There are LOTS of reasons why I choose eclectic homeschooling…

I call myself a “Pick & Choose” homeschooler.

{If you’re like me, you might be one, too!}

So you might be a Pick & Choose Homeschooler IF:

1.) If someone asks what method you use and you begin your sentence with “Well, it’s like this….”

If you need a paragraph to explain which homeschool method you use…Yep. You might be a Pick & Choose Homeschooler.

In fact, I have a whole post, with lots of paragraphs!

2.) If you have trouble sticking to only one kind of method and you continually find yourself trying new things..

If you’ve got half finished lapbooks, workbooks, notebooks, textbooks and more (some of which worked and some of which didn’t…) then yes, you might be a Pick & Choose Homeschooler!

I’m always looking for ways to expand, enrich and extend our love of learning!

3.) If you’re a little bit of a control freak and the idea of buying a curriculum in a box already set up for you just gives you the willies…

If you can’t stand the thought of buying an all-in-one box because you can’t have your favorite history curriculum or you’re not sure your kids will like the math curriculum.. then you are probably a Pick & Choose Homeschooler!

Control freak? Who me?? (Okay, yes, I do have some things I’m not willing to budge on!)

4.) If the curriculum you choose is influenced by your child’s learning style…

If you like to study your children, research, and then create a curriculum plan that best fits their learning styles.. there’s a good chance you’re a Pick & Choose Homeschooler!

Guilty! Learning style is important! My only “regret” is feeling like I don’t take this into consideration throughout the day often enough.

5.) If you examine a new curriculum possibility like a detective in an interrogation room,…

If you have a long list of requirements for things you want to get out of a curriculum and choose books that meet those needs from a variety of different sources.. no doubt about it, you’ve gotta be a Pick & Choose Homeschooler!

I need curriculum that fits learning style, can be reused, can be taught across multiple age/grade ranges and as much as possible, is biblically based. Yes, the B-I-B-L-E, yes that’s the book for me! Choosing books and methods that really *fit* is one of the best perks of homeschooling and I intend to take advantage of that to the fullest!

6.) If the thrill of the hunt brings you to a euphoric book-hunting “high”…

If you the best part about designing your curriculum for the year is the hunting, researching, planning, gathering and pulling it all together into a cohesive plan… you may indeed be a Pick & Choose Homeschooler.

Even for the brands I already know and love, looking at and checking out the next book in line is still tons of fun! And for the areas that I’m flexible in, finding something new and exciting just gives me chills! (I’m hooked.)

7.) If you’re addicted to homeschool products (and office products) of every kind…

If you have everything you’d need for lapbooking, notebooking, arts & crafts, hands on experiments, you name it..if you feel like you just “have to have them all!”… you could possibly be a Pick & Choose homeschooler!

Ohhh supplies…. I love supplies.. I want them all! In my “dream” school room I’d have a WALL of supply cabinets with not only craft items but supplies for experiments and games and anything I could think of! I dream big. ;0)

8.) If you like to be able to “break up with” curriculum that isn’t working without feeling guilty…

If you’re not afraid to ditch something that’s not working, switch tactics, try something new next year that you didn’t use last year… you really might be a Pick & Choose Homeschooler!

Not only have I done this, but I’ve done this twice with the same child, the same subject, back to back! Though I *am* one of those people that likes to do everything in order and doesn’t like the thought of incomplete or out of order books.. I don’t feel the least bit guilty about moving on from something that really isn’t working.

9.) If you have a deep fondness for living books and workbooks at the same time…

If your living books and workbooks live on your bookshelf peacefully side by side, without resenting each other or bickering over which one is loved more.. you’re very possibly a Pick & Choose Homeschooler!

It’s true, I love both. (Some of you just gasped!!) More importantly, my kids like both. My oldest has always found satisfaction in completing a workbook, and I’ve never minded a workbook that was well built. We all love a good book for bringing history or science or just your imagination to life.

10.) If your books shelves look like a book STORE…

If you have so many different kinds of books, supplemental resources, supplies, games, videos, references, and whatnot that you look like a second-hand bookstore.. you might be a Pick & Choose Homeschooler!

Okay, that one might apply to all homeschoolers. I honestly don’t know whether more ‘focused’ methods have school shelves that look like mine or not!

But if you have all ten of these, then I’m going to go out on a limb and hedge a guess and say:

YOU MIGHT BE A PICK & CHOOSE HOMESCHOOLER! = )

Are you an eclectic homeschooler too, or do you find that you tend to stick with one method more than the others?

This post is a part of the Top Ten Tuesday meme hosted by Angie @ Many Little Blessings (and the 10 Weeks of 10 series with iHomeschool Network.)