public school Archives

If you’ve been following our blog for the past few months, you probably know that we took a homeschooling break last year and then returned to homeschooling this year.

While I discovered that public schooling was not for us, it might be the better option for others. If you’re considering sending your kids to public school, I’ve shared a few things that might help you make your decision.

Today is also another edition of the Laugh and Learn linky! Tina, Haley, Lindsey, Sarah, and I have chosen our features from the last party, so check them out below!

Deciding to Send Your Homeschooled Kids to Public School

Deciding to send your homeschooled kids to public school is a gut-wrenching process. At least it was for me. I remember waffling back and forth about it for months.

Throughout the process, I learned a lot about the public school system, my children, and myself. I don’t regret doing it, but I do wish that I’d had someone to tell me about what I could expect in advance.

So I decided to share a post about this very topic over at Learning 2 Walk! If you’re considering putting your kids in public school, stop by and see what you should take into account before you do.

Deciding to Send Your Homeschooled Kids to Public School – Learning 2 Walk

For more about what it’s like to send your homeschooled kids to public school, check out our series “The Great Homeschool Public School Experiment”!

The Great Homeschool Public School Experiment – Look! We’re Learning!

On to this week’s linky!

Welcome to our 60th week of Laugh and Learn – Homeschool and Parenting Linkup!
Laugh and Learn – Homeschool and Parenting Linkup will be open by 6 am every Tuesday morning.

Each and every week, all of the hosts will pick one favorite post to be featured on the next week’s linkup. All of your links will be shared on five blogs.

We are also sharing the top five posts on Pinterest: #LaughLearnLinkup {Featured Favorites}. It’s added exposure for your awesome content!
Reminder: Please share this linkup! You can help us build a great homeschool and parenting group.
[bctt tweet=”Share your favorite #parenting or #homeschooling post with #LaughLearnLinkup. #ihsnet #ibabloggers”]

Your Fabulous Hosts 😉

Tina

Tina lives abroad in Latin America with her husband and four children. Currently in Mexico, Tina is active in homeschool, travel, and her Bible ministry. She blogs about all of their adventures, and more at Los Gringos Locos.
Find Tina at her blog link above, and on the following social media networks:
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Selena

Selena is a writer and a homeschooling mom to four kids, including three with ADHD/SPD. Selena and her husband, Jay, are committed to teaching their children at home and loving every minute of it! You can read about the family’s homeschooling experiences at Look! We’re Learning, written by Selena!
Find Selena at her blog link above, and on the following social media networks:
Facebook
Pinterest
Twitter
Google +
Instagram
Sarah

Sarah lives in Kentucky, USA, where she and her husband homeschool three children. Sarah writes for and about, families with special needs. She hopes to provide support and encouragement to all special needs parents in the homeschool community. Visit Sarah at Dedicated Homeschooler.
Find Sarah at her blog link above, and on the following social media networks:
Facebook
Instagram
Pinterest
Twitter
Haley

Haley hopes to encourage stay at home moms. She wants to help them learn how to make an extra income, to stretch a budget, to make crafts, and other useful information. Haley always has updates on the kids, and their funny antics. Visit Haley at Haley’s Vintage Finds & Deals.
Find Haley at her blog link above, and on the following social media networks:
Facebook
Pinterest
Instagram
Twitter
Google+
YouTube
Stumble Upon
Lindsey

Lindsey Marie is a passionate writer eager to touch the hearts and minds of her readers. As a devoted mother to two, happy homeschooler, and scatterbrained housewife, she’s on a mission to find love and joy in “the simple life” and invites you to join her! She shares this journey with you at The Nitty Gritty Mom .
Find Lindsey Marie at her blog link above, and on the following social media networks:
Facebook
Pinterest
Periscope
Twitter
YouTube

Grab a Button / Badge:

If you were featured this week, we would love for you to use this badge below. We really appreciate all your hard work, and sharing with us each and every week!

We would also love if you could use this badge on any post you shared with us. Or a text link would also be greatly appreciated. More shares and links helps us build a better and bigger linkup for all us to benefit from.

Tina’s pick for this week…

Note from Tina:
I love Erin’s pics of her kids learning through everyday kid life. It’s great!
[bctt tweet=” See how #Fun a week in Life of Unschoolers can be with @Erin_Vincent35 #LaughLearnLinkup”]

Selena’s pick for this week…

Note from Selena:
Some of the games on this list are our favorites too!
[bctt tweet=”Take the groans out of #Math with great games recommended by @kidsmonlessons #LaughLearnLinkup”]

Sarah’s pick for this week…

Note from Sarah:
My family loves lava cakes. These recipes look delicious!
[bctt tweet=”3 Amazing #Recipes for One-Minute Lava Mug Cakes @StudyAtHomeMama #LaughLearnLinkup “]

Haley’s pick for this week…

Note from Haley:
I love this idea! A great way to save and get every last drop out of those markers.
[bctt tweet=”Get every last drop out of your old markers! DIY Watercolors by @TotsAdventures #LaughLearnLinkup”]

Lindsey’s pick for this week…

Note from Lindsey:
This unit is packed with pages and would be fun to use with the littles.
[bctt tweet=”Help your little one learn all about social studies @HHomeschooling! #LaughLearnLinkup”]

Thanks to everyone who submitted a post. Please check out the post above by clicking on the image. If you enjoyed these picks as much as we did, please share them also!

Have you joined our Pinterest Board yet?

Follow Tina Ernspiker’s board #LaughLearnLinkup {Featured Favorites} on Pinterest.

Now give us your best posts!

An InLinkz Link-up

As you might know, our family has recently experienced a serious change: we took a homeschooling break and put our children in public school. For us, that was a major adjustment – something I never thought I would do.

Well, after six months, we’ve decided to end the Great Homeschool Public School Experiment and bring our children back home after the school year ends. A few weeks ago, I mentioned that we were returning to homeschooling, but I wanted to explain exactly why we decided to do so.

Here’s why I’m returning to homeschooling.

Image: nadezhda1906 / Dollar Photo Club

Why I’m Returning to Homeschooling

1. I wanted a second chance with my kids.

When the kids went off to school, I had (a little) more time to think. I’d walk by our homeschooling space and think about how harried I had been and how much pressure I felt to teach them everything on the objectives list each year.

I remembered responding testily when one of my kids had a question. I remembered shouting at Tigger to “SIT DOWN!” I remembered how little I took my own advice about adjusting a homeschooling approach for kids with ADHD.

And I wanted a second chance, a do-over, so I could relax and enjoy homeschooling along with my children.

2. The public school schedule did not work for us.

For kids who’d been homeschooled from birth, getting up every morning at 6:25 a.m. was a real struggle. For a mom who’d homeschooled her kids from birth, getting out of the door by 7 a.m. every morning was a real struggle. But the morning chaos had nothing on what happened in the evenings.

When we homeschooled, evenings were for family time. We’d relax, prepare for our weekly congregation meetings together, have dinner, and let the kids play before bed. Once they were in public school, though, afternoons were a flurry of snacks, homework, school projects, papers for me to sign, hurriedly rushing through our meeting preparation, and finding something to throw in the oven for dinner. After dinner, it was time to rush everyone off to bed so they could get up at 6:25 a.m. all over again.

We all hated what happened to our evenings. It really started to erode our sense of togetherness.

3. My kids wanted to come back home.

Most of all, the kids wanted to come back home. They missed the freedom of learning we had when they were homeschooled. Sometimes I’d pick them up from school and the first thing out of their mouth would be “Can we go back to homeschool?”

I’d hear them talk with each other about field trips we’d taken, lessons we’d covered, and crafts we’d made together. It made me realize how much they enjoyed learning at home, even though they gave me a hard time occasionally. 😉

So that’s why I’m returning to homeschooling!

Have you been homeschooling since birth? Did you start later? What makes you sure about your choice to homeschool? Let us know in the comments!

See more about our public school experience below!

And see more about how we make homeschooling work on my Homeschooling Posts Pinterest board!

This post is part of the “Why We Chose to Homeschool” linky from iHomeschool Network! Click over to read even more great posts from my fellow bloggers!