Should you or should you not use homeschool co-ops

You will not have to read long here at  Blueberry House to discover that I am not a lover of  Science! I buy Science from Christian Light Publications because it has a box that you can get with every grade that has everything you need to do any experiments in their books. Each grade has its own box and the box has stuff in it right down to the soil and the paper cups, the beakers and the slides. Its wonderful...well it would be if I used it more often.

Even with that convenience I find myself dreading Science with the kids. Tink doesn't care about Science, but then she doesn't care about anything other than her friends, her violin and her volleyball. Peter on the other hand, loves Science and all that goes with it! Poor kid, his mommy is Science challenged! I've just never been big on Science.

Don't fall off your chair when I tell you that I really don't care why something works, as long as it works! Last week Tink had to write a science concept paper in her Writing class! Now I can't imagine why someone would pull Science into such a beautiful class as Writing, but the teacher thought it was a good idea. Tink was told her paper had to be on the Generation of Electricity. What a bunch of hair pulling and teeth grinding that was!

I had to help with her with the large majority of the assignment and I realized anew how much I hate Science!! Just let me turn the lights on, don't tell me about the electrons that bump into each other and generate electricity. I dont want to know about magnetic fields and turbines and such. I only care that electricity is there when I need it. I know, I know, that is so shallow of me, but I do not love Science!!!!

I have finally given up on teaching my kids any sort of formal Science. I understand that kids need to know a bit about how things work. Science is probably a very necessary class. Because of this supposed idea I have hit on the perfect plan.

For the last couple of years I have made sure that my kids get their dose of scientific information without any pain on my part. Yes, you guessed it. They now get all their science from homeschool co-ops or the charter school. I hate science! Did I say that already? Peter is taking an animal science class at the charter school. He loves it and so do I...for different reasons, of course. Tink is doing Life Science here at home through a lyrical music program. She learns the vocabulary through songs set to popular music. It's all pain free for me.

I'm really sorry to have broken that perfect homeschool image that blogworld so often portrays but I believe in telling it like it is. If you don't like a subject the kids aren't going to enjoy it. Find someone who loves the subject you hate and have them teach it. Peter is loving Science and I'm afraid he wouldn't if I was his teacher. I would end up killing all his joy. The experiments are the worst! Ach, how I hate experiments...and the mess that follows!

As for history. Ah, now we're talking! I love history! I am passionate about History. I teach it by book, by movies, by field trips, and by any method I can find. Tink is in two history classes this year because her mama loves history!

Okay, I better not get started on my love of the past. The whole point of this is to tell my readers that it's okay to not like a subject. It's okay. It doesn't make you a bad parent or teacher. It's okay to not understand a subject, such as, upper algebra. That's alright.

Don't sweat it.

Just find someone who is qualified to teach it and have them teach your child. The homeschool world is filled with woman who have teaching degrees in all subjects. Many of them offer classes in their specialized field. A good way to find these teachers is to join up with a yahoo homeschool group in your area or a homeschool forum that is localized.

Dont feel bad about needing outside assistance. Homeschooling can be fraught with unnecessary guilt! Free yourself and make use of those co-ops!