(In this post, we’ll go back in time to a Facebook post from 2015 and look at the model we followed (and still do) for homeschooling our teens. Sometimes it helps to see what it “looks like”!)
People often ask me what I do with my teens for school. Here is a question that must be answered to start going in the right direction:
If you knew what your child was going to be when he (or she) grows up what kind of education would you provide?
Public educators expect kids to choose a “minor and major” when they go to college. I expect my kids to study specific “minors and a major” starting in elementary school, and getting very serious at age 13. For their 13th birthday we have a themed party based on their “career dreams” at the time. Isaac wanted to be a chef at age 13, Anna wanted to be a baker, Estera wanted to be a photographer. So you can imagine their parties!
This is what my 16 year old son is studying this year–everything is relevant to his life and goals:
#1 Creative Online Marketing
#2 Publishing
#4 Project Management (He is building a Minecraft server for homeschoolers with a history and inventions theme. He has a couple nerds working for him.)
#5 Music & Video Production (click here to see a documentary video he created!)
#6 Cats – He wants to breed and sell show cats, and make coloring books, an online community and a website for cat lovers.
#7 Bible, Missions, Evangelism and Teaching Students
#8 History (This is his passion, he loves Uncle Eric Books)
#9 Family, Relationships – Preparation for being a dad and husband. He jokes about how taking care of his cats is prep for parenting, and he does want to get married and have a family of his own, and he knows that he will need to provide for that family.
#10 Cooking – in the past he wanted to be a chef, so we spent a couple years to help him train, he had two jobs as a personal chef at age 14 and 15. Now he isn’t as interested, but could easily get a job as a chef at any point, and has great references. We invested a lot of time and resources in his previous passion for cooking – now he doesn’t want to be a cook. Was that a waste of investment? NO! His family will be thankful, and he has something to fall back on… and he’s only 16. The boy has skills.
#11 Voice Acting.. Why not? Someone has to do it!
As you can see he has no time for a typical learning plan. We don’t do any formal math just practical math. I am not worried about higher education, credits, testing, college. He isn’t going to need a diploma to get a job. He will be an entrepreneur; he will be the one hiring. I have talked to him about higher education and the things he would need to do to take that path in the future. He knows that if he wants to go to college later he can prepare for the testing on his own and do it. He has plenty of time for hobbies and is very good at sports.
I started allowing my children to choose majors and minor when Anna (my 1st dyslexic child) was seven. She couldn’t read and write, so art, gardening and cooking were everything for two years until I invented Dyslexia Games.
When people ask me about homeschooling and what the kids are doing I might talk might sound like I am talking about a college student, not a 7 year old.
I am not at all worried about higher education, I start giving them a higher education at age 13.
What would each of your children like to major in this year if they had the choice?
If your child wants to be an artist and mommy – take her seriously! Help her to become the best artist and mommy ever! That’s what I wanted to be my whole life… and that is what I have become.
Today, our son is 23, married, finishing Bible College this May, and is a composer. He’s running a recording studio as well. He has been supporting himself for five years.
