We have had our children in a private Catholic school. I think it’s why my daughter believes every blanket should cover her head like the Virgin Mary, that & the statues around the house. It’s a really great place & seriously she looks adorable with the blanket. However, this year for a variety of reasons we had to make some difficult decisions. I mean really difficult because it would be easier if we didn’t like the people or the school. But darn them for being good & likable! Which is the decision to no longer enroll the kids wasn’t easy, but was a necessary decision.
Part of the process of figuring out what we’d do next has been talking about homeschooling (we also considered other options). Having had the benefit of teaching kids at the college level who were homeschooled & then both of us being able to meet people who are homeschooling families let us think maybe we could do this. I mean not a single person seemed like a Children of the Corn extra, instead they all seemed normal. No one even tried to sacrifice us in some weird cult-like corn ritual. I know, imagine that? Instead we met normal people. Funny, smart & socially comfortable people.
So then we read more about it (not just as a supplement in the summer like we’d been doing but as a way of life), looked at wide range of curriculum, checked the budget again, looked at all sorts of ideas that don’t involve a single curricula & everything else in between. I was relieved to learn I could remain relaxed & still homeschool, color coding & scheduling every second of the day isn’t me. Not that I think it doesn’t work for others, but for me I need to feel that there is flex in my day. The thought of a color coded day laid out that I have to adhere to (even if self-imposed) causes me to break out in hives, the thought of a rhythm in a day is more me & importantly more our family & our kids.
After we talked about it & really spent a long time discerning it we thought this life of homeschooling seemed like something that would work well for our kids, fit well in our lives, & generally be a good experience for us. The kids will also still get to see the other kids from the school because it’s part of the parish we belong to & they can participate in different activities there still.
So yea…
We are officially homeschooling our kids this year.
Hold me.
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This post made me giggle. I remember my daughter and her friends (all in Catholic school) playing dress-up with blankets over all their heads.
These kinds of decisions are so hard. We struggled with it as well over the years and ultimately homeschooled our daughter in high school with the help of an online highschool.
LOL, Cindy! I think it must be a requirement to do the blanket over the head as a little girl in a Catholic setting. It is a hard decision, even though we know it can be changed it’s just a big leap.
Beth,
I homeschooled our oldest for a year and part of a year. We did so more out of neccessity (we knew our lives would be hectic and we wanted him to travel with us) than anything else. However, I enjoyed it very much. I’m not a color coder. I can barely remember my wallet unless I don’t need it. I found curriculum that takes moms like us into consideration. Truthfully, we didn’t school every single day. Truthfully, he learned more than I thought he would. Truthfully, if we weren’t in such an amazing school system, he’d still be homeschooled. You’ll do great!
You should probably work on your “Hail Mary, full of grace” speech, however….
I can’t remember my wallet either, it must be in the genes of us who aren’t color coders. We’ve got a pretty gentle schedule here, I’m hoping we’ll get to enjoy a lot.
Yay! Now we can blog & share about our new homeschooling adventures!
YAY!! For homeschooling adventures
Good for you. A hard decision, I know. I can’t wait to read of your adventures this year.
My best friend jumped into homeschooling last year for the first time with much trepidation, but it worked out great. She was terrified of the “denim jumper people.” LOL. She’s doing it again this year.
Anyway, just wanted to say, “Congrats!”
Thanks! It is a hard decision, each kid & year is so different too. And so who knows where it will lead us.
Come on in! The water is fine!
I suppose I am a homeschool vet. My daughter is in the 8th grade this year, and she’s been homeschooled all the way.
I do own a couple of denim skirts, but no jumper. TeeHee
Lisa– THANKS! The water’s been treating us so far (this week anyway) good
Congratulations on a tough decision. My brother homeschools his children and it seems to be going pretty decently for them, although I know they have a hectic life to begin with (they run a business, too – crazy talk if you ask me).
I’m hoping we can try to keep our days even paced, working at the same time does make it a little more hectic. Although my work isn’t the typical. It also seems these days everyone knows someone (family or friend) who is homeschooling. Good to read they’re doing good with theirs!
YAY Welcome to homeschooling Beth! Boy is it an adventure…but would NEVER trade it for anything else!