HSHSP Ep 189: The Importance of Homeschool Community, Interview with Ann Karako

This week on HSHSP Ep 189: The Importance of Homeschool Community, Interview with Ann Karako.

This week on HSHSP Ep 189: The Importance of Homeschool Community, Interview with Ann Karako

Vicki is excited this week to be joined by an old digital friend, Ann Karako. Many homeschoolers are familiar with Ann. She is the popular homeschool blogger at Annie and Everything and many of us homeschooling high school parents are involved in her HUGE Facebook community: It’s Not That Hard to Homeschool High School!

Ann and her husband have five kids, who have homeschooled all the way from pre-kindergarten. She dropped her fourth homeschool graduate off for freshman semester at college this September, so she just has one more high schooler to go!

They started homeschooling their kids in the beginning because of the inspiration of their kids’ babysitters who were homeschoolers. These teens were such great role models for their kids that they wanted to give their children a similar formative experience. Homeschoolers are the best advertisement for homeschooling!

Now entering their 21st year of homeschooling, Ann is grateful for each year!

Ann has also spent her homeschool years investing in the homeschool community. Community formation is Ann’s calling. Ann found that when she started homeschooling the middle school years, her homeschool support system was thinning because many parents were intimidated by the thought of homeschooling the higher grades. By high school, Ann had only a couple of homeschooling high school family/friends.

Photo used with permission

Ann knew that the high school years are marvelous for homeschooling, but they could also be challenging with paperwork, credits and hormones to deal with. She knows we need the homeschool mom support more than ever.

Vicki and Ann both found that homeschooling in community helped so much in:

Swapping out subjects with other moms (like giving dissections for Biology to moms who do not mind doing them, or writing to moms who love writing)
Getting advice and support

As she was facing those homeschooling high school years, she woke up one morning and decided to find a digital community for herself. Thus, she started It’s Not That Hard to Homeschool High School. There are tens of thousands of moms in the group who ask questions and share advice on:

Curriculum choices
Logging credits
Transcript development
General encouragement

Ann does not put us with “YOU SHOULD’s”. She does not allow that in her facebook group because she knows there’s not ONE right way to homeschool high school. (Have you ever heard that from the 7Sisters, too?) She encourages everyone to give advice without “shoulds”. This attitude keeps the conversation leaning into mentoring, encouragement and support for moms who are homeschooling high school (and available 24/7).

Vicki tells Ann about the Homeschool Highschool Podcast interview with Misty Bailey, who shared about how to not be afraid to homeschool high school. Misty told Vicki that her main inspiration for homeschooling her teens was Ann Karako.

Ann’s influence was available because she is determined to invest in other homeschooling families. As Ann learned about things that worked in homeschooling her high schoolers, she shared what she learned in her popular website, Annie and Everything. Ann tells the story of doing her high school research (which included researching the public school requirements and feeling intimidated and irritated. Her husband reminded her that they are homeschoolers so they don’t HAVE to do high school like the public schools. Ann has been determined to share this: do what is right for your teens).

Ann reminds us the only thing you absolutely must do is follow your state homeschool law!

Find information and community for homeschool moms with Ann Karako at:

HUGS for homeschooling high school. Help Understanding Grace Strength. This is Ann’s online paid membership community ($10/month). It is for Christian homeschooling moms of teens. She will discussing Christian parenting, homeschooling and curriculum in a safe setting where moms do not need to calm down their *Jesus talk*. There daily discussions and monthly themes and live get togethers. Ann is spending daily live-time there now.

It’s Not That Hard to Homeschool High School. Facebook Group.
It’s Not That Hard to Homeschool K-8. Facebook Group.
Annie and Everything. Website about homeschooling high school for ordinary people.

Ann also has two books about homeschooling high school:

Cure the Fear of Homeschooling High School
Save Your Sanity While Homeschooling High School (Practical Principals for a Solid Foundation)
Ann reminds us: Homeschooling high school is very do-able!

Also don’t forget to check out 7Sisters Authoritative Guide series (lots of how-to, in-depth informational posts)

Join Vicki and Ann for this encouraging discussion on homeschooling community for homeschool moms.

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