The Homeschool Chronicles
Dragonbox will teach your five-year-old to do algebra. Really, truly. I'm not a big fan of educational apps, but this one changed my mind. Read more
Dragonbox will teach your five-year-old to do algebra. Really, truly. I'm not a big fan of educational apps, but this one changed my mind. Read more
Spending time with atheists renews my faith in Jesus. My story raises doubts, but theirs raise more. Read more
Figuring out exactly where you are in the world is no easy task. Figuring out how that place connects to all the other places in the world, and how those places have related over time, well, that's a life's work. Compelling work. Maybe that's why I've never met a kid who didn't enjoy poring over a map. Read more
Your kid behaves worse at home than anywhere else? That's why he needs a second family. That's why they all do. Read more
Last Monday, I almost cheated on the National Mythology Exam. Why was it so difficult for me to let my son fail? Like too many modern, American parents I am unwillingness to let my children struggle and fail. Unfortunately for all of us, we are raising a generation that is too often anxious, dependent, and unable to do the hard work of cultivating the dreams, disciplines, and relationships that make life joyful. Read more
How are you supposed to love a dog when animals give you the heebie jeebies? I'm still not sure, but I think it has to do with scoopin' poop. Read more
I knew that Zach was afraid, but I pushed him to try it anyway. I could write about any number of activities after that introduction. Swim lessons, the Lego Car Rally at MIT, and pepperoni pizza, for example, all required lots of prodding, hand holding, and praying. Zach is often afraid of new experiences, and is only willing to try them after we help him work through his anxiety. Most of the time, it is the right thing to help... Read more
“Ezra! Slow down and wait for Daddy!” I shouted into the wind, hoping to stop Ezra from racing up a steep cliff that, to my eyes, looked dangerous. To Ezra’s eyes, it looked “AWESOME!” “It’s okay, Zach. You can go up higher. Why don’t you try that path on the left?” Zach was definitely NOT going to follow Ezra up that scary pass. If he had his druthers, we’d all head back to the car before anyone got hurt. Nafisa,... Read more
It’s been more than two years since I posted this. In that time, my fear that our kids would turn out to be weird if we homeschooled has largely disappeared. Now, I just embrace the fact. __________________________________________________________ Why Homeschooled Kids Are Weird, September, 2010 Eleven AM and we are trying to get out the door to go to Chuck E Cheese for PE today. (Hey – we’re experiencing rain of biblical proportions down here, and I contend that skeeball is... Read more
All three kids came running downstairs on Monday night. They had fistfuls of cash they wanted to give us. By the time we counted it all up, they had given us $238. This followed on the heels of Zach reprimanding us for buying tickets to California to see Jeff’s family. He would only ease up when I told him that we bought four out of five tickets with frequent flyer miles. Earlier in the night, Ezra implored us not to... Read more
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In