It looks as though I will not be homeschooling for much longer. The Dancer would like to join the Equestrienne in online schooling next year. Since we like the Equestrienne's online school, that is not a huge problem, but there a couple of difficulties I'll have to get over. One, feeling like a failure for not homeschooling anymore. So many people that are pro-homeschooling are also rabidly anti-everything else. This makes me feel like maybe there's something I could have done or should have done to make homeschooling work out. I also found the picture of the homeschooling life attractive. Trouble is, it didn't work out this way very often in practice. I don't know if it was my daughters' personalities or mine, or both, but we never had anything resembling my ideal Little Homeschool on the Prairie.
Secondly, a lot of the social networks I know revolve around homeschooling. I also don't know many stay-at-home moms that don't homeschool. And it's hard to find people with any time at all to socialize, much less moms who work outside the home all day. For some reason, there does not seem to be a lot of online schooling activity on this side of town, either. I'm afraid I'll end up very isolated and that won't be good for me. I hope I can work through these issues.
7 comments:
Pretty please don't self-exclude yourself from homeschoolers. The homeschoolers who poo-poo online schools can have their opinions, but the fact remains that your girl(s) will still be learning AT HOME with MOM there.
And that is a world of difference from being in public school for 7 hours a day, five days a week!
I sure know what you mean by all your friends being homeschoolers! When Larry talks of sending ours to school I want to cry "but all my friends are homeschooling!" Sounds rather silly, doesn't it?
You know, if we're all honest, none of our homeschools in reality match the pictures in our head. Mine sure doesn't!!! And if you need to revise yours to include online schooling for both, well, as Jennifer said they are still at HOME with MOM.
Anyhow, I think you've got the important part down, and that is choosing what is best for your girls and for your family.
Everyone makes their own way and it is the way that is right for you and for your girls. Things will look better when the weather breaks and when you come out of the slump you're in.
I always imagined myself an unschooler and yet I remain most comfortable with a workbook/textbook basis! How's that for reality not matching the dream? The important thing is that they are learning......
Barb, that is so how I felt when we moved and put our boys in Lutheran School. and now, Andrew will be going to public High School in a year and a half...and I still mourn homeschooling, especially during catalog season.
EC, thank you! I will like still having them at home.
Thank you also, Angie and Barb. I know this will be best for our family because the main thing I see in my ideal learning system is the girls working without them moaning and complaining!
Pam, I know! I love looking at all the intriguing homeschooling materials! I'll miss that.
oh gosh i am so late to this - i am late to everything of late.
and i am wordier and more repetitive and blonder than ever.
sometimes our homeskool looked like the picture in my head, in the end we kinda fizzled out, to be honest. babies grow up and become more independant and that is a wonderful thing. and mummies grow up too - you know my journey.
wanna know the hilarious thing though? i can't believe i poo-poohed skool as much as i did. our kiddos are loving every second.
but i am missing them a lot.
i need your lovely baking/washing girlie down here lol - ours are only making mayhem in the kitchen during weekends - i miss that too.
i think i need a parallel universe - you know, living in both worlds at the same time.
sunshine X
Trust me Barb, even with online school you will still be participating in your dd education. Dont feel bad. The announcement is official and Tim and Sarah will be *going* to school next year! :)
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