College prep homeschooling: 8th grade foreign language

As it is an expected requirement that students have taken two years of the same foreign language in high school, 8th grade is a good opportunity to try out a few languages to see what might be a good fit.

Dealing with shady questions from strangers regarding homeschoolers

I have come to realize that those rude, hurtful, shady comments from homeschoolers are just a projection of questions they have about homeschooling.  Deciphering those questions and answering them gently has been a key to better understanding.

Today I am 50 years old, and I understand some things

I understand:

That I have outlived most of my family that I grew up with (as there was a lot of illness in our family). Therefore, I understand the gift that my life is.

That I know more than I did when I was a 30-year-old idiot, but in 20 years I might be shaking my head at my 50-year-old self.

That as individuals, most people have redeeming qualities, but the mob mentality is strong, so you gotta watch out for that shit.

That it is OK to swear.

That I am loved, and not just by my immediate family, but by people who I hardly know. It surprises me when I run into someone who has "met" me through social media, and they praise me.  That's mind-blowing.

That after years of finding a new purpose (after graduating my kids from homeschooling), that it turns out that nothing is more important to me than education.

That I am open to spending the rest of my life teaching and learning.

That it is OK to cry. (whether happy or sad).

That happiness is a choice.  Surely sadness comes and goes, but how long we decide to live in it determines our growth or lack of...

That you have to call an idiot an idiot, and a spade a spade, and wicked, wicked.

College Prep Homeschooling: 8th Grade Electives

This video walks you through keeping track of and giving your child credit for homeschool, high school electives.

This ranges from taking care of the home, cooking, sports teams, clubs, hobbies, music instruction, and just about any other recreational activity your child might do... including scouts.  You can give your child a great deal of homeschool elective (and even subject matter) credit for scouts