What Being Homeschooled is REALLY Like

 So many people wonder what it's like to be homeschooled. So many people wish they could be homeschooled. So many people don't know what being homeschooled is really like. So in today's blog post, I'm going to tell you guys all about it.

 First I am going to give you a little background story. I haven't been homeschooled my whole life. From pre-school to third grade I went to a private school. I don't know exactly why, but my parents pulled me and my siblings out of that school and homeschooled us the next year. Then, in fifth grade I went to public school. I was so excited to be back in school with friends, recess, and lunch; all of that fun stuff. This was the worst year of my life. I'm not going to go into too much detail because I am going to make a separate blog post on this topic, but I have extremely bad anxiety. This is the year it all really started to flare up and effect me. Everyday was a nightmare. I wanted so badly for my parents to pull me out and homeschool me again, but they didn't want me to give in and let the devil have the victory. They pushed me through the year, and I had the victory. After fifth grade was finally over, I was homeschooled again. My parents decided to homeschool me and my siblings again because they wanted to be in charge of what we were being taught, and they didn't want us in the environment of public school anymore. Also school made my anxiety 100 times worse. So, from sixth grade up until now, I have been homeschooled. I just finished eighth grade, and I am going into ninth next year.

Now that you have a background, I am going to explain what being homeschooled is all about.
  Like anything, there are both pros and cons to being homeschooled. Starting off with the pros, you have so much more freedom! Of course this is different for everyone, but school only takes me 2-3 hours each day and I'm done! After I finish, I have time to do the things I love, like blog, make YouTube videos, play instruments, practice photography, do dance, and best of all, spend time with my family! If you go to school, I'm sure you know the drill. Wake up, go to school, come home, do homework, eat dinner, go to bed, repeat. There's barely any time to be spent with your family! This is probably the top reason I love being homeschooled! Another pro is that you can do your school work on the go. If you travel a lot, no problem! You can take your work with you, and avoid getting behind, while still enjoying your travel time. Some days we were in the car driving to far away appointments, and I brought my school work along the way! Being homeschooled is very convenient. The last pro I am going to tell you guys about is being able to learn about the things you enjoy! Obviously there are required subjects you have to do, but you and your parents are able to decide what you learn! So if you are really into plants, for example, you could incorporate learning about them into your schooling! I love photography, so last year I took an online photography class! I enjoyed it so much, and looked forward to it everyday. I was even super sad when it was over!
 Now that I have told you about the main pros of homeschooling, let's get into some cons. I think the con that everyone is most worried about is socialization. Being home all day away from all of your friends gets pretty lonely sometimes. I know my mom is worried about this for me, and she is so worried that I am starting a co-op next year. This can be an issue if you let it be, but there are many ways to get your socialization in. You can still hang out with friends, go to a co-op, and do sports or extra curricular activities. One of the cons that effects me most is accountability. My mom doesn't teach me, and instead I use curriculum. So, that means I need to be responsible to get my work done everyday. It sounds simple, but really it's not! When you are in school, your teachers teach you and you just have to be responsible to get your home-work completed. You have a schedule and routine everyday. When you are homeschooled it gets a little more complicated. Maybe this is just me, but it's hard to build a routine and stick with it! So being accountable for yourself is pretty tricky.
 I think being homeschooled is one hundred percent worth all of the cons though! I have learned so many things that I wouldn't learn in school, like how to run a household, and care for children. My mom's favorite thing about homeschooling us is that she can show us the importance of dropping everything to help someone! If there is someone in need, we help them. I love that I can learn about the most important things and skills in life.

 For this next section of this blog post, I am going to answer the most frequently asked questions I get!
 First, everyone asks me if I have homework. The answer is no! I get all of my work done during the day and I don't have any left over. I honestly don't know if some homeschoolers have homework or not, but everyone homeschools differently.
 Next, I get asked if I get to sleep as long as I want. Like I said earlier, I like to let my self wake up naturally, so if that's sleeping in, I'll sleep in! But some days I naturally wake up at around 6:00 am! So yes, I am able to sleep as long as I want, but it really isn't that late for me. I like having an early start to my day!
 Another very frequently asked question is "Do you have any friends?" Yes! I do have friends! Just because I don't go to school with a lot of people doesn't mean I don't get social activity. I have some friends that go to school, and some that are homeschooled. I have friends at dance class, which I go to two times a week. I also go to church every Sunday and have friends there. So really, being homeschooled only has a negative impact on your socialization if you let it.


 So, overall, homeschooling is incredible! Everyone is different and different methods of schooling will work better for every individual, but there are always so many questions people have about homeschooling, so I thought I'd cover some of it!