Homeschoolers have been put into a box--a box of socially accepted stereotypes that are simply not true! You hear the word "homeschooled," and what do you think of? I have mostly heard things like, “The poor little girl must have no social life,” “She must not get out at all,” or “She’s so socially awkward." (Hello, you’re talking to a dyspraxic here!)

I am here to debunk that homeschool myth and some others. This is why being homeschooled was awesome, and why it actually works for a lot of people.

Myth number one: Homeschool isn’t really a school.

Really? I went to a school where my awesome mom got to teach me every day! I woke up at a reasonable hour. I had breakfast made for me every day (bacon and eggs, toast and coffee), and then we got to work. I started school at around nine o'clock. Depending on the day, I could be done with school by twelve in the afternoon. Two at the very latest. I had the whole rest of the day to play outside, hang with our neighborhood friends that lived three doors down and have fun!

While you’re in your cold classroom learning from a very straightforward, strict curriculum, I’m learning about the command of the English language, advanced algebra, science and a history program that no one could beat in my comfortable clothes. Yes, we had to get dressed. We didn’t always chill in our PJ’s unless we were sick. We didn’t get sick days. We didn’t miss anything at all. We just didn’t get shoved into the proverbial box. We weren’t bullied. We were excellent students and we were able to form a bond with our mom that we couldn’t have gotten if we weren’t homeschooled.

My mom taught us from an actual curriculum that was set up by an actual person. That person was actually homeschooling his own kids! We even had SATs at the end of the year where we would get together and take exams. And we had social activities at the school where we took it, of course. This means we just hung out. We would compete against each other to see who could finish the fastest, We had homework, we had amazing reading material that no public school would have made us read and we loved it!

I also wouldn’t have learned Saxon Math if it weren’t for homeschooling. I had an amazing virtual math teacher that I would have never had. And since I have dyspraxia (which makes it very hard and very painful to write), a little dysgraphia (intertwined and a possible side effect of dyspraxia because it does hurt to write) and my annoying ADHD (which made it hard to focus), it would have been nearly impossible to get through a “regular” school. Many people with learning disabilities homeschool because they are able to work at their own pace.

With homeschooling, I could have time to do what I needed to do. My mom was the most patient and wonderful person. She was also my teacher! And I would have never learned so much about grammar than I did with my mom! She was and still is the grammar queen! Although, my brother used to tease her and say she was the grammar Nazi! Speaking of classes, I wouldn’t have been able to take a college level course at 15, now would I? I wouldn’t have been able to take Constitutional Law at Patrick Henry College at 15 had I not been homeschooled. And my teacher yes, teacher, was Michael Farris!

If you don’t know who that is, there is no reason for you to be talking about homeschooling or especially how you had the better education.

Myth number two: Homeschoolers don’t get out, have social lives and are sheltered.

This one makes me laugh. I have made a list of everything I did while I was homeschooled that would have been nearly impossible for me to do had I not been homeschooled.

Suzuki Piano, Soccer, Cheerleading (I am ashamed), UPWARDS, Horseback Riding Lessons (and for my thirteenth birthday, I leased my favorite horse). Here are the pictures that were taken at school time days. Ten in the morning. When you were in school, I was riding my horse.

I played guitar and had lessons. I was involved at the 4H Shooting Club and was the treasurer for a year. I won the Archery competition. I got to shoot weapons at a young age. Tell me, if I wasn't homeschooled, could I have been able to do that? Especially group the shots like on the first picture?? No? That's what I thought.

That is another thing. I learned invaluable life lessons from being homeschooled. To learn about weapons is the best thing that ever happened to me, and homeschooling allowed that. We could go when we finished school for the day and shoot.

We went to a homeschool skating rink where we could all hang out and socialize. I did Leaders Club at the YMCA at 14! I was involved at HSP (Homeschool Plus). You also think you had the better education? I took a Biology class with lab at 12 years old from Homeschool Plus where I dissected a frog. Because I was smart and got to take more advanced classes, I could pick which classes to take to a degree as well! I was able to get on site learning and hands-on experience.

And yes, I had homework! Three years later I had the best Chemistry Teacher, Dr. Rosenfarb, the Jewish Rabbi who taught me more about the world than he did Chemistry. He let us learn in any way we needed to learn. The lab was hands on, fun and I actually learned. What teacher these days would be allowed to do that? We learned Chemistry by playing poker. Yeah, but homeschooling is just a joke.

I was also able to act. Our homeschool friend Amanda McBreen taught us Excellence in Writing, so other than my mother, I had the best English education you could get. That class then reenacted Hamlet, and by we I mean the homeschool friends that I hung out with. I nearly broke a rib laughing so hard. We worked hard, and we put on a great play. And if I had not been homeschooled, I would not have had early college. Many people do dual-enroll nowadays, but Regent was homeschool friendly, and the admissions counselor had homeschooled her kids herself as well. My mom and she understood each other and connected instantly.

Myth Number Three: I Didn’t Go to Prom

This poor little unsocial girl went to prom! I had my first prom and we were allowed to dance. It wasn’t all just Christian music--I went with my girl squad and we had an amazing time! It was held at the Great Wolf Lodge in Virginia. And you had the better social life? Right. I got dressed up in a pretty white dress and had an amazing time. I danced with the other school’s hottie, probably the most attractive guy there. I conga’d with my gals to Katy Perry’s "Firework." I flirted with the DJ as best I could, and felt like a normal highschool girl. Because that’s exactly who I was. Now, please. Enjoy a collage of my homeschool prom!

And I also went to another homeschool dance and dressed like this:

Do you see that red dress? And you think we're all so sheltered.... think again.