When you decide to homeschool your own, you don't know it but you have just decided to gift yourself in the process. I can't think of another opportunity in life that demands this degree of giving. There is no other gift more valuable than giving your time, energy and a love for learning to your own child.

There were numerous reasons my husband and I decided to give this gift to our girls. We loved to learn and wanted that love to grow in each of our children from the moment they began 'school'. We loved to take time with ideas, mull them over, get to know them for themselves. To us, ideas were treasures if you allowed yourself to treat them as such. As the years go on I have realized another reason I wanted to homeschool my girls. And this reason is probably the strongest one. I wanted to watch my girls learn. I wanted to be privy to how they learn; what their style of learning is; what path they choose to grasp a new concept. These are the things I would never get to know if they were in a classroom with twenty or so other children. Another important reason for homschooling my girls was I wanted them to be safe. It bothered me deeply when I thought of them at a traditional school where there might be drugs, weapons, 'clicks' of girls, such real dangers around them. Just the idea that I would not know how they were treated or who was speaking to them made me feel uncomfortable. I would not know if someone told them something that is not true. And this concerned me greatly.

Back in the early eighties when we began homeschooling our daughters there was no Internet to interact with, no organization at the local or state level that sanctioned homeschooling as an acceptable method of educating a child. There were a few stores in the community that sold teaching materials but very little was available for teaching hands-on science. But, as the saying goes, necessity is the mother of invention. Once we decided to homeschool we never thought of turning back. I immediately began putting together lessons in math, literature, art, writing, telling stories and music. I began buying science tools, such as compasses, prisms, motors, circuit components, etc from science wholesale houses I had learned about in college. Within three months, when Reason was four and Serene was three years old, I had a somewhat structured program for them and felt comfortable with it.

As the girls fell into a rhythm with me, word got around and soon other homeschooling mothers were calling, asking me to teach their child my science, music, art, math. I obliged at first, feeling flattered they wanted what I had created. But soon our classes became too big. It seemed my initial reasons for homeschooling my girls were not being fulfilled. I wanted very much to watch my girls learn and had to face the fact that that was not possible with classes of four or more students. I quickly realized I had to seek other teachers to teach the other subjects. I hired a wonderful elementary school teacher who carried on with my work in literature and math. I hired an artist who dove into my art program with gusto. The music teacher was the most difficult to find. I ended up hiring several music 'teachers' who introduced drums, rhythm to our class on Friday mornings after we had our art.

As time went on, I realized I had created a school and was delighted with this. My fears for my girls' safety had vanished. I was privy to how they were learning; what their style of learning was; what path they chose to grasp a concept. I was always around listening to how they spoke to others and how others spoke to them. I was able to intercept when they became sassy, rude or thoughtless with others and gently nudge them into a more profitable way of interrelating, especially with their peers.

Twenty years have gone by since I took the road less traveled so I could make a short job longer than it was supposed to be in order to savor every moment of it. Our oldest daughter graduated from UCLA in Biochemistry with honors and is in medical school. Our youngest daughter has finished her Art History studies at UCLA and plans to create beautiful jewelry. http://www.serenespringdesigns.com Both girls are bound to make the world a better place for they have stopped to smell the roses while listening to their hearts along the way.

Now it is time for me to pass my experiences with homeschooling on to other homeschooling parents because, as Shakespeare’s wrote in The Tempest, ’What's past is prologue'. My experiences teaching science to homeschooling children has become the prologue for the next generation of brave homeschooling parents.

Looking back, there were a few shining moments for wisdom to increase my effectiveness that I was fortunate to see. They are too valuable to leave out of this prologue. The main one can be expressed in just a few words: Leave your ego at the door. Your child wants to learn. Your child will learn quicker and with more enjoyment if left alone to manipulate the pieces you have laid out. Prepare for the experience you want your child to have, then force yourself to step aside. Be there in the background to answer questions, but don’t push your viewpoint onto your child. Allow your child to ’feel’ the lesson first. Watch your child ’journey’ into the experience while you observe the style and the unique cadence your child uses. This is how you get to know your child. This is your reward. This is the wonderful gift your child gives to you. Be a wise homeschooling parent. Let it happen.

Looking back, I remember the times my parents, uncles, aunts, childhood friends asked me, “Don’t you ever get tired of homeschooling your children? I could never do what you are doing. It must take a lot of grueling planning all the time. Every day.“ The best reply I have used that has been an inspiration to me is the following which came from a seasoned homeschooling parent years ago— ’Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is the future. Today is a gift. That's why we call it the present.’

StarChild Science provides an opportunity to parents and teachers to become educated about nature's ways and begin to intelligently choose which government policies are consistent with scientific evidence on health and environmental issues. In time, this focus on understanding nature's ways will undoubtably counter industry’s powerful influence on public opinion and public policies. That influence will falter when knowledge is freely presented. I urge all teachers and all parents to walk through StarChild Science lessons with their children and view nature's use of energy flowing in forests, along beaches, marshes, meadows and along lakes; through the air, above the clouds and especially in their own backyards. We give parents and teachers ample opportunity to discover themselves in nature.

The Scientist

The Artist

Monterey Farmers Markets

Salinas Farmers Markets

Contra Costa Certified Farmers'Market

Carmel Farmers Markets

"satisfying a child's insatiable curiosity" Cheryl Block

The Palumbi Lab

CHOPPED CHICKEN MANGO SALAD

Bahama Billy's Island Steakhouse

Carmel, California

831-626-0430

This is the best menu around for fresh salads that surprise you with mangos, pineapple, nuts, and fresh ginger. Their seafood creations are also highly recommended.