Homeschooling the Teen Years - Sweet Treats and Sappy Stories

With Valentine's Day coming up this week, I thought it would be a good time to add a touch of sugar and sap to our day.  So, I gave the girls a recipe for easy Valentine's Day Patties from Mom on Timeout to try, while I finished listening to The Crown, the last book in The Selection Series, by Kiera Case (the series showed up in my online library "suggested reading" list, and it was available for checkout - so what could I do?)

The dough for the patties, which consisted of powdered sugar, corn syrup, butter, and strawberry extract(the link for the recipe is above) was pleasing to work with, sort of like the feel of a marshmallow fondant, or maybe the Kool-Aid candy clay we made several years ago...

… though honestly, I'd have to try that recipe again to remember for sure, and since I said then that that candy tasted like Skittles - I might have to try it again anyway.  But regardless, the patty dough was not sticky at all, and rolled nicely into balls, which when rolled in granulated sugar could be pressed down with a fork...

… and then easily pinched and pulled into little heart shapes, all ready for Valentine's Day.

They need 24 hours to dry, but naturally, we tasted a few right away.  They look good, but they are very sweet - not surprising given the four cups of powdered sugar plus corn syrup in the recipe...

… which was pretty much how we felt about The Selection Series - too sappy for our taste, but about what you'd expect from a series billed as a "dystopian romance"(again, it was in the library list, what could I do?).  I had been planning on giving the series a quick review here, and leaving it at that, but there was just enough of interest in the books, keeping in mind what they are and the audience (13-14 year old girls) they are aimed at, to merit a complete review, tomorrow.

It's great to be a homeschooler.

Homeschooling the Teen Years - Friday Fun: Educational Playing Cards

The kids, especially the older teens, play a lot of cards with their friends (Garbage  and Scum!  are their current favorites) and A (age 17) usually has a couple of decks in her purse just in case opportunity for a game arises.

As with our coffee mugs, I try to find decks that bring something extra to the table.  The kids' favorites right now are Shakespearean "Insult" and "Quote" cards from Prospero Art (non-affiliate links).

Who doesn't want to have a good Shakespearean insult handy when being dealt losing cards?

We also have a couple of sets of Jane Austen themed cards from the same company, with quotes and illustrations from four of her novels - one for each suit...

… which has gotten quite a bit of play - so much so in fact, that I noticed they're becoming worn and shabby, and decided it's about time to order a new pack or two.

When you get to looking, there are so many different sets to choose from it can be difficult to narrow it down.  We like to play cards, but we don't need more than a few decks on hand at a time.

I really wanted to order a set by Heritage Playing Cards with the British prime ministers on them...

… but Amazon only had one deck left in stock, and the kids' usually need two for their games, so I settled on a couple of fine art packs from Piatnik for them...

… and grabbed another set from Us Games Systems, endorsed by the History Channel, which I think the Man of the House (who also likes to play cards) will get a kick out of.  His grandmother was a plane spotter during WWII.

It's great to be a homeschooler.

Homeschooling the Teen Years - Don't Fear the Gap Year

I'm writing today's post as much for myself as for anyone else.  A (age 17) has been throwing out the idea of taking a gap year (a year off between high school and college for travel, work, reflection and rest) with increasing frequency these days, and it's making me nervous.

I'm not sure why, because T (age 21) took a sort of a gap year between his freshman year in Bible school and his freshman (because NONE of his credits transferred) year at university, and it turned out to be a very good thing for him.

Still, the loss of momentum, the lures of the workforce, the opportunities for romantic or matrimonial entanglements all look like obstacles to a continuing education to me.  That's my fear.  A sees it as a time to gain focus, enthusiasm, direction and money to see her through the following four years (or hopefully two, as most if not all of her credits should transfer).

I decided that rather than arguing it out with her, I'd spend the day retracing the steps of T's journey, and I'm taking you with me (if you decide to keep reading, anyway).

Step 1 - T (age 17) graduated early from high school in the winter of 2014.  He had taken his SATs in the fall of his senior year, and immediately started receiving invitations to apply to various colleges (as students do).  He applied and was accepted into an online associates degree program from a Canadian Bible school.  We decided to let him graduate in December so he could take his first class in the spring of that year.

Step 2 - In the fall of 2015 he started into full time classes online.

Step 3 - He worked full time through the summer of 2016.

Step 4 - In the fall of 2016 he decided he didn't want to start back into classes.

step 5 - We weren't sure if he'd be going back to school or not, and so decided to have him take his HiSet (high school completion test) through our adult learning center.

Step 6 - We started charging him rent for the months he was not in school.

Step 7 - As part of his HiSet preparation program through the adult learning center, he had an opportunity to take a free college success class (that would transfer into the state colleges if he decided to take up a degree there) and a pre-welding course (to get a taste of the vocational programs being offered in our area).

A helicopter made during T's pre-welding course.

Step 8 - 

• He worked full time,

• joined a young adult Bible study at church with others who were in school, in the military, or working,

• attended plays, concerts and movies with friends and family 

• joined in family activities

• and kept an eye on the local job market.

Step 9 - By April of 2016 he was ready to apply for a business administration program at a nearby university.

Step 10 - He was accepted by May, and filling out FAFSA and scholarship applications.

Step 11 - In the fall of 2017 he was back to school a much more willing and ready student.

I wouldn't say it was an altogether easy year, there was soul searching and uncertainty, but looking back on it now, I wouldn't say it was a big deal or anything to worry about either.  And the difference between the T who graduated high school and the T who started university classes was significant.  He absolutely needed that time to grow-up and find direction.

It's great to be a homeschooler.

Homeschooling the Teen Years - Keep Track of Those Volunteer Hours For Scholarships!

Drawing by E (age 14)

Do your teens volunteer?

Are you aware of which volunteer activities count toward college scholarships?

Are they keeping a log of their volunteer hours?

A(age 17) has had some luck with "young leader" type scholarships that ask for a record of volunteer hours.  One of the scholarships she applied for and received was from a Christian liberal arts university, and so counted hours spent teaching Sunday school (she teaches the 4th-6th grade class at our church) and VBS, in addition to her hours volunteering with a humane society type organization cleaning out cat cages once a week, her student government and food bank hours at the college where she dual enrolls, the time spent rehearsing and performing skits for children at a homeless center with a community theater group, and even the hour or so she spent singing Christmas carols through retirement homes with the youth group.

We looked into a similar scholarship from our governor's office.  It allowed for some church based activities, such as serving meals at a homeless shelter, or delivering Thanksgiving baskets - but not anything that involved "proselytizing", so not Sunday school teaching or VBS work.

The one thing both scholarships had in common was that they wanted a detailed log of volunteer hours.  We had not thought to keep one.  When A was volunteering it was out of interest in the activity rather than with a thought to scholarships.  We ended up having to page back through our wall calendars to find the times she'd been at various places. Thankfully I keep a detailed schedule of who needs a ride to where and when, so no one ends up stranded.  It worked pretty well, but it was time consuming, and we probably missed some hours, and every hour counts!

If your teens are volunteering, and if there's even a slim chance they might want to go on to college, keep a log of their volunteer hours.  It will make life so much easier for them later.

You might want to peruse various university websites too, just to see what sort of community involvement are for scholarships.  There were several items (see list below) on the scholarship page of our the governor's scholarship that I might not have thought of.


Places and Organizations that offer volunteer opportunities:  

• 4-H
• Adopt a Grandparent/Homebound Elderly Companions
• Adopt a Highway
• Afterschool programs
• Big Brothers Big Sisters
• Boy Scouts
• Career and Technical Student Organizations
• Community Gardens
• Conservation Districts
• Family Career & Community Leaders of America (FCCLA)
• Future Farmers of America (FFA)
• Food banks and soup kitchens
• Girl Scouts • Habitat for Humanity
• Historical Societies
• Hospitals
• Humane Society
• Hunter’s Education Classes
• Libraries • Literacy Programs
• National Honors Society • Nursing Homes
• Meals on Wheels • Master Gardener Programs
• Museums, Art Galleries and Monuments
• Pow-Wow Events
• Preventative Drug, Alcohol, Violence, Abuse Programs
• Red Cross (Blood Drives, Emergency Preparedness Training, etc.)
• Ski patrol
• Student Council
• United Way
• Volunteer Fire Departments
• Youth Justice Council
• YMCA and YWCA

Types of Service Activities:

• Afterschool mentoring
• Book drives
• Coaching
• Coat collections
• ESL tutoring
• Food drives
• Fundraising for nonprofits
• Global Youth Service Day activities
• Highway cleanups • Home weatherization
• Invasive plant removal
• MLK day activities
• Peer mediation
• Serving food at soup kitchens
• Trail building and maintenance
• Tutoring
• Serving as a hospital aid
• Bake sales for school clubs
• Helping at animal shelters
• Visits to senior homes

It's great to be a homeschooler.

Homeschooling the Teen Years - Prepping a Personal Signature and Preparing for Forms

I know I've mentioned the importance of teaching children to write their signatures before, but once they reach the teen years it's time to really polish those signatures off and prepare them for use.  High school and life beyond is filled with forms - forms that need to be filled out, and signed.

Teens are self-conscience enough, and homeschool teens can be even more so.  There's no need to set them up for embarrassment when a little bit of prep and practice will have them ready to go.

While you're at it too, you might consider going over basic form facts in the privacy of your own home (rather than in front of the bank teller, or college admissions clerk).

• Forms are filled out in black or blue ink (usually in black, but never in pencil)
• There are various date formats mm/dd/yyyy (for instance)
•  Neatness counts
• How to use "N/A" or "same as above"
• Read the questions carefully, and pay attention to where you are supposed to fill in the answers.
• Small mistakes can be crossed out (with a single line) and re-written.
• Know your basic facts (address - including zip code, phone number - with area code (but not the preceding "1", social security number, etc.)

Most of it's self explanatory, and all of us have learned by practice - assure your teens of that.  We all start out (and ultimately end up) slow at filling out forms, but get better with practice - and there will be plenty of practice ahead.

It's great to be a homeschooler.

Homeschooling the Teen Years - When College is Not a Fit

I've always said that one of the goals of our homeschooling is to have the children college ready by their graduation, so that if they want to go on into college they'll be able to without any problems.  But really, in the back of my mind it's never been an "if they want to" but a "when they want to".

Of course, as a housewife, I haven't seen much financial return from my own degree (though I'd still argue it's been of use to me) - and the children have seen that.

And the Man of the House, who has supported all of us, and whose hard work enables me to be able to stay home and homeschool the children, did not go to college, and has never regretted that decision - and the children have seen that.

So really, it shouldn't be a huge surprise to me if one or two decide to jump straight into the workforce...it's just not something I planned for.

But a couple of summers ago, when we received a care package full of t-shirts from the college where one of my older sisters works, and I snapped a picture of the kids wearing them for her, gazing hopefully into their collegiate futures...

… it was already becoming clear that college was not really going to be a good fit for G and her then boyfriend (known to us now as "the Son-in-Law").

Besides the facts I've already mentioned, that I'm a housewife, and haven't really used my degree, and that the Man of the House has succeeded without a degree, there was also the fact that from the time G was tiny she has always said she wanted to be a housewife, and she's never been one to easily give up on a goal.  So, when it became clear that things were moving forward with their relationship...

… and her goal of "housewife" was within her sights, I had a pretty good idea that college was not going to be in their plans.  And although it shouldn't have been a surprise, it was still a shock.

I went through a definite mourning process complete with all five stages of grief.

Denial

At this point I was "keeping the doors open" for her (and for him to if he would have let me).

I had her take the HiSet early in her senior year, before things had gotten too serious between them, when I thought she might still be willing to put off marriage plans for a few years (and yes, you can still go to college after your married, I just didn't think she would).

I had her take the SAT.

I even got her agree to apply (or let me apply for her) to a university that she had admitted she might be interested in if it weren't so expensive, and I helped her fill out scholarship and financial aid forms - just in case.

Anger

She didn't qualify for much in the way of financial aid, and while she received some scholarship offers, her SAT scores were lackluster and didn't produce as much as they could have.

I was angry that she hadn't tried harder.

I was angry she wouldn't agree to take the test more than once, so she could up her scores.

I was angry with myself for homeschooling her and ruining her future, because surely, if she'd been properly motivated she would have cared more about the whole process.

I was angry with myself for not being able to trust her.  For wanting my dreams to be her dreams.

I was angry with the Man of the House for not being worried.

I was angry with the boyfriend for planting subversive, anti-educational ideas in her head (even if I knew he hadn't).

Bargaining

I offered her a free class of her choice at the college as a high school graduation gift.  She was working at a school for the deaf and blind, and so I offered to pay for a sign language class at the community college in the hope that a little taste of college might lead to a desire for more.  When she completed that course I offered to pay for another - a drawing class...no pressure.  But, while she enjoyed learning sign language, she didn't like the college format, and didn't care to take any more classes.

I also offered to help her fiancé (as he was by then) fill out financial aid forms, talk to the career counseling center at the college, look into online degree programs, or find a job that paid tuition costs - he had other plans.

Depression

I felt like I'd failed her.  I worried I might be failing the others.  I considered going back to work full-time and putting them all into public school.

Acceptance 

At the end of the day though, the kids have a good plan.  It might not be my plan, but it isn't bad.

While I was worried about the doors that would be closed to them without college degrees, they were walking through the doors that were already open.

M (the son-in-law) found an entry level position that pays well enough to get them started, with lots of potential for moving up and into a career (actually in the same line of work as the Man of the House, but for the competition). G found a job she enjoys that keeps her busy, and adds to their income enough to let them build a savings toward the day when she can stay home.  They're staying true to their faith. They're pursuing hobbies and friendships that add to their growth. They have a cute apartment, with plans toward a little house, and a puppy...

… and I can accept that (even if I would have preferred that they had college degrees to fall back on...and a kitten).

It's great to be a homeschooler.

Homeschooling the Teen Years - Friday Fun: Educational Mugs

My teens aren't big coffee drinkers, but many of their friends are, and when they're over for a game day or movie night, I love serving up a little lesson to spark conversation with the coffee.  Over the last year or so, I've been gradually replacing our ho-hum, unassuming coffee cups with educational mugs - ones covered in Shakespearean insults, or quotes from Jane Austin.

My favorite mugs come from The Unemployed Philosophers Guild (non-affiliate link), because they are good sturdy mugs, and I like their shape and thickness.  In fact, I just put in an order for their "First Lines of Literature" mug, that has the first lines from famous works of fiction all over it...

... with the matching titles listed on the bottom.

They have a "Last Lines of Literature" mug too, but I'm not sure if the that one has the titles on the bottom, or not.  The only mugs I avoid are the color changing ones.  They can't go in the dishwasher, and sooner or later I forget and run one through.  I ruined our constellation mug that way already, which is too bad...

...because I really liked it, and otherwise there was a "Supreme Court Winners and Losers" mug I would have loved to have added to our set (the losers disappear when the cup is warm).

Hand-wash only or dishwasher safe - the biggest problem of all is trying not to get carried away, from literature to science, math to fine art, tongue-in-cheek to serious - there are so many to choose from!

It's great to be a homeschooler.