Hello,

I will second the HUGE benefit of homeschooling for many reasons, but certainly not last on the list is preparedness. If you are staying home and can read, you can homeschool your children, and studies have shown that those with and those without teaching certificates have the EXACT same results (on a broad scale). There is no real benefit, and homeschooled children are being sought after by colleges and fortune 500 companies as well. I strongly encourage anyone who can to do it. My wife homeschools our 5 children and growing.

Another thing that I have started doing with our kids is geocaching. When I first heard about it, I thought it was a little to yuppyish for me, but after considering it, I began to see what a great tool it can be. I can print up maps, and have the practice navigating in from a known location. I can have them practice using the GPS. And for the little ones, we just get out there, and I will take them to the coordinates and then let them look for the cache. It is a lot of fun for the kids, and teaches them valuable skills as well.

I also teach my kids the hug a tree method...although we don't call it that. They have small fanny packs with their basics, and they are each getting upgraded to packs this year. We will be moving to a cold climate, so there will be a need for extra gear. They love learning how to use everything.

Hope this helps,

Smackdaddyj