The deepest, darkest secret I have in homeschooling is to teach the kids to be self-sufficient. The earlier you start, the better. There are so many angles at which to approach this that I wouldn't have the room in all cyber-space to 'Tell-All'. So here are the basics.

1. TEACH YOUR CHILD HOW TO READ

   This is vital in making your job a little easier. Reading opens doors, peaks and satisfies curiosity, informs, inspires, coaxes, entertains, and teaches. The teaching process should begin as soon as possible in the child's life.

2. TEACH YOUR CHILD TO LIKE WHAT YOU LIKE

   By teaching your child what you like, you can BOTH plunge into a project with both hands and up to the elbows. Also, there's no need to experience the 'generation gap'. Communication lines are left wide open.

   The residual effects of enjoying and doing the same things are the opportunities of quality time together, and your child has good memories to look back on. Naturally, the student will branch out when he flexes his brain muscle, but the apple won't fall far from the tree, as it were.

   For example: I grew up loving the rock group The Monkees. I taught this to my children. Now, the house not only resounds with the classic tunes of yesteryear, but my son's interest in music has peaked to the max. He now plays the songs on his guitar. (And it's the music I love.)

   Another example: I love to write books, short stories, and have the time to submit same. This is what I taught my children. They now edit their own literary magazine (KIDS HIGHWAY, which has made the WRITER'S DIGEST Best 50 list for the writers to publish their work on-line), while I write my books and short stories.

            

3. TEACH YOUR CHILD TO LOVE WORK

   Now wait, this isn't as bad as it sounds. If you teach them to love work, they will FEEL the satisfaction of a job well done. We've experienced that, let's share. As your student's age permits, he can do dishes, sew on buttons, iron clothes, etc. Result: You will have more time to spend with them doing the chores, or to yourself when you are running behind on those lesson plans.

   One word of advice here: Leave the sexist thing in the garbage. Teach your girls to tune the car and cut the grass, and your boys to clean house, and cook. Both will be on their own one day and they have to know these things.

         

4. USE THE TIME WITH THE KIDS WISELY

   All of the above takes time, but it's time well spent. Think of 'time' as 'money'. Take advantage of the time you have with the kids. Think of it as a learning experience, a new way to look at things, and that life could never be boring by associating with the minds that are fascinated by everything.