Pretty much anyone who has had a discussion with me about Owen and school has heard me proclaim that if I can't make it work within the school system, I'll yank him out and homeschool him. (I have an accompanying fantasy in which we become a traveling family and they learn as we see the world together.)
Although I generally say this half-jokingly, I do actually mean it. It's not that I necessarily think I'd be great at it, it's more that I suspect that in order to work to his potential, Owen (and Aidan, to some extent) will need the kind of attention that can only come from someone who is actually invested in the outcome. There's no doubt that he can learn. I'm just not convinced that he will thrive in a typical classroom with a teacher who is pulled in 20 different directions and rules that place far more emphasis on compliance than comprehension.
Usually when I begin down this path of reasoning with my friends, many of them are quick to point out the commonly held impressions of home-schooled kids. That they are weird and/or maladjusted to society. I might be concerned about that if my kids weren't already little weirdos and if society didn't already seem like our enemy so much of the time.
Still, it's not a decision I would make lightly. In fact, I hope that we can make public school work, not just for my sanity, but because I do think they could both benefit from the socialization aspect.
But homeschool is always there, in my mind, as an option. And it's both comforting and encouraging to hear that it works so well for some.
3 comments:
I was completely where you are with the homeschool thing. I heard horror stories about kids in homeschool being social misfits and maladjusted freaks.
The truth is, kids are naturally social for the most part. Your kids are out in the world, they go to classes, and playgrounds, run errands, they travel. They don't live in a cave. Some kids do great in homeschool, some don't. Kids can go to public school and be happy, and there are kids who are miserable. I have my kids enrolled in an online public school, this is our second year. They were in public school before that. It has been great for them, and I know that if it ever stops being great, they can go back. I am not against traditional school, I just wanted you to know that there are really good options out there, and whatever way you go, you are a great mom!
Thanks, Nicole. How old are your kids? I've always thought the online option could be a good one, but I didn't think it was available until they were older.
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