Are you a Charlotte Mason, Classical, Eclectic, Unschooling homeschooler, or just plain confused?

Let me tell you, after attending yet another homeschool convention this past weekend, my head is so filled with good nuggets and advice and thoughts to ponder, I think it might explode!!

But that’s a good thing.  Truly.  Because the second we become complacent as homeschoolers is the second God has a good laugh.  There are plenty of pros and some cons for each of the main methods of homeschooling, and we all seek to avoid a one-size-fits-all mentality.  So it’s safe to say that every homeschool is as unique as the family that lives it.

Top Ten Reasons Our Family Defies Any Homeschool Labels

1. We have more than one child.  As any parent knows, our children are individuals.  Even if you have one child, you can see the differences in learning style, personality, strengths and weaknesses, abilities and interests between him and his friends and neighbors.  If you have more than one child, you learn this simply through daily living in your home.

2. We like elements of many methods and don’t feel like choosing.  Have you ever stood at the ice cream counter stumped because of all of the choices?  Does it get any easier once you’ve tasted a number of flavors and know that you like them all?  Nope.  We’ve read about, and dabbled in, a number of different homeschooling methods and truthfully have a lot of good to say about many of them.

3. I’m fickle.  I change my mind.  Every year.  Not on the main philosophical points, or my reasons for homeschooling in the first place, but I love the flexibility that allows me to change focus, technique, and method when it suits our home, family and schedule.

4. I like to confuse people.  We humans loooove to label, don’t we?  And sometimes that’s necessary, but sometimes it’s simply frustrating.  I’m going on my eighth year homeschooling now, and I know the value of being outside of any box it is comfortable for someone to try to shove fit us in.

5. (OK, getting serious again…) We love to read living books.  So does that make us Charlotte Mason homeschoolers?  Classical homeschoolers?  Thomas Jefferson, Literature-Based, or Interest-Led?  Yes, yes, yes, yes and yes.  Or it just may mean we like to read.  Period.  No explanation needed.

6. Burnout.  My brain melts into a mess if I get too focused on a method instead of being focused on my kids.  My kids don’t fit a mold, so I don’t want to either.  Trying to do so is a recipe for disaster.

7.  Zachary (5)

8.  Elliot (6)

9.  Maddy (9)

10.  Colin (12)

 OK, so I cheated, but my four children are the reasons we homeschool in the first place so by default they are the reasons we defy any method labels.  (And, let’s be serious, that milk jug hat my daughter made defies any explanation!)

Link up with Top Ten Tuesday over at Angie’s!

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