Innocence

Well today was the start of our 4th week of the school year.  It has been an eventful journey so far.  Some days are awesome and others well, lets just say they are less than what I hoped for.  It is 5:30 and I am sitting in a laundry basket full of towels that need to be folded blogging.

Today was one of those less than I hoped for days.  Dakota is frustrated, he feels like his work is too hard, Drew didn't seem to remember anything today (typical Monday for him), Tannin is 5 what else can I say,  and Kat is just a busy toddler.  Makes homeschooling eventful.

During math today Drew suddenly disappeared to the backyard.  I look out the sliding door to see him stepping off feet in the backyard.  I ask him what he was doing and he says "Counting how many feet are in our yard".  Yeah the math question was "How many feet are in a yard".  Drew is so literal, at least I got a good laugh.

Homeschooling is definitely a whole new world.  Socially it is not the norm, so when someone asks where my kids go to school and I say we homeschool I usually get the response "Oh, you're brave".  To which I often want to say, I think it is braver to send your kids to public school, but I just smile as if to agree.

I know some people think we are wrong and are ruining our kids.  What about their social skills people ask.  I guess it would be better for my 5 year old to learn social skills from rude and obnoxious peers than from me.  And every time we went to parent teacher conferences the teacher would tell me that my boys talk to much.  They aren't here to socialize they would say.  One trip to the school, seeing the Jr. High with the on duty police officer, a walk down the halls to hear the language being used, gossip being spread and kids being bullied and I know that I can't ruin them anymore than public schools can.

But what about academics people will argue.  You don't have a degree.  In fact studies are showing that the United States is falling significantly behind other countries in the students that are graduating.  No Child Left Behind is a joke.  I have a child who has been left behind for too many years.  Public schools need funding, teachers need students with good test scores to look good, so they teach the test.  They aren't really teaching the kids, they are teaching the test and it is not working.

So while some days may be less than perfect, this is the world we live in.  I will continue to do what I believe God has called me to do, and I will continue to pray for His guidance and that my relationship with Him and my children's relationship with Him will grow and be filled with blessings because of the homeschool experience.  And if those relationships grow and flourish then the social and academic aspects will end up being exactly what they are meant to be.