Never Too Old to Homeschool

Yesterday was Siblings Day. This post is dedicated to my sister.

When I decided to homeschool, I knew there would be subjects where I lacked skill. Luckily, I had my big sister to rely on for the holes in my own education.

I remember calling her in tears because I couldn't figure out the algebra problem my oldest needed help with. She talked me down, and in the process I learned a little about algebra. 

My oldest was afraid of bugs when she was younger. At that time, my sister worked at the Natural History Museum in L.A. We took a trip to California, and she introduced my daughter to the museum's bug guy. Thanks to my sister and her entomologist friend, my daughter was picking up grasshoppers by the end of our trip. Large grasshoppers. We all learned a lot about bugs.

When my son showed ability with a camera, I turned to my sister for help. She is the family photographer. She emailed lessons to him with photo assignments. I emailed his photos back to her and she critiqued them for him. In the process, I learned a little about photography.

When we moved into a house, I was excited to start gardening, but I didn't know the first thing about growing plants. My sister gave me the advice and knowledge I needed to begin. I remember the advice that stayed with me the most: Every gardener loses several plants every year. That's how you learn what works in your yard. This gave me the confidence to not give up. Gardening is one of my greatest pleasures to this day. I learned a lot about gardening and composting from her and her husband.

My sister is always ready to share her knowledge and resources. You only need to ask. In the process, I realize she homeschooled me as much as I teach my own kids. Which is nice. You should never be too old to learn new things, and our family and friends are our own rich resource of knowledge.