Rice Cooking Showdown: Stovetop vs. a Rice Cooker

Growing up, our family’s rice cooker was a staple, like the refrigerator or the kitchen sink. It never occurred to me to not have one. As an adult, I noticed friends cooked rice in a pot on the stovetop. There’s nothing wrong with that, but let’s see which approach gets you the easiest and consistently best rice.

The Contenders

Okay, so cooking rice isn’t exactly difficult. As far as kitchen skills go, it’s one of the easiest foods to make, right up there with toast and cereal. However, there are two basic ways to make rice happen, with strong opinions on both sides:

  • Rice Cookers: Rice cooker users say they do the job perfectly every time and they’re a must. Cookers range quite a bit in price and utility. Some go for as little as $15, and others with tons of features and options for over $200. Expensive rice cookers, like the Zojirushi, use “fuzzy logic” technology, which senses the type of rice you’re cooking and adjusts itself to make better sushi, porridge, brown rice, and more. I don’t make a lot of sushi or porridge, so I use this standard Aroma rice cooker, a top rated version that’s still very affordable at under $30. I fill the pot with rice and water, press a button, and walk away.
  • Stovetop Method: The stovetop method is pretty standard. Proponents argue, “what’s so hard about cooking rice on the stove?” You put some water in a pot, allow it to boil, then turn the heat down (or off, depending on who you ask) and cover for about 10-15 minutes. “You don’t need a stinkin’ cooker,” they say. It’s true, this method doesn’t require a whole lot of work, but you do have to keep an eye on it to make sure you don’t overcook it and burn the rice on the bottom.

To put these two methods to the test, we made a standard bowl of rice. This is the rice cooker’s most basic function, after all, so we wanted to see how it compared to the stovetop method in efficiency, effort, and taste.

A Rice Cooker Clearly Takes Less Effort

Readers have expressed some strong opinions about rice cookers in the past. “Why bother with a rice cooker,” you’ve asked, “when you can just cook rice on a stovetop?” Good question. Why bother with a toaster when you can just toast bread in the oven? Why use a juicer when you can squeeze fruit with your bare hands? Because it’s easier. And, perhaps more importantly, it’s foolproof.

It literally took me less than a minute of work to make the pot of rice you see in the photo above. I rinsed the rice straight in the pot that comes with the cooker, added some water using the first knuckle method (you can also use the measuring scoops that come with it), then pressed “Cook.” Twenty minutes later, I had perfectly cooked rice.

The main draw of a rice cooker is the fact that it cooks perfect rice every single time. We’re all capable of screwing up even simple tasks every now and then, and rice is no exception. Maybe Jeopardy is on and you’re killing it in the 90’s sitcom category so you get distracted and, before you know it, your rice overboiled and now it’s soggy. And your stove is a mess. This isn’t a big deal; you can always start over, but with a rice cooker, you never have to worry about it. You put some water in a pot and you get perfectly cooked, fluffy rice every single time, even when you’re distracted. It stops cooking when it’s time to stop cooking.

At least in my experience, a rice cooker is easier to clean, too. Most of them come with built in lids so all you have to do is clean out the non-stick pot. You should wipe down the lid, but that’s relatively easy to do.

Time and Taste Are a Toss Up

A lot of people argue that a rice cooker actually makes rice taste better. I’m not sure that’s entirely true. I always thought rice cooker rice tastes better, too, but it’s probably only because I’ve never nailed the stovetop method.

This time, I actually followed a recipe instead of winging it, and my rice was the perfect consistency, just like the rice cooker rice. It was fluffy, slightly sticky, and just moist enough. Maybe it’s just my unrefined palate, but both bowls tasted the same.

It took me 5-10 minutes to prepare the stovetop rice and, from start to finish, the whole process took about 20 minutes. I spent the same amount of time waiting for rice with the stovetop method.

So while the rice cooker makes things easier, time is a toss up. You still have to wait for the rice to cook, after all. And the difference in taste is negligible, too. As long as you cook a decent pot of rice on the stove, you probably won’t notice it tastes any better or worse than the rice you cook with your rice cooker. At least I didn’t.

A Rice Cooker Does More Than Cook Rice

If you didn’t grow up with a rice cooker in your household, it might seem weird to have a machine dedicated to one specific job. Last time I moved, I actually ditched my cheap $15 rice cooker because I wanted to downsize. I figured, why keep another thing lying around when I can use something I already have, a pot, to get the job done? When I ditched it, though, I actually cooked rice a lot less often. Even though it’s not that much work on the stove, it was still more work than a rice cooker, so I’d use my cooking effort to make something else.

When I got the Aroma as a wedding gift, I was glad to have a rice cooker back in my life. It makes cooking rice so easy, you actually want to cook rice more. I went back to making brown rice and avocado for lunch, white rice and fish for dinner, rice to add to soups, and so on. It is kind of weird to have a machine that only does one specific job, but depending on what you eat, it’s a big job. Rice is a great, versatile staple and the rice cooker is a versatile tool. You can use it for other things, too, like steaming vegetables. Or baking a cake!

Of course, you can use a regular pot for lots of other foods, too. The point is, if you have a rice cooker, you don’t just have to use it for cooking rice. It’s by no means a unitasker.

The Verdict: If You Cook Rice Often Enough, Just Buy a Cooker

If you cook rice often enough, say at least once a week, $15-$30 is not a lot to spend on a machine that helps you cook a meal staple with almost zero effort. Zojirushi owners swear by their cookers, but I’ve never used one. They’re supposed to do what traditional rice cookers do, only even better, and with different kinds of rice and grains. If I ate anything more than regular jasmine rice, I’d probably give it a try, but for standard needs, even a $15 cooker is worth it. The Aroma is a good, cheap compromise, though.

On the other hand, if you don’t make rice often or you just don’t like having too much stuff, skip the cooker. Who needs more junk lying around the house? I’ve actually thought about ditching my toaster for the same reason—I rarely use it and it’s easy enough to toast bread on the stove or in the oven. However, as someone who loves rice and eats it frequently, I’ve put the debate to rest, for myself, at least: the rice cooker wins.

Photo by Alex Shultz.


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Rice Cooking Showdown: Stovetop vs. a Rice Cooker

Growing Onions For Backyard Farmers

Onions are some of the easiest crops to grow and they are a good place to start for backyard farmers. They are also an excellent cold weather crop for a fall garden.

If you want super easy, go to a locally owned farm supply store in early December and buy a bundle of onion sprouts. Onion seeds are available for those who would rather start from there.

Let’s use the Texas Super Sweet (1015 Y) as an example. Depending on location, they can take anywhere from 75 to over 110 days to grow.  The name comes when the seed is supposed to be planted, which is on October 15th, and it is a yellow onion.

The 10-15Y produces a large bulb that has a pleasant, sweet taste.  When stored in a dry and dark location, it can be stored for a couple of months.

Preparing Soil

Onions can be grown in just about any soil.  They prefer well drained, plenty of organic material, rocks and tree roots removed, and little clay.  The bulb needs room to expand, so removing roots and rocks is important.

I use either raised beds or use a tiller to work up an area. If the onions are going to be planted directly into the ground, I use a tiller to break up the soil until it is fine and all the clumps are removed. Either in a raised bed or directly in the soil, I like to add organic potting soil or compost along with commercial fertilizer.

Onions love nitrogen. I usually use just a little 13-13-13 while the sprouts are young. A month or so later, I side dress with a high nitrogen fertilizer, such as 16-6-12 or 21-0-0. The first number of the fertilizer is the nitrogen content.

Make sure the onion beds will have access to water. It is important that the onions have plenty of water, but they do not like to sit in water. The soil must be well drained.

Planting Onions

If you bought onion seed, plant them directly in the soil.  If you are growing 10-15 Y, the seeds are supposed to be planted on October 15th.

Sprouts will start arriving at farm supply stores around the first week of December.  I usually buy the sprouts rather than plant from seed.

Plant the onion sprouts about 6 inches apart.  This gives the sprout plenty of room to grow the bulb and access moisture and nutrients.

Growing Onions

Planted in the first part of December, depending on type, they should be ready around May – June.

First thing to grow will be green shoots.  The bulb will not form until much later.  Onions use nitrogen to grow the shoots.  The shoots store nutrients, which are used to grow the bulb.

If the shoots lean over towards the ground, the onion may need water.

About every 4 – 6 weeks, side dress with a high nitrogen fertilizer.  After side dressing, water the onions or side dress right before a rain.

Side dressing means to throw fertilizer on the ground next to the plant.

Good Crop For New Farmers

Onions are one of the easiest crops someone can grow, and they are an excellent start for anyone who is interested in gardening.

If you want to get started with gardening, go down to the local farm supply store, pick up a batch and plant them.

 

The post Growing Onions For Backyard Farmers appeared first on AllOutdoor.com.

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Growing Onions For Backyard Farmers

Apple TV Issue: 2nd and 3rd Gen Apple TV Not Showing Apps

Recently, several users have been facing an Apple TV issue with 2nd and 3rd generation models where only the Computer, Settings and Music apps are visible. Rest of the third party apps and channels disappear and render the TV useless.

Apple is aware of the issue and has stated that a fix is in the works and will be released soon. This issue only affects the 2nd and 3rd generation Apple TV and has surfaced after the recent software update.

The 2nd and 3rd gen Apple TV don’t run on tvOS software, which is why Apple is taking longer to provide a fix. Apple recently phased out the 3rd gen Apple TV as well, and stated that they’re going to focus on tvOS and newer models.

Apple TV Issue: No Channels or Apps on 2nd and 3rd gen Apple TV

Several reports on Reddit and other forums point out to the Apple TV issue. Users were thrown out of apps such as Netflix, Hulu, HBO, etc and taken to a Home page with only three apps.

Some have even reported that their Apple TV screen just blinked and all the apps disappeared. Only the Computers, Music and Settings app were available.

Trying to restart the device, unplug and plug it back again, and even restoring the software hasn’t fixed the problem.

Apparently, there was an Apple TV update for the 2nd and 3rd gen models that was released on the first of November. This is what caused the problem for several users, although most of them haven’t had any issues with their Apple TV.

Fix for No Apps or Channels

Some users have been successful in getting rid of the problem by changing DNS settings. Others were temporarily able to fix it by changing the region. But mostly, users trying to restart, reset, reset the router, restore software, and unplug and plug the Apple TV again, haven’t been able to fix it.

According to a Reddit thread, an Apple representative asked users to keep restarting their device every hour or so to check for an update. This new update should fix the problem.

There’s no ETA on the update, but keep checking to see if there was any update or if there’s a new one. You can open the Settings app and check if any new updates are available.

Have you been facing this Apple TV issue on your 2nd or 3rd gen model? If so, keep checking for new software updates. 

Via: MacRumors

The post Apple TV Issue: 2nd and 3rd Gen Apple TV Not Showing Apps appeared first on Apple TV Hacks.


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Apple TV Issue: 2nd and 3rd Gen Apple TV Not Showing Apps

What Pilots See When They Fly Into Hurricane Matthew

The Hurricane Hunters from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are perhaps the ballsiest pilots on this terrifying and vengeful planet.

For the last few days they’ve been flying recon missions into Matthew—the category 3 hurricane that’s going to kill all of our children—to collect data, and post some incredible videos to Twitter. Unsurprisingly, the pilots described the flight as “turbulent.”

Pilot Jim Van Fleet also posted some excerpts from his flight into the eye of Matthew yesterday. Although the planes NOAA uses are specially designed for this type of work, the amount of force on those propellers is still deeply concerning.

If you’re among the people refusing to evacuation, and this impassioned plea from The Weather Channel didn’t convince you, maybe these videos from inside the hurricane will.

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What Pilots See When They Fly Into Hurricane Matthew

Central Ohio home sales hit August record as inventory plummets

Home sales across Central Ohio reached a record high in August, even as the stock of houses for sale plummeted.
There were 3,116 homes and condos sold during the month, a 4.8 percent increase from August 2015, according to a report released Thursday by the Columbus Realtors. The month’s total was the highest ever for August and marked the year’s second-highest tally, trailing the 3,250 sold in June.
Columbus Realtors said 6,270 homes were listed for sale in August, down 21 percent from a year…

via Columbus Business News – Local Columbus News | Business First of Columbus
Central Ohio home sales hit August record as inventory plummets

Apple’s kid-friendly iPad coding app arrives tomorrow

There are lots of initiatives to teach kids how to code, including ventures from Google, Minecraft and even the Star Wars franchise. However, with Swift Playground, Apple is actually prepping kids for a potential career at, well, Apple. The company has announced that the app, based on the Swift language used for iOS, OS X, WatchOS, tvOS and Linux, will arrive alongside iOS 10 tomorrow (September 13th).

As Engadget’s Nicole Lee discovered during a hands-on, it’s actually a nice way way to learn programming. It assumes that kids have zero knowledge, but produces actual Swift code that can be used to develop real apps. At the same time, it’s open-ended — young coders learn in a non-linear way, so enthusiastic kids can skip ahead if they want. It rewards students regardless of the quality of code, but gives extra kudos for well-optimized solutions.

Apple says there are over 100 schools and districts teaching the app this fall in the US, Europe and Africa. Apple will also offer its own "Get Started with Coding" workshops that will show the basics of Swift Playgrounds. It’ll also offer a drop-in hour for folks who want extra help with "challenging puzzles" in the app. If you want to get a head start on your kids (you’re gonna need it), the workshops and drop-in sessions will be available at select stores in the US, Canada, UK, Australia, UAE, Netherlands and Hong Kong.

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Apple’s kid-friendly iPad coding app arrives tomorrow

The best electric and gas ranges

By Tyler Wells Lynch

This post was done in partnership with The Sweethome, a buyer’s guide to the best things for your home. Read the full article here.

After 35 hours of research, we think that the Samsung NE59J7630SS is the best electric freestanding cooking range for most people. It’s a sturdy, easy-to-clean machine with true, heated-fan convection to help baked goods cook more evenly. If you’re fortunate enough to have a gas line in your home, the Frigidaire Gallery Series FGGF3058RF is probably your best bet. It’s a classic-looking range with super-solid parts and an intuitive knob-and-control-panel interface. Both ranges are solidly built—without too many extra bells and whistles—and that simplicity should help them keep running reliably for 10 to 15 years.

How we picked

After comparing specs, reading reviews, and interviewing appliance experts, we learned that the best ranges stick to a simple set of features because they’re more reliable that way. A sturdy build, an uncluttered interface, and easy-to-clean surfaces will make a range more satisfying to live with for the 10 to 15 years that you’ll have it. The only super-important cooking features you’ll need are a strong power burner for boiling big pots of water, a sensitive warming element for simmering sauces, and a convection fan for better baking.

In terms of capacity, we think an oven should have at least 5 cubic feet of space, enough room to roast a large turkey. The best cooktops have a fifth, low-heat burner that makes it easier to simmer or warm food without accidentally scorching it. These features are standard in ranges that cost more than $600, and we considered only models with those specs.

Though all ranges essentially perform the same basic job—cooking food—certain baseline specs will make that job a little easier. The stovetop should have a power burner with at least 17,000 British thermal units (gas) or 3,000 watts (electric), and a simmer element (or "warm zone") that dips down to 5,000 Btu or less (gas) or 100 watts (electric).

We were unable to test any range’s performance to gauge the real-world value of extra cooktop power. But we did consider performance data from review sites, including Reviewed.com, Consumer Reports, and CNET. Based on their findings and what we learned from experts, we don’t think performance discrepancies will make a huge difference for most cooks. That said, an extra 1,000 Btu or 300 watts will help your water boil faster, so we slightly favored models with stronger-on-paper power burners.

Our pick for an electric range

The Samsung NE59J7630SS is the best freestanding radiant electric range for most people because it has all of the important cooking and cleaning features, with relatively few bells and whistles that might cause reliability problems down the line. Its cooktop is more versatile than those of other ranges at this price, and includes a stronger power burner, a warm zone as sensitive as any other range’s, and a unique three-element burner. The oven cavity is larger than that of most other models and has a true-convection cooking mode. This range is also one of the few that offers two self-cleaning modes. This Samsung’s build is sturdy, its design looks sharp, and its control scheme is more intuitive than that of its closest competitors.

If you need a less expensive electric range, the Amana AER5630BAS is simple, effective, and affordable, with an elegant stainless steel design. The smooth cooktop includes one of the strongest power burners at a budget-friendly price (though it’s not as nuanced as that of our main electric pick).

Our pick for a gas range

If we were buying a freestanding gas range, our choice would be the Frigidaire Gallery Series FGGF3058RF. It looks great and feels sturdier than other gas ranges at this price, and it has a simpler interface and more durable components. All of the most important specs and features you should expect from a gas range are here. The 18,000-Btu power burner is as strong as any you’ll find without moving up to a pro range. The continuous, five-burner cooktop has cast iron grates that stay in place when you slide pots and pans around. And like any good range at this price, it has a convection fan.

If you need a more affordable gas range, we like the Whirlpool WFG505M0BS. It’s one of the few budget-friendly gas ranges with a five-burner cooktop and an oven larger than 5 cubic feet. The cast iron continuous grates are a nice touch, too. Unlike our main gas pick’s oven, this range’s oven doesn’t have convection or self-cleaning modes.

The best freestanding induction range

A great freestanding electric induction range for most people who want one is the Electrolux EI30IF40LS. We like its specs better than those of other models, and test labs and owners alike have given it great reviews. Ranges with induction cooktops cost more but offer performance, safety, and efficiency advantages over both gas and radiant electric models. Overall, we think the Electrolux EI30IF40LS is the best value for an induction range, thanks to its powerful and versatile cooktop, huge oven, and relatively reasonable price.

This guide may have been updated by The Sweethome. To see the current recommendation, please go here.

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The best electric and gas ranges

Smart Animation Taught Me More About the Civil War Than History Class


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I’m pretty sure I could pass a high school history test about the Civil War armed with only the knowledge that was dropped on me from watching this highly entertaining 10-minute animation from John D. Ruddy. I’m actually halfway certain I would do better on that test after watching this YouTube video than I would have if I read a sterile textbook.

The kids just have it so easy these days. Enjoy the history lesson, folks. The cartoon drawings are fun too.

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Smart Animation Taught Me More About the Civil War Than History Class

Larry the Lobster Rescued From Restaurant, Dies Getting Shipped to Aquarium

Larry the (unfortunate) lobster, seen here still alive (ABC News via YouTube)

Animal rights activists were appalled when they learned that a 15-pound, 100-year-old lobster was about to become someone’s dinner in Florida. So they organized to “rescue” it and deliver it to an aquarium in Maine. They even gave it a name: Larry.

Well, Larry has now gone to that big ocean in the sky. Which is to say that Larry’s dead. Cause of death? Overeager animal rights activists, it would seem.

After Larry was spotted on the local news for his gigantic size, an organization called iRescue raised money to pack Larry in ice and gel packs and ship the lobster from Sunrise, Florida in a styrofoam container. Larry’s journey up the east coast to Maine was only supposed to take one day. Instead, Larry didn’t arrive until over a week later.

When Larry was first packaged for shipping last week, FedEx refused to take him. The restaurant’s styrofoam container was said to be leaking and iRescue, the animal rights organization that was paying for the “rescue,” had to pick up the package and arrange for Larry to have a temporary home in some tank somewhere else.

The iRescue team packed up Larry again eight days later and used different gel packs and a different styrofoam container—presumably one that wouldn’t leak. Larry was finally shipped successfully on Tuesday, but when Larry finally arrived at the Maine State Aquarium around noon on Wednesday he was dead.

And frankly, it sounds like iRescue should’ve used some more cold gel packs if they wanted to give Larry a shot at surviving the journey.

“This lobster had a bit of a, you know, circuitous route from its origin,” Jeff Nichols, a spokesman for the Department of Marine Resources told the Portland Press Herald. “You need to really surround it in gel packs. This container really only had three.”

But even with all this effort, other animal rights organizations weren’t too keen on Larry living out his life in some no good aquarium like a common Sea Monkey.

“PETA is calling on the Maine State Aquarium to let this elderly crustacean live out his golden years in freedom and peace,” the always level-headed organization said in a statement before Larry met his unfortunate demise.

Larry was originally purchased for a family dinner at the Tin Fish restaurant in Florida. It’s not clear what’s being done with Larry’s body now, but he probably wasn’t fed to anything at the the aquarium given the strict quarantine rules.

My guess is that Larry probably wound up in a dumpster. RIP Larry. We hardly knew ye, but you were obviously too delicious for this world.

[Portland Press Herald via ABC News]

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Larry the Lobster Rescued From Restaurant, Dies Getting Shipped to Aquarium

A Normal Parent’s Guide To Homeschooling

Illustration by Angelica Alzona.

“No school today?”

We are at the coffee shop, and my seven-year-old daughter has been asked what has become a typical question for her. It’s not all that surprising, given that she’s school-aged and conspicuously not in school.

“Nope, I’m homeschooled!” she responds cheerfully, before the conversation proceeds in its predictable fashion. The questioner looks up at me with awe and a touch of pity.

“I could never homeschool.”

I usually smile and respond with a snippet or two about homeschooling that might clear up some misconceptions. “It’s not as scary as you think! There are so many resources these days. You might be surprised.”

The term “homeschooling” often conjures up images of Christian conservatives isolating their ten children from the secular education found in public schools, teaching “traditional values” at the kitchen table. While these families do exist, they do not dominate the homeschooling community the way they once did. I sometimes have to explain to skeptical friends that our brand of homeschooling may not be what they picture. We don’t recreate the school environment at home; I’m not spending all day teaching lessons at the kitchen table. My role is more that of facilitator than teacher. I often mention the classes and groups we’re a part of and that “homeschooling” is a misnomer; we are hardly ever at home.

What I’m trying to communicate is this: Actually, you could homeschool.

While opting out of institutionalized education takes some nerve, homeschooling is not just for the naturally rebellious. For the majority of my life, for example, I marched in lockstep with conventional wisdom—I took challenging classes in high school, graduated from an art college, took a job in graphic design, got married and bought a house. When I became pregnant with my first daughter is when mainstream dogma came to no longer serve me, or more importantly, my child.

It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what changed. Maybe it was the OBGYN who spoke condescendingly about my desire for a natural birth, or the measly six weeks of unpaid maternity leave offered by the small studio where I worked. Maybe it was the totally unprecedented, powerful, and fierce love I felt for this brand new being growing inside me. All I know is that I was forced out of my go-to structure—I left my job and the condescending gynecologist, had a natural birth, freelanced so I could stay home, co-slept and breastfed for two and a half years, and then repeated the process with baby number two and three.

By the time my eldest approached the age where children normally start school, the question couldn’t be ignored. Children should start full-day kindergarten at five years old. Or should they?


My first daughter had a rough start in this world. She cried hour after hour, day after day, for months. She had what is commonly called colic. It was hard on all of us. My quest to alleviate what was causing her misery led me to study human health and happiness through the evolutionary lens—and many of the ideas I read about influenced the way we began to eat, move, and relate to each other.

It became clear that this understanding—that the way different kids learn and grow is not uniform—applied to formal education systems, as well. In a regular public school system, children might be hopelessly over-scheduled, more energetic or reserved than their peers, or brimming with questions that require time to answer. How would my husband and I deal with those separate issues? Maybe we could homeschool—we could choose to cut back on a pile of activities to opt for a slower rhythm instead, spend days outside instead of indoors, and set aside time to indulge our kids’ more eager curiosities.

It turned out that the way our family chose to homeschool could directly reflect our needs and values. We learned that homeschooling is what you make it, nothing less and nothing more.

Flexibility and time:

It’s a fact: Schools are institutions, and institutions are not flexible. No Child Left Behind is seen as a failed effort, yet schools continue with standardized testing and a one-size-fits-all approach. We’ve known for years that rewards—gold stars, red checks, and praise—can often result in decreased intrinsic motivation (a child’s self-sustaining want to succeed based on fascination or accomplishment), yet the reward model still holds strong in our education system. It’s become overwhelmingly clear in recent years that children are suffering from decreased free play time, yet many schools continue to only offer 20 minutes of recess per day.

When you homeschool, any new understanding or need can be integrated into your education model. After a few straight weeks of rain this spring, when the sun finally came out, we spent a full week outside with friends. It was what we needed, and we were able to make that choice. This year, I’ve been studying mindfulness—i.e., focusing your awareness in the present—and have been able to weave this idea seamlessly into our days. We set the stage for the practice through keeping a calm and orderly home and limiting distracting technology. Our days follow a regular routine that the children can relax into, allowing them to be truly present during meals, play, rest, and work—and without any concern over grades or test scores, all their focus can be on the process of learning.

This kind of flexibility supports each family member’s individual needs and encourages lifelong learning and growth. And days can change to reflect new needs or information without fighting the slow-moving bureaucracy of a school. Instead, much of a typical school day is spent negotiating and managing the needs of the group. We are able to spend more time on focused learning tailored to our child’s interests and level, and often cover the same amount of information as traditional school while still leaving hours every day for daydreaming, playing, and reading for pleasure. In many ways, this learning method can give children the gift of time.

A family-centered lifestyle:

One undeniable quality of this method of learning is the emphasis it puts on family relationships. When things are going smoothly, it means hours of play among siblings, lively and engaging conversation, and a solid foundation of trust that we are in this together, and that all our needs matter. When my oldest daughter was interested in learning everything she could about space last year, it became a family affair. My husband took off work for a family field trip to the Air and Space Museum. We read countless books about space before bedtime, and created our own solar system (even the toddler painted some planets).

When parents take back responsibility for their children’s education, the ripple effects are significant. In the role of formal educator, parents face the reality of how their children actually learn. Efforts to force-feed knowledge are met with resistance and parents are continuously required to rethink their methods, and often, their core beliefs about education. Naive plans to “do math lessons every morning after breakfast” or “only keep toys in the bedrooms” crumble before the reality of everyday life. Our homes, schedules, and attitudes must truly come to reflect our needs and priorities. This means carving out space and time in our home and schedule to meet each family member’s needs. Our family room is a playroom and our kitchen doubles as the kids’ studio space. Many of my husband and my books are stored in boxes in the basement to make room for kids’ books on the main bookshelves. We respect the needs of our youngest members by spending time at playgrounds every day and setting aside time for naps.

I’ve found that in a world where people feel increasingly alienated from one another—where even children communicate largely through screens, even while in the same room—our method of schooling shines a light on the areas where our relationships break down. Sibling quarrels must be worked out, parental disagreements must be addressed. When children don’t spend the majority of their day in school, limits and expectations about how we treat each other must be consistently set at home. We simply spend too much time together for conflict to be ignored. It is in these struggles to come back together that we lay the foundation for lifelong, fulfilling relationships.

Becoming a stronger member of the community:

A big misconception about homeschooling parents is that we’re responsible for every aspect of our child’s education. That’s simply not how it goes! My family lives in the city, so we attend nature school once a week to balance out the dynamics of metropolitan living. It’s a five-hour class led by a trained nature guide, spent in the woods with other homeschoolers, experiencing, connecting with, and learning about the earth.

With a toddler at home, it is a challenge for me to sit down and lead structured lessons, so this year, my dad (he’s a retired teacher, conveniently) has taken on that role, leading math and language arts twice a week. The subjects that I lead are the ones that fit our current circumstances and in which I am knowledgeable and skilled. Any holes can be pursued through a class, family member, friend, or tutor.

As for the oft-asked socialization question—we have a large community of friends who we see many times each week. I sometimes wonder if people think it’s just me and my kids day in and day out. It’s not! We regularly gather with other homeschoolers for casual meet-ups, field trips, and classes. In fact, a huge benefit as a parent is that you begin to build a supportive community around your kids that also becomes a strong network for parents. Often other parents, tutors, or community members become friends and the kids are already integrated into those relationships.


At this point, you may think this all sounds interesting, but still feel fuzzy on the technical aspects. Let’s get to the practical information—how would a parent even get started with homeschooling?

Curriculum:

Some families choose to use a curriculum. There are a ton of homeschooling curriculums available with a range of educational approaches, including Traditional (which revolves largely around a private school style of manuals, texts, and workbooks), Waldorf (a study that includes body, mind, and spirit and involves art, movement, and nature), and Classical (a “learn for yourself” method that focuses on a foundation of “reason, record, research, relate, and rhetoric”), to name a few. Our family takes inspiration from a curriculum based on Waldorf Education, which we also combine with a more interest-led, project-based approach.

Some families—unschoolers or project-based homeschoolers, for example—choose to not use a curriculum at all. These families use the world as their classroom and take an interest-led, experiential approach. In practice, however, most families combine several philosophies and approaches.

In addition, you’ll want to look for groups and classes that may be available in your area. It sounds obvious, but these are fairly easy to find via Facebook Groups and plugging into other community centers or groups in your neighborhood that have classes or tutoring for children. Where we’re from, there are several homeschooling centers and co-ops that offer classes, field trips, and other gatherings. You can find a variety of classes offered to homeschoolers at science centers, museums, and nature centers. Generally, once you find one homeschooler, many other groups, tutors, and parents will follow.

Government requirements and costs:

Homeschooling is legal in all 50 states. Each state’s requirements are a little different—in some states, no notification is required, while in others, parents must give notification, and log reviews and test scores with their local government. (There are also state-by-state laws on the primary teaching parent’s education, vaccinations, and state-mandated subject coverage.) Here in Maryland, I register my homeschooled children with the state and participate in mandatory twice-yearly reviews, either directly with the city or through an umbrella group, an organization that helps families comply with local laws. Our reviews include checks to make sure that all required subjects are being addressed and that students are making progress.

Unfortunately, homeschooling doesn’t provide much of a cost benefit, especially when compared with public schools. In Maryland, for example, homeschoolers don’t receive any tax breaks—which means that loss of income for the primary homeschooling parent, plus cost of classes and activities quickly adds up. However, when we compare homeschooling to a private school education, we find that we can often spend less while experiencing more. This understanding, combined with a belief that we are providing the best possible education and lifestyle for our children, supports the net benefit of this choice.

Is it worth it?

Well, let’s address the elephant in the room. There are families that might find it very difficult to homeschool—single parents without any other help, or families dealing with serious health or financial issues, for example. But in many cases it’s an option worth pursuing.

For my family, homeschooling became not only an educational choice, but also a lifestyle one. Our decision came from questioning some very long-held beliefs, and was borne out of the conviction that our children would benefit from this method over others. What we’ve found, though, is that with hard work and dedication, we have redefined what modern childhood, family life, and education is for our household and community. Together, we have forged a path of discovery and connection that I’m not sure we could have otherwise.


Miranda Wulff Altschuler is an artist, wife, and mother of four living in Baltimore. She homeschools her children while running her illustration shop and posting a little too often on Instagram @mirandamakes.

via Lifehacker
A Normal Parent’s Guide To Homeschooling