A Brave Writer's Life in Brief

One of the most persistent questions I get in my inbox is: “But what about high school? I love all that magical enchanted lifestyle stuff for kids under 12. Don’t we HAVE to do some things they don’t want to in high school?”

And so a podcast was born. My thoughts on that topic!

10 Things to Have Done by the End of High School

1. Reading! Without reading, you’re just not going to get the same level of education. Now this doesn’t mean your child needs to be able to read by X age. It simply means valuing the communication recorded through history for us to enjoy today.
2. Critical thinking. If your children don’t know to ask good questions and be curious about a variety of answers, they will simply be students and not learners.
3. Math and Science. It is important to provide enough opportunities to learn math and science during high school so that they can choose any field in college.
4. Writing. Let your kids loose on the Internet (while also protecting their safety, of course). In whatever way you can, give them the opportunity to self-express through online communication. Why? The fastest growth in writing comes from an interested audience!
5. Foreign language. Learning a new language expands the brain; it gives you a way of understanding that the way you think is not the only way to think. And when you have the power of a living language, you can connect with other human beings alive today.
6. Chase one affinity. Make sure that your homeschool takes a deep dive into at least one thing that each of your children has an affinity for, and chase it for all it’s worth! More learning will come from that experience than anything else in their entire childhood.
7. Encounter people and places. You want to make sure that, in everything you do, your children are intersecting with people who are not like you. Multiple perspectives matter!
8. Performance. It’s extremely valuable to learn how to stand in front of people and be self-possessed. Find things that encourage your children to have self-possession in front of an audience, such as being in a stage production or in a band.
9. Find friends! It is your job to help your kids find friends, and given your choice to homeschool, you might have to go out of your way and be intentional about it..
10. Advocacy. You are your child’s advocate; you’re going to stand for them and be their biggest fan. They have you, and you’re responsible for teaching them that they’re valuable. This is one of the most important things you will ever do for your child – and then you’re going to teach them how to advocate for themselves!

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Help a homeschooler like you find more joy in the journey. Thanks!