...we just don't fit.
Even though we pulled our kids from private school in March 2013, last fall began our official start to homeschooling. I was nervous to trust my instincts, and pretty much felt completely overwhelmed at the idea of schooling my Ladybugs. I was quickly pulled in a hurricane of teaching the girls during the day, teaching private lessons on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and Saturdays, and taking care of my grandpa Ray on Monday and Wednesday evenings (and throughout the weekend). I had no time to even think about anything. I was pulled in many directions, and I was constantly frustrated with the girls.
What a difference a year makes - as my brain is much more focused on what we can achieve by homeschooling. Less structure and more substance. Zoe wants to spend a half hour baking cinnamon bread? Okay! She's working on reading, following directions, and measurements. If Evie wants to take a time out to sit in the front tree? Okay! She is spending time with nature and refocusing herself to the tasks at hand. I actually scheduled recess in the beginning of last year. I had a plan, and I was going to adhere to it. But by Christmastime (and the passing of Ray) I could not continue the path I had started. Did that mean an end to homeschooling? A part of me knew something had to give, but from the moment we left the private school, I knew I had made the right decision for our family.
This August was completely crazy; flood, power outage, canceled vacation, etc. I thankfully had the first part of our school year mapped out (i.e. I had an action plan with movement). However, each day is a little different, and I am flexible to the needs of my children. After all, if you are going to set up your home like a school, what is the point of teaching your child(ren) at home?
Why don't we fit the homeschool picture?
We aren't homeschooling for Christian reasons. At one point I thought that was the case. The truth? I loved the small class sizes of the private Christian school. Their focus on individualized education was truly awesome. Of course a small, family environment also means people saying and doing things that are very hurtful and spiteful. Regardless, I wanted to provide that individualized curriculum. So why was I streamlining everything?
We aren't homeschooling for political reasons. We are not very political in nature. We vote at all elections, but know that most of the time the outcome is the same as always.
We aren't homeschooling to shelter our children. Yes, Zoe had huge issues with her anxiety. And, yes, these issues did prevent her from wanting to take part in dance classes and the like. But the truth is: our children have more friends than the average school-aged child. We just had an 80s movie week, where we showed our children favorite movies from the 80s. Yes, there were swear words. Yes, they have heard them before. No, we aren't worried. I'm not going to say I don't want to protect my ladybugs from the nastiness of the world, but sheltering is not why we did this.
So , I ask myself - Why did we decide to homeschool? The answer is simple: our education system is flawed beyond repair at this point. Yes, there are some decent private schools, but they are all religious based. There are also charter schools, but most will tell you a charter school is not necessarily better than a public school. I don't have all the answers, but I do know that the quality of education today is not the same as it was 30 years ago. Standardizing curriculum, testing all the time, and eliminating recess are just a few reasons I chose to continuing homeschooling.
I must admit the last month has been a hell on earth for us. Our home has been in a constant disaster; almost giving people on Hoarders a run for their money. But the flood has taught us to be smart about our purchases and the amount of things that are needed to survive. So we push through the darkest moments and laugh when there are no tears left to fall. For this too shall pass.
