Homeschool kids start to get busy like all the rest

The Mills children will be starting back at school this week with hundreds of other kids from across Rotorua, the only difference being their school is in the dining room.

The Mills family, including six sisters and one older brother, homeschool and will be doing things a little differently during the back to school period.

Their morning routine includes chores and music practice followed by school work - in the dining room or in the tree hut.

Tepora Mills, 11, said it was hard to compare homeschooling to public school as she had never been to a school, but said there were some obvious perks.

"I like that we don't have to walk to school, we just walk into the dining room."

Jacqui Mills said she was looking forward to spending time with her kids as they got back into full-time school work.

She said motivation was not an issue for the children who enjoyed getting into study.

"We have started doing a little bit of work [already] just to get them back into the routine, it has been a long break," she said.

When asked if they had bought new school bags, like many other Rotorua children, Maraea Mills, 10, laughed and said they did not need to.

"We don't have school bags, we have school boxes. It is a box with all our school work in it."

Maraea said they preferred to do math and reading in the tree hut and other subjects inside.

The four eldest girls base their work on a range of curriculums while the eldest, and only boy, studies Correspondence.

Meanwhile, stationery shops across town have been busy meeting the demands of the back to school rush.

Doodle Rotorua owner Kylie Mackie said their most popular product had been customised school bags. "They are a big favourite. Like dinosaur bags with spiky backs."