You know that homeschool is working when your 12- and 13-year old daughters utilize their critical thinking skills and don't fall for what is being fed to the masses. Yesterday, my 12-year-old questioned the validity of a pressure cooker being inside of a backpack that was casually slung over one shoulder and didn't appear bulky or heavy. She brought this up before I even had a chance to think about that. It totally threw me off guard and took me by pleasant surprise.  I'm sure she questioned it because we just got her grandmother a pressure cooker for Christmas so she knows how big and heavy it is.  THIS is what our purpose of homeschooling is about...to think for yourself and not be influenced by what the majority is being influenced by. Mainly, to question everything. This is our first year of homeschooling and we are still winging it and trying to find a comfortable groove. Her statement proved that you don't need a fancy curriculum or a set routine to homeschool. It was the result of everyday living and basic common sense. Something that is basically stifled in the public school setting.