From Homeschool to the Navy Nuclear Program, A Homeschool Success Story

What did homeschooling look like at our house? I really don't remember how I came up with the idea of homeschooling but somehow I did. I started researching it when I became pregnant for the first time. I found some books on homeschooling at the library and I was very excited about the idea. The first book I found was Mary Pride's Complete Guide to Homeschooling. This let me know that other people were doing it and there were lots of resources available. Later on I discovered John Holtand the Moores. My husband agreed. Neither of us wanted to turn our little boy over to the public school system. We wanted to keep him at home with us.

The first thing we did was read. As soon as Nick was old enough we went to the library and brought home huge stacks of books. We would sit in the recliner and I would read to him. I would read until I would start to fall asleep and the book would start to sink down. Nick would push the book back up and say, "You can read Mommy! You can read!" This was the start of a long tradition of reading aloud.

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When Nick turned five I bought a formal curriculum. I thought it was the best one out there. We used it for two years and Nick hated it. I think it almost ruined his desire to learn. I finally learned my lesson, ditched that curriculum and became much more relaxed. I would have become a total unschooler but my husband was not quite on board with that. We did math on a regular basis but were much more relaxed with everything else.

At times I tried grammar curriculum, writing curriculum and others but there was a lot of resistance and I did not want to squelch their natural curiosity. They boys pretty much learned grammar, spelling and vocabulary from all the reading we did. They are all very good readers and have large vocabularies. My theory is that if you can read you can learn anything else. One of the boys took it upon himself to learn typing, grammar, punctuation and spelling. He was motivated by the fact that he wanted to participate in an online chat room. He had a reason to learn so he learned it and retained it much better than if I had tried to make him learn it.

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My husband decided that the boys should go to public high school. He really enjoyed his high school years and thought our boys should have a chance to do the same. It ended up having its pros and cons. Nick liked band, government classes, and science classes. He loved to debate politics with his government teacher who was of the opposite political persuasion. He had to take a Health class in which they spent 5 weeks on self esteem. They made a "me" collage, a stress ball, and things like that which he saw as pointless. If he deemed it to be busy work he wouldn't do it. As a result, he ended up with a mediocre grade point average but he did graduate and receive a diploma.
We found out later that this fits the profile of Navy Nukes. They are very smart but they don't necessarily do well in school.

I do want to point out that many families homeschool all the way through high school. These homeschoolers also go on to college and jobs and lead successful lives.

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When Nick graduated from Basic Training, his dad flew out to Chicago and attended the graduation ceremony. After graduation they had a short while to do some exploring in Chicago. This picture was taken at a pet store at a mall. After this he was off to "A" School and then to Navy Nuclear Power Training Command.

Power School is tough! It is a lot of math and science. If you don't get the grades you will stay extra hours to study until you get it. When you graduate from Power School you have the equivalent of a science education from MIT. Nick has a lot of college credits for what he has done in the navy. He is only a few credits away from a Nuclear Engineering degree.

Nick is the kind of kid who probably wouldn't have done well in college at that point in his life. There was the aversion to busy work and he probably didn't have the motivation for it. He saw a navy recruiter, took the ASVAB test and scored extremely well. The Nuclear Program was open to him so he decided on that. I don't believe he knew at the time how difficult it would be. But in his case the navy did a good job of assessing his aptitude. Being a mechanic or machinist's mate was his last choice, but he does really like the work and is glad he was assigned there.

He says that part of the reason he did well in power school was that everything he was taught had a purpose. In high school he thought much of the material was pointless and he didn't see a purpose. Lack of knowledge about a nuclear reactor though, could have very serious consequences.

Are you looking for a way to attend college? This career path gives you lots of college credits and they are paying you instead of the other way around. Plus Nick has at least $40,000 available via the GI Bill for college. College professors are on the aircraft carriers and you can take classes there, however nukes are limited on time and it is hard for them to take advantage of this.
Some colleges work well with the nukes and many of them only need a few credits to complete a degree. To obtain a Nuclear Engineering degree Nick just has to take a few core classes and he plans to do that when he has the opportunity.
He did reenlist when he was on a recent overseas deployment. The nukes get sizable reenlistment bonuses. They navy has put a lot of money and time into training them and would like to keep them.
Navy trained nukes are sought after in the civilian world. They can work in the nuclear field, of course. Many of them go to work in quality control type jobs. I've heard of several nukes going back to school to become medical doctors. Employers know that the navy nukes are highly trained and can learn quickly, so they are not limited to the nuclear field.
Nick mentioned that he has an interest in computers and auto mechanics so he may pursue something in one of those fields after this enlistment is up.

My husband and I loved having our kids home with us. Certainly there were rough patches as we found our way. We are not perfect parents or teachers. We just did the best that we could. Our sons are very well rounded people and have cultural knowledge of many things that their public school counterparts do not. Relaxed homeschooling gives the children a chance to find their interests and pursue them. One of the most important things is relationships. It does seem to foster good relationships between parent and child and for that I am appreciative. Our three sons are also very bonded and get along really well. As my husband and I are older parents we are counting on this to serve them well when we are gone.

Homeschooling does not have to be expensive. It is a matter of being resourceful and inventive. We made extensive use of the library which is free. Not only did we check out books but they often times had free programs that we could take advantage of. For example, they had a bedtime story evening where the kids would come in their pajamas and the children's librarian would read them a story. There were reading programs during the summer where kids could win prizes for reading a certain amount of books.

We lived in South Lake Tahoe for much of our homeschooling years. Through our work we could get free or reduced price tickets to concerts, art exhibits, amusement parks and more. Within driving range of Tahoe there are several historical sites such as Donner Pass, Virginia City, Sutter's Mill and many more. We would often visit places like this on our days off. You take advantage of what ever is available to you. Many businesses such as Barnes and Noble offered discounts to homeschool teachers.

Later on when we had a little more money we did take more trips and longer trips, but that wouldn't make or break homeschooling. My husband really liked to get out and about and explore. We used to plan day trips on our days off. We would have done that anyway, homeschooling or not, so it was worked into the budget. If you can't travel or don't like to, you can see great documentaries on TV or DVDs about travel or nature or whatever interests your family.

The kids and I would go to yard sales on many weekends. I was always on the lookout for quality clothing and books. We found an amazing amount of homeschooling resources at yard sales. They learned to bargain for a good price and spend their money wisely.

When we first got a computer and internet in the 90's, we made very good use of that too. I had reduced price internet access with an educational discount. We used it not only for games but for lots of resources. One of the best was an email list of unschooling moms. This was a fantastic list for friendship, support, advice, and ideas. About 15 years later I'm still a member of that list and I still chat with those ladies nearly every day.

Also during the early years, I worked. My husband and I worked opposite shifts so someone would always be home with the children. That was not easy but it was a sacrifice that we chose to make.

The kids picked up and recycled cans. At that time we could get about 65 cents a pound for them. The kids bought their own first bikes that way.

Also, realize that all of what I have listed took place over about fifteen years. Everyone's homeschool journey will look different. That's one of the great things about it. You can arrange it to fit your family and your circumstances. Believe me if I thought you needed to be wealthy to homeschool we would never have started it. For us, it was the realization that no one loved our kids as much as us. No one else was as interested in their welfare and future success. We were determined to do the best job possible. It really isn't about the amount of money you have. You can always find resources. Most of the homeschoolers I have known over the years were one income families and most struggled to make ends meet.

THE HOMESCHOOL CLUB is real parents and kids sharing their best resources for great homeschooling. Each day we celebrate learning by opening doors to a world of creativity, knowledge and discovery. In the car, at the kitchen sink, and down by the frog pond - the whole world is our classroom and we explore it with creative projects, games, and activities. This club is a place to share, organize, and discuss how and what we learn in the world. Make a free page to tell your own homeschooling story and share your favorite resources. We can't wait to hear from you!