Decisions
After nearly two months of trying to decide what to do about school next year, we’ve finally decided to continue homeschooling Caleb. Elizabeth will go back to public school. I’m not sure what I expected from this homeschooling experiment of the last semester, but I certainly thought it would be temporary. I knew Caleb would enjoy doing it, but frankly I never expected that I would enjoy it as much as I have.
Elizabeth, on the other hand, cried at least two or three times a week about how much she hated homeschooling. If she had decided to enjoy it, I think we could have had a good time, but she was determined to hate it for the entire semester. Her main beef (besides having me for a teacher) was that it was so hard for her to make new friends here when she didn’t go to school with them. She was also closed and withdrawn whenever we went on an outing with other homeschooling kids, so I think she was determined not to make any friends there.
She and I visited the public school she will attend, and we both felt good about it. The school is K-5, which will be different for her (she is used to PreK-1 only), but the principals were nice, and we liked the facilities. She will also attend school with other kids in our neighborhood, which I think will help her sense of “belonging.” She has continuted to call Perritt (in Arkadelphia) “her school,” which hasn’t really helped the transition process for her.
Caleb is thrilled that he will be homeschooling again, and the fact that it will be WITHOUT his sister is just gravy. He loves all of the zoo classes and Pink Palace Science Museum classes that we do throughout the year, and he’s already made a few good friends who homeschool in our area. He wants to sign up for a bowling league and a swim team with other homeschoolers as well.
I’ve taken some flack from both sides of the aisle for straddling the fence on this issue. Some other homeschooling moms (and my parents) think I’m not committed enough to homeschooling. Others, including a public school teacher in my Sunday school class, think I’m doing them a disservice by homeschooling at all. I think the decision that we’ve made will probably irritate people on both sides of this issue, but after much prayer I’ve decided it doesn’t matter as long as my kids are happy.
Filed under: Caleb, Elizabeth, Homeschooling, family, kids, parenting, school on June 9th, 2008
You’re right. In the end, all that REALLY matters are your kids and what’s best for them.
It is interesting how *passionate* people can get on this issue. And also how people read others on it. I always knew my kids would go to a school…homeschooling is not for me or my kiddos (for several reasons). I told a HSing mom this one time, and I heard from another friend that this lady thought I was completely bashing HSing and trying to pick a fight with her. What? I thought we were just ‘discussing’ the issues.
I agree that it’s what’s best for the kids…and I think it’s awesome that you’re understanding them both. It will be interesting to hear your stories of what people think when they find out that you’re HS one and not the other.
Hi, just found your blog through facebook!
I agree, about what makes your kids happy. We are sending our oldest to Nursery school here in the UK in September, but will most likely be homeschooling for her Reception (Kinder) year since we’ll be in the states for most of that time…I’ve gotten a lot of opinions about why I would send my kid to Nursery but then homeschool the next year. Nursery is only for 2 hrs each morning.
Anyway, just wanted to comment.