I am often asked to name a few things that I wish I had known when I started homeschooling. First, for those of you who don’t know me, I am a degreed mechanical engineer with a fun sense of humor, a homeschool mom whose 3 homeschooled kids have gone on to graduate from college, and a driven woman – driven to find better ways for kids to learn. I should also say that I spent part of my elementary school years at Pensacola Christian School, originators of the Abeka textbooks. With this background knowledge, here are the 6 things I wish I had known when we began homeschooling:

1. The most important lessons in life are not contained in textbooks.
2. No child of mine was “standard”, and that should never be a goal.
3. We didn’t need a schoolroom, desks, or anything else “school-like” to succeed with our goal of providing a broad and useful education.
4. If they don’t have perfect cursive handwriting, it probably won’t make them (or anyone else) miserable for the rest of their lives.
5. Siri can answer most “homework” questions, but she and all of the other aids on “smart phones” cannot be creative. Focusing on creativity, making connections and developing ideas, are some of the things that humans do best. Get them ready for the future, not the past!
6. Build the tree fort.