Real Life Homeschooling Review

I just finished reading this wonderful book.  I have actually had it for about a year, just sitting on the shelf waiting for my full attention.  Since I am trying to develop our ecelectic homeschool style to include more reading (and let the kids see me reading more than their textbooks and unit studies), I had joined the summer reading program at the local library.  I grabbed this book off the shelf the other day after desiring a mental break from the book I am attempting Game of Thrones book 1 by George Martin (love it, but a lot of information crammed into small pages). 

This book could not have come at a better time for me.  I have been sort of stressing about our homeschool situation of feeling a bit overwhelmed by their schedules and I was trying to take a look at what we could continue doing and what we would have to cut.  The flexibility of homeschooling provides us the ability to be out and about more....but I still have the public school mentality of worrying about all they are learning. 

This book is a collection of stories of 21 Families that homeschool.  They represent those who are religious and those who are not.  Those who follow a stricter style of teaching with formal curriculum and unschoolers.  One husband was even arrested.  There's a family that homeschools on a tropical island...who wouln't dream of that life.  I was jealous reading their story. 

It was not a how-to book.  It was just like reading a general non-fiction book.  I was able to read about the frustrations they felt and could relate to how they were feeling.  It's an older book, even though it is only 9 years old, but I found it a great read.  I got done and felt refreshed, kind of like leaving a homeschool conference, and a bit renewed.  It gave me a new perspective to approach in our homeschooling as I still look at how we may do things.  This will be on my shelf for another discouraging time...I can pick a story and read it to remind myself that others feel discouragement, no matter what their blogs say or show.

My favorite point that was repeated through each family....Do what works for your family!!!!

I highly recommend this title.  I bought my copy off of ebay, because it was a bit harder to find at the time.  Amazon does have copies for sale (used) also. 

Title:  Real-Life Homeschooling

Author:  Rhonda Barfield

Publisher:  Fireside/Simon and Schuster

ISBN:  0743442296