It’s hard to believe that I’ve begun my seventh year homeschooling—I should be an expert by now, right?!
And, in some ways, I am. I know what type of schedule works best for us. I know that we’re good for a few hours and then—wham!—the wall has been hit. I know that I shouldn’t freak out when one child wanders off to play while I’m working with another, nor should I try to keep three kids sitting at a table for hours in front of workbooks: This just doesn’t work for us.
And, I even feel like I have picked out great curriculum choices for each child that is best-suited for the way they learn. In fact, our first week has been notable in that there were no tears, no huge dramatic scenes of “I can’t do this!“, no threats (from me) to “Do it or else!” as I scramble to think what that “else” could be.
So, yeah, great first week, right?
So why am I’m having a hard time feeling like, “This is it! We’ve found our groove!”
Maybe it’s because Belly will tell anyone who asks, “Yes, I’m definitely going to high school” (in just, gah, three short years!)
Maybe it’s because a couple of friends have opted to send their kids to school, which always shakes me up.
Maybe it’s because I worry that we’ll never quite fit into this predominantly conservative Christian community, especially as the kids get older and topics get brought up in conversation. I hope my kids don’t lose friends because they don’t share the same beliefs as so many.
And maybe it’s because the first few days of public school—the photos of kids at the bus stop, the cute stories about sweet teachers, the early days of little homework but lots of friends—make me kind of wistful for my days in school.
Let’s face it: It’s hard to swim upstream when everyone else is swimming down. And though there are definitely some shiny moments that make it clear why we’re doing this, I sometimes feel like, at some point–like it or not–the current may be too much, and I’ll find us swimming with everyone else.
But, until then, if you ask, I’ll say, “Yes, things are going great this year.” And I will mean it.
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Seven years! That is amazing! Way to go.
Dadgum kids are always changing everything the minute you think you have a grasp of the situation, aren’t they? Three years is a long time from now. That’s Future Christina’s Problem.
Deb recently posted..Conversations
Thanks Deb. Yes, you are so right. A LOT can happen in three years.
Love LOVE this post! I have the same turmoil at this time of the year.
Nan | wrathofmom.blogspot.ca recently posted..For the Love of a Good Modem.
And you have the added pressure of having your ankles nipped to shreds. Hope that is getting better!
The dog is getting much MUCH better and I’m still a proud member of Team Black Lab.
Nan | wrathofmom.blogspot.ca recently posted..Once More WITH FEELING! Homeschool curriculum list.
I have the utmost respect for homeschooling moms! It’s a choice I’ve considered myself and I wrestled with the same thoughts of, “Geez…I’m a liberal agnostic married to an evolutionary biologist. My kids aren’t going to have any friends in this community at all!” Ultimately, it’s probably not going to work for us because of my son’s immense special needs, but I still give all homeschooling moms and dads mad props!
Meg recently posted..If You Want to be Happy for the Rest of Your Life…
I am so happy to find you! I have three kids, work, liberal, eclectic homeschoolers. I work and so we do a lot of homeschooling after dinner and my husband does some stuff in the afternoon. My oldest is just about to turn 8 and I’ve spent the last three years thinking: Should we homeschool? Are we homeschooling? Can we do this? Are we doing this? Apparently, we are — I just always feel like we’re figuring it out.
As a conservative Christian mom, the only kids I don’t allow my kids to play with are children who are mean, have no manners, or are constantly in trouble at school for ugly behavior. Most of my friends are liberal. I have banned very few children from my house over the years and the ones I did were teenagers involved in criminal activity. (My oldest is 21). I think there needs to be way more acceptance, tolerance, and learning about each other on both sides of the spectrum. I’m also a homeschooler at heart. I just don’t do it well, I did try.
Julie, thanks for this—-I think we’d get along very well!