Homeschooling 5th and Beyond: Debunking the Myth Of Short School Hours

     Okay, so I'm not new to the homeschooling arena.  Since the time my oldest was 4 years old, we started off on the wonderful homeschooling journey that we are still doing with 2 of our children now going on 7 years.  Kindergarten took 1-2 hours of our day, and it was a wonderful start.  1st, 2nd, 3rd all came around and passed the same way.  4th grade was a transitional year, and even though it was more challenging curriculum-wise, we still pulled it off in 2 - 3 hours.  Then came 5th grade~we had 4-5 hour days, including teaching new concepts and correcting work.  It seems at the end of every week I became discouraged, thinking I must be doing something wrong.  I looked at other homeschooling articles, moms, and such for encouragement and most of the main topics were affirming and cheering you on that you Can do school in just a few hours.  Really?  But how effectively?  I started to research more and realized most of the articles and people I was (speaking truthfully) comparing myself to were homeschooling children Kindergarten-3rd Grade!  A light came on and suddenly I realized I needed to take a different approach to my child who was in 5th grade at the time.  I evaluated all sides:  I looked in to my state's requirements for graduation from each grade, I looked at a local middle school nearby to research the academics for my child's current grade compared to what he would receive at the public school, and I looked in to my child's individual needs.  I came to the conclusion that, if you want to Effectively homeschool your child so that he goes on to receive a Higher Education, it Will take more work 5th grade and beyond.  It just will~and as a homeschooler, you have to accept that fact. 
     Of course, everyone has their own style, curriculum, and schedule based off their children's and family's needs.  But, contrary to popular belief from others I encounter in my life, homeschooling is not where we wake up early do 2-3 hours of school and have the rest of the day to do our "own" thing.  After waking, doing chores, and taking care of oneself, we personally spend 4-5 hours doing school each day for children that are 5th grade or higher.  By 5th grade, your child may have stronger subjects and weaker subjects as the curriculum becomes more advanced.  This means you may have to slow down on certain subjects to allow the child time to digest, or you may have to spend more time to complete that subject for the day.  Though your child may breeze through his strong subjects, that extra time may be used up correcting problems with him/her in his weaker subjects. 
     So, to those who Dare to venture in to homeschooling 5th grade and beyond, You Can Do It!  Don't be discouraged at the amount of time it takes.  Realize that time is the sacrifice you make so you can give your child the Godly foundation, Godly character, and solid education your children need for  their lives.  It will be hard work, but in the end, it will be so worth it when you see your child with that diploma in-hand and going in to the season of adulthood with a Godly foundation.