So we've been having a heavy debate in our home this last week about homeschooling. Big D wants to go to public school, and I wanted to keep him home and homeschool him. So we let him choose. We weighed out all of our options, the pros and cons of it all, and I made it very clear that if he starts bringing home ANY bad habits, I reserve the right to pull his hiney out and teach him here at home. We prayed about it. He still feels good about it. I don't feel bad about it. N hasn't really said, but I know he would rather me homeschool him.
My decision to send him to public school is based on several things. First of all, he wants to go. Of course he wants to go! He's seven! He's EXTREMELY social. I won't have any problem convincing Ike that we should homeschool, he's my quiet one. But David goes stir crazy. I know that when you homeschool you can do "even more" with the kids than if they were in public school... but this is what has led me to my Ultimate Decision. I don't know that I can DO MORE with David at home right now. I'm about to have my 4th baby! I'll have the little one right in the middle of the school year! Yes, I could take a few weeks off for him, but what about after. My hands are so full with Sam and Ike also that the idea of going on field trips, or to the lake, or just being able to focus my (much needed) attention on David alone when he's got a problem... will be at stake. I barely have the energy to go out with all three for more than a few hours as it is without feeling the need to CRASH afterwards.
I suppose it sounds like I am justifying my decision but ... well, maybe I am. The idea of homeschooling him right now seems daunting. I have every intention of doing it in the future, but right now have to consider what's best for his education. If that means sending him to public school for second grade, then that's what I'll do.
7 comments:
Sounds admirable to me. Babies are a focus for more than the first couple of weeks in my own experience so to my mind your reasoning is very, very sound. :) We've been having some homeschool discussions ourselves--though school is still a little way off. It's such a tricky thing to decide.
I think you are doing the right thing.
Sounds like you are doing the right thing for him for now. I debated about homeschooling Caden this year. I know I am not capable of teaching them all right now but I thought one might be manageable. As it stands we are trying to work with the school to allow me to keep him home one day a week and go to regular school the rest of the time. I'm interested to see how it works out.
You're being pretty reasonable here. I know one of the main arguments against homeschooling is social interaction, and it's at this age that that aspect of a child's life is dire to his development. And unless you have some other outlet of that, it is in my opinion that teaching David EVERYTHING he needs to learn, at this age, is near impossible.
But, then again, what do I know about raising children? Trust your own instincts :P
I know that many people have decided that the world is "too evil" to send their children to public school, but my thoughts are that there has to be some brave souls who defend the good. I know for me being one of a 5 LDS kids (and two of the remaining four were my brother and sister) in my high school forced me to take a good hard look at what I believed and stand up for it. I strongly feel that as long as you teach your kids what they need to know they will be alright no matter what. Remember when it all boils down to it, "They that be with us are more than they that be with them." (2 KINGS 6:16).
I think you are doing the right thing. But then I am a public school teacher! Use the energy you have to help support what he learns in school and he will be all right. If you focus your energy on teaching him to be a leader and do what is right he will be able to help others.
I have a girlfriend that homeschools some of her kids and not others. She judges how they are doing and what they want to do and bases it on that. They may even be homeschooled one year and not the next. I think every child is different. The main thing is to judge how they are developing educationally and socially to make sure they are on track.
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