My apologies for not posting regularly. Here is my excuse:

Teaching your children magickal alphabets could be especially fun ifyou have more than one child. They may enjoy communicating with a “secret code”. You might also want to teach them one of these systems to encourage creative writing or as part of their spiritual upbringing. There are a variety of alphabets you might consider sharing with your child.

As a parent, whether you homeschool or not, a question you will inevitably encounter is this: will you rear your children in Paganism or teach them about it?

Some parents are committed to rearing Pagan children, including them in all related activities, and passing on a family tradition.

Others prefer to present Paganism as one of many religious choices.

I was prepared to complete and post a new Educating Witches blog over the weekend, but the universe had other ideas.

Rowan Alice Callahan was born on Friday, January 4, 2013 at 8:38 a.m.  She entered the world at 7 lbs, 4 oz, and 20.5 inches long. 

After a brief baby break, I will resume posting.  I hope you enjoy the topics I have to share.  Also, if you would like to see a particular topic about homeschooling Pagan children, please let me know.  Happy New Year!

Some parents approach the homeschool year with a schedule.  Others do it with a “go with the flow” attitude.  If, like me, you plan a schedule for your entire school year, you probably take the holidays into account. 

We homeschool almost year-round, beginning in September, and ending in July.  I break the school year down into three separate terms of roughly fifteen weeks each, with a week off for Thanksgiving, two weeks for Yule break, and two weeks for Beltane break.   We take the entire month of August off as a summer break.  We celebrate the other Sabbats throughout the year without necessarily taking days off, and I incorporate Sabbat activities into our school week.

If we are lagging behind for some reason (more on that in a moment), I may use our holiday breaks for catching up, though I try not to allow this for more than a few days of the break.   However, I try to handle make-up time during the schedule school year by doing a bit of work on a Saturday or Sunday, as I prefer to make the holiday breaks a festive time.

I thought I would cover a slightly different topic today, and from a personal angle, though it is certainly relevant to making educational choices.

You see, I am almost 34 weeks pregnant and, naturally, my mind is turning to all the changes I will experience in my life in roughly 5 to 6 weeks.

When I was pregnant with my son, Gavin, 10 years ago – hard to believe he turns 10 in less than a week! – I spent the entire time pondering what kind of parent I wanted to be.  It was a very introspective time for me.  I do not know if all expectant parents feel the same way, but I spent hours mulling over what I wanted for my son.  Looking back at my pregnancy journal and the baby journal from my son’s first year, I see that what I wrote still holds true the second time around as I eagerly await the arrival of my daughter, Rowan:

Trying to select a curriculum for your homeschooling journey is either the most exciting or frustrating aspect of home education.  There is such a wide range of materials and resources out there, it is easy to become overwhelmed, especially if this is new to you… and even if you are a seasoned homeschooler.

First, many apologies for posting this a bit late.  Life seems to be passing at lightning speed with both my pregnancy and my writing.

Whether you homeschool because you are Pagan, or are a Pagan who homeschools, finding resources may be a challenge.  There are many excellent sites, books, magazines, etc. geared toward Christian homeschoolers.  There are also secular resources, which are not as abundant as religious ones, but usually more attractive to Pagan homeschoolers.  However, what about Pagan-specific resources?

While the public school system is very convenient (though, as many people will agree, inherently flawed, though it was just fine for many of us), there are several reasons for a parent to choose homeschooling. 

For some, the local school system might be undesirable for a number of reasons.   There may be a problem with drugs or gangs, or a record of poor performance by teachers and students. 

Teachers might only “teach to the test”, leaving children unprepared for higher education.

People are often under a certain impression about homeschoolers. We are pegged as religious fanatics who want to create little "armies for God", teach our children Young Earth creationism without any regard for science, and all the mothers are bun-headed denim-jumper wearers.

While it is true that a fair segment of the homeschooling population fits this stereotype, it is only a segment.

Those of us who choose to homeschool are as diverse as the paths my fellow Pagans follow. There is a growing openness about the need for secular home-education and community, where all people are welcome. I know many more Atheist and Pagan homeschoolers, than I do Christians.