Year End Reflections 2011

I suppose I thought that homeschoolers all were straight A students. I suppose I thought that the students worked primarily independently and that there were many many exciting and fun subjects and activities that they did- somehow.

At the end of the second year of homeschooling, I've come to realize I had illusions of what homeschooling was going to be like. I hoped that we would be able to do all those subjects and fun things that we could not do while they were in public school. 

Not so. There are some things that we simply cannot afford to do that the public school- with their taxes and funding- can do. 

Does that mean that I think homeschooling is wrong or that I should send my kids back to public school? Absolutely NOT. I am positive that although neither of my children are straight A students and we do not get to do x amount of field trips and there are some subjects that we want to do in a specific way (read: extremely fun) that we cannot, I am convinced that homeschooling has been a positive life-changing experience for my kids and I.

Our year didn't go as planned (my plans never go as planned lol) but it's ended with realizations and rearranging of illusions ;) I am better aware of what my kids can and cannot do (as well as what I can and cannot do!). Morally I feel that my kids have grown much more than if they were in public school. I dread to think of the activities that they would be engaged in that they would not really think twice about if they'd not been homeschooled these past two years. Also, we have been able to choose our associations compared to public school. Not that I think that isolating my kids from the 'real world' is healthy (they volunteer, they have a 'job', we attend church, we are part of a homeschool co-op where there are people who have differing views than we do [albeit, they are all Christians]) -we do mingle with people outside of our house ;)

My daughter said a few months ago that she prefers 'real life' to the fake one that is presented at public school. The drive and desire- really the pressure- to fit in is extremely stressful. Also, the push to dislike authority of just about any kind is so extreme in public schools that it is not difficult to see why there is such problems with crime and such. I'm so grateful that my kids do not follow this. Even if they were to be put back in public school, I truly feel that they would not want to 'fit in' with the crowds and would stick to their values and morals.

No, this year has not been exemplary in terms of 'schooling' (no straight As, no really fun experiences in whatever subject) but the life we've enjoyed has been irreplaceable. I've gotten to know my kids so much more than if I could only see them on the weekends and a few hours at night. So, in reflecting, it's been a good year and I look forward to the next year.

The 'plan' is to focus more on the kids' school and their learning and not on standards that the public school system has in place. Schooling is more than grades. 

I'm just so thankful that I've been blessed with two wonderful children and the privilege to homeschool them!