Mom says homeschooling allowed boys more time with dad

Every school day there are more than 30,000 Washington state kids who don’t go to class. But they’re not playing hookey, they’re learning at home.

Celione Limes’ sons are 14, 16, and 18 years old. Her oldest, Joshua, is finishing up his Associates Degree with Running Start. Limes is able to take a breathe and consider all they’ve accomplished.

“We did amazing travel as a family, just incredible. And the boys have spent a lot of time with dad, which was the goal,” she said.

Celione is originally from Switzerland. She met her pilot husband more than 20 years ago, moved to Washington, and they started their family. A few years later, it was about time for Joshua to start kindergarten.

“I wanted them to go to school. I had three kids under the age of four; I was exhausted,” Celione laughed.

But as they began exploring their options at public and private schools near their Edgwood home, Celione says they quickly realized traditional schooling wasn’t for them.

Her husband is a pilot for Alaska Airlines and a reservist, flying C-17s for the Air Force. He had a complicated schedule that often included working weekends. Celione says she was worried about how her family would stay connected.

The idea of homeschooling the boys and setting their own schedule was appealing, even though it was a totally foreign concept to Celione and her family back home.

“There’s not even a French word for homeschool,” Celione said. “My mother was shocked. I think she still is.”

Homeschooling is illegal in Switzerland and most other European countries.

Celione says she did a lot of research before deciding it was the right choice for her family. She discovered homeschooling not only would give her boys more time with their dad, it would allow them to pursue their interests in a way they couldn’t in a traditional classroom.

They took the boys to Normandy Beach in France. They visited the hiding place of Anne Frank. They watched plays by Shakespeare.

“They will always remember that,” Celione said. “And I know not everyone can do it, but I tried to make it a real experience in every subject.”

Even after more than a decade of homeschooling her kids, Celione is still learning about history, about science, and about her boys.

“You have to always remember, I’m a mother first and a teacher second,” Celione said. “One time my son said, ‘Mom, 90 percent of what you talk to me about is school.’ And I was so thankful he said that because it’s true.”

Her three boys have developed a bond with each other and with their parents they might not have without the time and travels they’ve experienced as a family.

Celione now helps mentor other parents. She will be teaching an Introduction to Homeschooling seminar at this weekend’s Washington Homeschool Convention at the Washington State Fairgrounds in Puyallup.

She says the top three reasons families choose homeschooling are academics, religion, and more time with the family. But, if you ask ten different parents how they approach homeschooling, you will likely get ten very different answers.

Most colleges have entrance programs to accept homeschool students. Students still have to complete their SAT or ACT, and they will sometimes have to take special topic-specific tests, like science or math.

Many homeschool families are part of local co-ops that allow families to pool their time and resources.

Homeschool children also have the option of taking part in activities and classes in their local public school district. For example, Joshua Limes was part of the Puyallup High School Robotics Team for four years.

After completing his Associates Degree in Running Start in the fall, Joshua hopes to study robotics at the University of Washington.