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“An observant child should be put in the way of things worth observing.”

Charlotte Mason

We’ve made a big change in our life  – one that we’ve been debating for many years. If you’ve been following our journey for a while, you might remember this post which sparked quite the conversation in the comments. Two years later and here we are – officially (as in: compulsory age, district-approved) homeschoolers! It was a long road to get here, and not a straight one, but nevertheless, we have arrived. I’m aware that this is a very personal, often controversial topic, but I’m sharing our story in the event it might help someone else in their decision, to connect with other homeschooling families, and to hold ourselves accountable. I don’t think there is any one right way to educate a child. All of the options present their own challenges, and value. It’s not for everyone, and every family strives to make the best choice for their children given their circumstances. We feel quite fortunate to have the option of homeschooling, as my business allows for great flexibility. So far (one month in) it feels a little challenging, a lot right, and even, dare I say – luxurious (at times).

Our journey hasn’t been as straightforward as we’d like. Since Henry and Marie are summer babies, it complicates the matter greatly, especially having both a boy and a girl. Many people choose to “red shirt” summer kids for a myriad of reasons, keeping them out until they are at least six. While that was our original plan, there were a few factors that deviated us from it: I had a huge design project requiring my time (and helping to pay bills), we couldn’t afford preschool and/or childcare, and we thought the experience would be beneficial for them. Last year, we reluctantly enrolled them in our public school’s half-day kindergarten program. Our thinking was that we would do a full day K this year at our local charter, and the half-day would act as “preschool” for them, if you will (it felt like a solid plan at the time). While they struggled a bit from a maturity standpoint, they excelled academically – they were both reading (yay) and eager to learn.

Fast forward to this summer – after many discussions with their kindergarten teacher and many sleepless nights, we made the decision to keep them moving forward into first grade. Academically they were ready, no question. Our biggest concern was their maturity level – they would still be the youngest in class (having turned six in July), and it would also be their first full-day experience. We asked the school to keep them together (in the same class) again, to help them feel more comfortable. They already had a good level of familiarity with the school, and were excited to be amongst their friends. While there were no tears (from them, ha),  the first week of school was a doozy. Henry was punched in the back during recess (so hard you could see the kid’s knuckles), Marie was being harassed by a male student, and to top it all off, they had a (fairly green) substitute teacher filling in…indefinitely. By October we had the principal on speed dial.

Along came cancer – my diagnosis was sudden and shocking and affected us all (we are still shook). The perspective shift was immediate, and answers (about a lot of things) became very clear, very quickly. It’s quite a gift, as anyone who has faced a scary illness or been close to someone who has, knows. Time stands still in some ways, and starts to fast forward in others. The doctors appointments were piling up – trips into the city to the cancer center, ct scans, and consults. With no help with the kids (my parents are elderly), we were struggling to get them to/from school, and despite the staff at the school knowing our situation and being incredibly supportive, the district sent us a letter, warning us about accumulating too many absences, too early in the year–that was the last straw. I squeezed in a playground visit for them one day after a doctor’s appointment (in the midst of our confusion), and wouldn’t you know…we ran into a local homeschool group having a meet-up. I thanked the universe for the sign – the decision was made.

Confession: I’ve always wanted to be a teacher. My mother was a teacher, and my father was a Lt. Colonel in the army and is quite “professorial”…it’s in my blood, so to speak. When I was in middle school, I created an entire classroom in our walk-in attic just for fun. I even had a lesson plan book (ahem, I was an only child). Needless to say, the idea of being able to teach my own children has been enticing to me since they were babies. No one knows my children better than me – their strengths and weaknesses, how they learn, their interests, etcetera. There isn’t a classroom that exists (public, private or charter) that has a 2:1 student ratio. Having volunteered at their school in both kindergarten and first grade, I witnessed firsthand the mayhem that is twenty-two students (several with special needs) with one teacher. Let me just say: I have mad respect for teachers. If you’re a teacher reading this, I salute you. I don’t know how you do it and maintain your sanity. I’m not sure I could ever handle that situation, but my own two kids? I got this.

So far so good…we’ve gotten into a homeschool groove and are loving our new routine. We’ve set up desks for them, spend as much time in nature, at museums, and traveling as possible, and are figuring out what works best for us. Currently, it’s a blend of unit studies, Charlotte Mason, and unschooling. They’re only six, so we’ve got some time to figure it out. Had we not enrolled them in public school, they wouldn’t even be compulsory age (eight in the state of Pennsylvania). There are so many resources now for secular homeschoolers (perhaps I’ll do another post on that), and I feel fortunate to be entering into this during a new age in education. We’re open-minded, and not committing to this forever. If at any point it’s not working well for either them or us, we’ll switch gears. We’re in this, and learning…together.