School Days

 

School Days

My baby started school this week.

Now granted my baby is sixteen years old, but let’s not quibble.

I haven’t had to be sentimental about sending an offspring off to school for 26 years. I think I can afford a little nostalgia.

Times change and blessed are the flexible, right?

We homeschooled for a long time, and now that it’s over I feel a little sad. Even though I had grown tired of it all several years ago – I mean who likes grading, anyway? And what about 26 years of lesson planning without tenure or summers off? And who enjoys teaching those who know everything?

Homeschooling teens is not all that easy – rewarding at times, but not easy. My experience has been a mixed bag.

I have a child who remembers homeschooling fondly – and I’m pretty sure she’s a teacher today, partly at least, because of it. I have one that gave up playing football to stay in homeschool – his choice.

I have some who preferred homeschool, because they could do what they wanted when they wanted and weren’t under the “bureaucracy” of an educational system.

Have I mentioned we aren’t very good rule followers?

That’s one thing homeschooling does – it creates independent thinkers.

I have others that are sure I ruined their lives – caused them to miss opportunities, friendships, and a reputation.

There always seems to be a price to pay for hanging on tenaciously to principle.

I don’t regret homeschooling at all - I’m glad I had the time I had with each of my blessings – even if they didn’t always want to be with me.

I first heard about homeschooling in 1987. Raymond and Dorothy Moore, the authors of Better Late Than Early, were being interviewed by Dr. James Dobson on the Focus on the Family radio show. I knew right away homeschooling was something I wanted to do.

I tried it with my two boys that year, but it didn’t go very well. They were too young – and so was I.

Fast forward seven years, my oldest got off the bus bloodied and bruised from a beating on the ride. I pulled them out of school the next day and our homeschooling journey began.

During that time I taught eight children to read – one learned while jumping on the couch and singing songs, another by playing games, one taught himself. 

One had so much trouble grasping reading – we spent an entire summer reading books together on the swing. He would read a paragraph then I would. Now he reads Solzhenitsyn and Thomas Sowell.

That’s the beauty of homeschooling – it’s highly individualized. The kids learn at their own pace and can focus on their interests.

I spent hours and hours reading aloud to my children – history, quality literature, biographies, poems… I’m pretty sure I got an education. In fact, I’m pretty sure I learned the most from our time in our homeschool.

Over the years we were involved in numerous co-ops – sports teams, band and orchestra, drama groups, choirs, even speech and debate.

I’ve taught other people’s children about mammals and reptiles, insects and dinosaurs – quite a few writing and literature classes – even French and guitar! Other parents taught my children how to quilt and sew, do all kinds of art, various science themes and dissection – even to understand and act Shakespeare!

Good times were had by all – and sometimes we got to practice conflict resolution! Homeschooling does not exempt one from human nature.

The old canard about socialization is a crock – by-the-way. My kids can talk to anybody – and they do.

What a ride – time is fleeting. I truly thought I would never be done, but here I am.

So, my baby started school this week…