Homeschooling is a journey. That's the analogy I think I've heard used most to describe home education. We set out on a journey and much is experienced along the way. We begin sometimes with gusto and anticipation, sometimes uncertainly, or even with trepidation. At times, it can seem exciting and full of wonder, long and arduous, interesting and ever-changing, frustrating and discouraging. It's a lot like describing your life, because it is life. Life and learning are inextricably linked – and homeschooling can make for quite a trip.
Home educators easily find parallels between homeschooling and other aspects of their lives, whether we’re commenting on the overall educational process, or on just a piece. It’s a way to help explain what we do to others – and maybe a way for us to deal with and better understand it ourselves. There are doubts and setbacks, disappointments when things do not go as planned, fears of not being equal to the task, worries of not “measuring up”. We struggle with inspiring motivation and discipline in ourselves and in our children, and are ever on the lookout for “what’s best.”
But, whether we handle homeschooling with wisdom and patience, exasperation or panic, one thing that seems to be central, as illustrated by the following list, is humor, the ability to inject levity into a situation, and have a good laugh, even when things get rough.
The following summaries give you a quick idea of what each article on the list is about, but do click on some titles to read them in full. They are insightful and encouraging.
![Homeschooling is like "UP-UP-UP with a fish.""Look at me! Look at me! Look at me NOW!" My own contribution to this list of homeschooling analogies speaks to the somewhat “out of control” feeling one can at times have with a houseful of homeschoolers. Our attempts at "keeping track," and "getting it all done," -- reminds me of the shenanigans of that old Cat: "I can hold up the cupAnd the milk and the cake!I can hold up these books!And the fish on a rake!I can hold the toy shipAnd a little toy man!And look! With my tailI can hold a red fan!"We precariously pile on more and more, telling ourselves we can handle it, we're homeschoolers, we multitask."I can fan with the fanAs I hop on the ball!But that is not all.Oh, no.That is not all...."We congratulate ourselves on successfully performing this continual balancing act, until…."That is what the cat said...Then he fell on his head!"Ahh -- the ups and downs of homeschooling.](http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/profile_large/hash/58/da/58da1fcbe242083e614f7f52dfa3901b.jpg?itok=VpbUMPce "Homeschooling is like "UP-UP-UP with a fish.""Look at me! Look at me! Look at me NOW!" My own contribution to this list of homeschooling analogies speaks to the somewhat “out of control” feeling one can at times have with a houseful of homeschoolers. Our attempts at "keeping track," and "getting it all done," -- reminds me of the shenanigans of that old Cat: "I can hold up the cupAnd the milk and the cake!I can hold up these books!And the fish on a rake!I can hold the toy shipAnd a little toy man!And look! With my tailI can hold a red fan!"We precariously pile on more and more, telling ourselves we can handle it, we're homeschoolers, we multitask."I can fan with the fanAs I hop on the ball!But that is not all.Oh, no.That is not all...."We congratulate ourselves on successfully performing this continual balancing act, until…."That is what the cat said...Then he fell on his head!"Ahh -- the ups and downs of homeschooling.")
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