Homeschooling Q&A FAQs

October 26, 2025October 25, 2025 ~ SA Otey

#1. Do you test your homeschooled kids?

The question will inevitably arise when someone discovers you homeschool. “What about testing?“

What about it? Why test? Who are we comparing to? What standard of measure do you use? Do you want me to test my children to see how they compare to public school kids? If that’s the case, I would send them to public school. The simple answer is, “We teach through mastery.” We don’t teach to take a test.

#2. What about socialization?

You mean being able to talk to other people whenever you want instead of:

Standing/Walking in single file down hallways
Sitting at a desk for 6 hours and not being able to:
- Pass Notes
- Talk without raising your hand
- Go to the toilet when you want
Perhaps if they are good and don’t misbehave, they will receive a 15-30 minute break to socialize outside under strict supervision.

Homeschool kids get plenty of socialization, such as Little League, co-ops, and nature

#3. How do you have the patience to homeschool your kids?

When people ask or say, “I just don’t have the patience to homeschool my kids”. Let me tell you a little secret, we don’t either. But life’s all about overcoming our deficiencies right? Now think about how much patience it takes for one teacher with a classroom of forty kids just like yours.

4#. When is your last day of school?

The short answer is when they leave for college. Schooling all year round is important for the whole mastery thing. Giving breaks is important too, like going to Theme Parks when everyone else is in school and we have the run of the place.

Dishwasher Loading Tips for Efficient Cleaning

August 10, 2025August 8, 2025 ~ SA Otey

There are different ways to load and unload a dishwasher, depending on the model and the type of dishes you have. However, some general tips are:

Scrape off any large food particles from your dishes, but do not rinse them before loading. This helps the dishwasher sensors to detect the level of dirtiness and adjust the cycle accordingly.
Load the bottom rack with larger items, such as plates, pots, and pans, facing the center and the spray arms. Load the top rack with smaller items, such as glasses, cups, and bowls, avoiding overlapping or blocking the water jets. Load the utensil basket with forks and spoons alternating the direction, and knives pointing down for safety. If you have a third rack, use it for long utensils or silverware.
Do not overcrowd your dishwasher, as this can prevent the water from reaching all the surfaces and result in poor cleaning. Make sure nothing is blocking the sprayer arms or the detergent dispenser ³.
Use the right amount and type of detergent for your dishwasher and water hardness. You can also use rinse aid to prevent water spots and improve drying ⁴.
Unload the dishwasher from bottom to top, starting with the utensil basket. This way, you avoid dripping water from the upper rack onto the dry dishes below. Be careful with sharp or fragile items.

Should you go to high school reunions?

June 30, 2025 ~ SA Otey

If you have social media then you can get a preview of your high school reunion by scrolling through your feed. Bragging, boasting, deception, and lies. Someone will want to hook you into a multi-level marketing program or sell you some life insurance. You can see how fat/thin or old/young someone looks via the instagrams and facebooks.

If you have a friend you still talk to from your high school, be thankful. That’s all you need. You don’t need to go digging up the memories and run into someone who wanted to fight you 30 years ago. If you are part of the Hillbilly Ethnicity you know this to be true. If you must go, then wait until year 40 or 50 and let the crowd thin a little.

Summer activities for kids

June 28, 2025June 26, 2025 ~ SA Otey

Now that summer is in full swing, your kids will need something to do so they don’t get bored. There are plenty of fun activities you can plan, but the most important thing is to teach them the value of hard work. Here are just a few simple ideas.

Lawnmower pushing

If your child can ride a go-kart by themselves and their shoulders are even with the lawnmower handle then they can cut the grass. Be sure to disable the self-propelled mechanism on your mower so they don’t ride it like a go-kart.

Weed pulling

Make it a game. Find all the weeds and put them in a big pile and run them over with the mower. It’s a win-win.

Vegetation watering

After all the weeds have been pulled, it’s time to water the plants. If you have a garden you can add harvesting ripe produce to the list of activities.

Car washing

Kids like to play in the water, so why not add a bucket of soap and a tire brush? They can have fun and you get a clean automobile.

How to manage robocallers

May 18, 2025 ~ SA Otey

Remember back in the days before Caller ID and *69 when you could call someone and say something offensive, then hang up without any recompense? Well, now telemarketers have an arsenal of war dial devices at the ready.

My favorite is the lady who’s having trouble with her headset. The call starts with a “Hello, hello?” Then, an apologizes that her headset isn’t working correctly and she asks for a confirmation that you can hear her. If you say yes, then it’s a go-ahead for her (the robot) to begin the sales pitch. The second time she called, I said, “Didn’t you call me an hour ago?”. The robot replied, “I’m sorry, I didn’t get that. Can you please say yes or no?”. Once I knew it was a voice-activated prompt, I began asking all sorts of questions that she couldn’t process. Finally, I talked so much that it disconnected me. However, I still get calls from time to time.

Typically, if I don’t recognize the number, I will just silence my phone or double-click the power button to send it to voicemail. If the caller is not in my contacts and it’s an important message, they will leave me a voicemail. However, these robots are now starting to leave voicemails. My call block list is growing exponentially.

Trash Talk: The Changing Face of Garbage Disposal Today

April 22, 2025April 21, 2025 ~ SA Otey

It all goes to the same place

I’m not talking about landfills or the Pacific Ocean filling up with plastic bags. I’m referring to the decision-making process of how to throw out our rubbish. When did it become such a chore to throw something into the trash can? Back in the old days we just used to throw it on the ground or out the car window. That was until our Earth Day friends started showing commercials with Native Americans crying.

I try to do my duty when it comes to recycling, but even the local dump has implemented full garbage segregation. They have one bin for glass, one for plastic, and one for cardboard. I miss the days of throwing it all in one giant hole, covering it with gasoline, and setting it ablaze.

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Why Kids Need the Thrill of Old Swings

April 11, 2025 ~ SA Otey

In our age of helicopter parenting, we now have to ensure our kids don’t fall off swings. The super swing disc looks like a great idea, but it’s not cheaper than an old tire tied to a rope to a tree branch that will snap at any moment. I mean, that was the whole point of swings, the danger! Swinging on an old rusty hole-ridden swing set with uneven legs rocking back and forth is how we tested our limits of fear.

There was always that one moment when you reached the height of the upper support bar and felt as if you were going to break free of gravity and sail into the treeline behind you. It was flying off the swing or crashing onto the gravel below. No, we didn’t have rubber mulch back then either.

I’ve let my kids fall off the swing set, walk behind them, and get clobbered by the person swinging. You know what? They never tried it that way again. They have to learn the hard way. Let them fail, just don’t laugh at them when they do. Well, don’t let them see you.

Should there be WiFi on School Buses?

March 23, 2025March 22, 2025 ~ SA Otey

Some schools are now using your taxpayer dollars to put WiFi on the school bus. This is can have its pros and cons.

The Pros

The convenience of GPS Tracking of the bus to know where your kids are. You can get alerts via text message when the bus arrives so you don’t have to waste your time at the bus stop. Having WiFi could keep the kids quietly in their seats. Reduces the amount of face-punching to other students and or bus drivers since the kid’s occupied with their devices.

The Cons

Cyber bullying would skyrocket. Think of all the passive-aggressive ways kids could be mean via social media to their fellow bus passengers. Why get up and punch someone in the face or body when you can emotionally destroy someone on InstaFaceTok?

Why Shaving Your Head Might Be a Mistake

March 18, 2025March 20, 2025 ~ SA Otey

I’m not talking about going bald naturally. I’m talking about people who are shaving their heads on purpose while they clearly have a full head of hair. I get it, it’s super convenient to shave your head so you have one less thing to prepare for the day. But you need to cherish every hair on your head before it’s too late.

Coming from someone who has lost many hairs over the years there is nothing more frustrating than seeing the stubble line of someone with a full head of hair while my scalp looks like a mid-summer lawn that has been ravaged by grubs.

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