairly large private Christian school in Georgia, where my daughters also attended. We would frequently get students who had been homeschooled, but for some reason their parents felt that the private school setting was a better option. I found that a very small number of those transferring had experienced inconsistent schooling or were socially lost. Most, however, were self-directed learners and some of the most well adjusted students I taught. They knew how to hold a conversation with an adult, and were usually knowledgable in a variety of subjects and fine art experiences. They could be counted on to get their assignments done and seemed to interact well with other students as well as the norm. Overall, my knowledge of these transferred students, as well as others who were homeschooled well, is that they consistently performed well in college and in career endeavors. Clearly, you have done well, Katie. You have an amazing family, home, and vocation. God did know what was best for you and your family. BTW, for Jessica G, the previous poster and a public school teacher: many, many of my students at private school were children of public school teachers in a good local school district. So much depends on the individual child.
Katie – thanks for sharing your story & experiences with us. It’s so hard to imagine you struggling with friends & things we all struggle with – especially when you get like a million requests daily to be bff’s with your readers. You are awesome and a wonderful friend via the internet. Thanks for being so open and honest – it helps so many people every single day.
I am 29 years old, and I homeschooled 7th grade-high school. I was able to take a couple classes at community college when I was 16, and I think that really helped with the college transition. After high school I went to a Christian college in San Diego. I loved college and made a ton of friends. The most awkward part was the beginning of my freshman year. I loved Veggie Tales and had a huge Bob and Larry poster on the wall of my dorm room, while my roommate was listening to rap and a Marilyn Monroe poster. She was gracious to this weird homeschooler, and we’re still friends 12 years later.
I’m so glad you wrote about this! I had such a hard time in middle school that I begged my mom to homeschool me. I’m glad I stuck it out through private (we used a beka book too!) & public school, but I’ve been thinking about homeschooling my kids someday.
I’ve been reading your blog for awhile now, and we are so similar! I swear you’re my soul sister 🙂 I went through the same bouts of depression at the same times, and my best friend in high school was a guy too. I’ve ALWAYS struggled with girl relationships. Honestly, I think going to a public high school made relationships even more difficult than if I were homeschooled. And fyi, prom wasn’t worth it 🙂
Katie,
At the risk of sounding like a stalker…I think we would be friends in “real life.” I too was homeschooled from 2-8th grade. Looking back, I know that my mom was inspired to make that choice for our family. I struggled with a lot of things as a kid, and I too think that being at home helped me thrive.
It’s so funny looking back at the things I thought I was missing out on. I was heart broken that I didn’t get a locker with a combination in 6th grade. 🙂
Homeschooling was really popular among the Baptist community where I lived and we benefited from so many activities and classes put on by the local support group. Even still, as the only LDS (Mormon) girl, there were so many times I struggled to feel like I fit in anywhere.
I attended a public school for high school and am so glad I did. I got to benefit from a range of really amazing teachers, student government, cheerleading and so much more. However, I think my success there came from having a super solid sense of who I was and what I wanted. And I think that came from my time being homeschooled. Thanks for sharing your story.
Hey Katie!
Where in Jersey are you from? I grew up in Gloucester County in a town called franklinville.. I live in Salem County now in a town called Elmer…. It’s pretty rural here too..
South Jersey – it’s near Mt Holly 🙂
xo – kb
We’re in Gloucester county now too! We’re in a very rural area. Made the move from Manayunk in 2010.
Have you heard the saying about Jersey? “We pump fists, not gas.”
Haha…no I haven’t heard that but I am definitely gonna start saying that 🙂
xo – kb
That first photo of you? Looks almost EXACTLY like me when I was little. It’s actually a little creepy… Fluffy hair; big, clear glasses; I think I might have even had that dress in blue. 🙂
John – is that Manayunk in PA? I live in Broomall, PA – about 20 minutes from Manayunk. Loved going to Main Street in my 20s for the bars!
Thanks so much for sharing Katie! I, too, was homeschooled. My last grade in public school was 7th grade. My mother homeschooled my sister and I until we took our GEDs and went to college. I homeschooled when it wasn’t the “in” thing as well. I always felt a little odd about it. And I still sometimes hesitate to mention it. Was it a good decision on my parent’s part? Yes! Would I change it? Probably not…it shaped who I am today. I def. feel like I missed out on some experiences, but honestly, as a 30 something, I made it just fine without those experiences and filled in the gaps where I have been able to.
I have a life long love(obsession) with horses and had I not been homeschooled, I doubt my parents would have made it possible for me to own my own horse, and I can tell you that was an experience that I would NEVER have changed.
Katie – thank you for sharing about your bouts with depression. I too suffered shorter bouts of depression when I was younger – in my teens and and again in my early 20s – both after minor dental procedures. So my family and I contributed the depression to being related to my body healing, etc. But then I suffered terrible post-partum with my first child and then would have small bouts of depression every so often. When I had my second daughter – and suffered complications – I broke down in the hospital and we all decided I should go on anti-depressants. I hate having to be on a medication but I’ll tell ya what – it’s saved me and my family. I always worried so much what people thought of me and would agonize if a friend didn’t call me back – is she mad?, etc. (no – it’s just that she’s just as busy as you are with kids, etc.). I would also have horrible temper flares at my husband. So being on an anti-depressant, while not completely taking all that away – has definitely toned it down quite a bit. I still feel prone to some depression – esp. when overstressed – but not nearly as bad as i used to. I also look back on even a childhood bout of depression (at 12) where I didn’t want to hang out with any of my friends for an entire summer. It’s really a very sad, scary and lonely thing when you don’t understand why it’s happening. Thank goodness more and more people are starting to talk about it. Thank you again Katie!
I enjoyed reading this Q&A on your own personal experiences with home-schooling. I was home-schooled all the way. I never went to public or private schools. People often ask me if I liked it & although I definitely did, I am also quick to point out that I have nothing to compare it to. I am 30 years old now, so when I was being home-schooled it was a new thing & always considered weird. There were few outside activities. There were not any sports teams yet, or home-school “schools”. Socialization came through co-ops & for me, church. My younger siblings have had a lot more available to them. However, although I have met many un-socialized & socially awkward home-schoolers, I was never one of them. Thanks to my church, I was well socialized & unlike a lot of the public/private school people I have met, I have always been able to interact well with people of all ages. Although there are some socially well rounded public/private schoolers, often the divided by age classes creates a life style of being only able to socialize with one’s own age. I suppose this is one downside. I have seen downsides to home-schooling but I also believe they are downsides that are easily altered, especially now in a more “trendy to home-school” environment. Although I know it is going to be very challenging & will require much patience, I am looking forward to home-schooling my children one day. My husband went to both public & private school and he wants us to home-school our kids (if the Lord blesses us with children). Thanks again for sharing!