La Vie en Pinard

Sometimes I wonder ... WHAT AM I DOING??? When we began homeschooling it was not on purpose. I did not always plan it. I did not always want to do it. In fact, just the opposite. I looked forward to going to the store by myself. I looked forward to being able to clean the entire house without one room being messed up again. I had forgotten what it felt like to be home alone - by myself - with a book - and a cup of tea - in the quiet - without anyone asking questions. Here is what I didn't know - even if the incident on school day 3 had not happened - I think I would still be a home school parent. Why you ask. Because I think it is important for him. We have our days where I would love to be able to send him to school and have someone else deal with it. Have someone else deal with his lack of interest in Cursive or Predicates. Try to get him to understand why he needs to find the value of x (I still am not sure why I do it). I definitely don't want to teach him to dissect a frog or anything else. It would be easier to let someone else do this, BUT, no one ever said being a parent was easy.

I know that I will have people disagree with me on this. I know there are many people in my life that feel we should put him in school. I guess that is a down side of having friends who are school teachers - BUT - why is it that I am competent enough to teach him to walk, talk, have good manners, how to eat with silverware, how to dress himself, take showers, be responsible, interact with others, play nicely, share and all of the thousands of other things as his Mom I am expected to teach him, why is it that I am not capable of teaching him to find x, or what biology is. Why can I NOT teach him nouns and pronouns.

He is 13 and in 8th grade. He can tell you all 50 states, capitals, multiply, divide, he is beginning to find x, he is also able to name 25 different varieties of plant life, tell you the five senses, name all the planets, tell you what the different stars are. Classify animals correctly and many other things. He can diagram sentences, tell you all the parts of speech (including gerunds) and is learning sign language and French. Is he perfect in all of theses skills - NO HE IS NOT, but is the child that is in the public school or private school system?

Every week we attend a homeschool co op where he plays with other kids, interacts with other adults and gets much socialization. He has friends, we go out in public and he does well with adults and kids alike.

This move would be a nightmare if he were in school. How would I be able to take him out for house hunting or to do the actual move. With homeschooling he just switches living rooms, not schoolrooms.

There are days that we don't get much done (like now while I have a cold and feel crappy) but there are days we get everything done for the week on Monday and Tuesday and we go to Greenfield Village or to the park or the cider mill. WE go to play!

I get the privilege of watching him learn. I see hid face when something he has been struggling with clicks and it makes sense. If he were in school his teacher would see that - not me. Don't get me wrong - I know there are many people who are not up for the challenge of homeschooling. it is a challenge - it is VERY hard work.

For those who don't think I should be doing this - please understand that I disagree with you and the beauty of this country is that I have that right. I am his Mom and his Dad and I have decided to do this. We did NOT choose it, but have made the decision that since the public school system had him for three days and couldn't keep him safe from a predator it was my job to do it. I have taken on that challenge.

To all my other Homeschooling Mom friends - Good Luck this year! Enjoy your kids. Be brave when it is challenging and know that you are doing what your kids need. For my friends who have their kids in school, pray for them, love them and spend as much time as you can with them. Remember they are only this age for today. Tomorrow will be completely different.<