Our school year has been back in session for about a month now, but with the local private and public schools starting recently, I've been doing some serious thinking. I've been trying to imagine sending my own 5-year-old on the school bus along with the other kids in the neighborhood and have reinforced my personal beliefs about keeping my kids at home with me to learn.
Is a 5-year-old ready to be on his own all day or even for a half a day without Mom or Dad (even in a good setting)? Is a 5-year-old ready to fall down and scrape his knee and hold in his tears in front of the other kids?
Is a 5-year-old ready to stand up to peer pressure? Is a 5-year-old ready to tell the difference between the truth or the tall-tales other children tell?
Is a 5-year-old ready to make decisions about whether it is okay to watch the movie the teacher is showing? Is a 5-year-old (or even a 7- or 9-year-old) ready to hear a worldview all day long , and then go back home to her family's value system?
Is a 5-year-old ready to be in a structured environment five days a week? Is a 5-year-old better off with a artificial group of kids his own age than with a natural group of varied ages at home?
My answer is "no."
Is a 5-year-old ready to be on his own all day or even for a half a day without Mom or Dad (even in a good setting)? Is a 5-year-old ready to fall down and scrape his knee and hold in his tears in front of the other kids?
Is a 5-year-old ready to stand up to peer pressure? Is a 5-year-old ready to tell the difference between the truth or the tall-tales other children tell?
Is a 5-year-old ready to make decisions about whether it is okay to watch the movie the teacher is showing? Is a 5-year-old (or even a 7- or 9-year-old) ready to hear a worldview all day long , and then go back home to her family's value system?
Is a 5-year-old ready to be in a structured environment five days a week? Is a 5-year-old better off with a artificial group of kids his own age than with a natural group of varied ages at home?
My answer is "no."
Well, of course he is when he has been in full time day care since he was 3 months old. I would be WIERD for him to stay home and actually be in the prescence of his parents.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds bitter. lol I just think, why do people have kids just to let someome else raise them???
Long story short, I love that my little ones willbe home with me!
Great post.
God bless-
Amanda
The post brought tears to my eyes!
ReplyDeleteJosh and I were just talking of this last night. In anticipation of our "first day" here at home, I have been thinking about what it would be like to be sending Sierra (my 5 year old) off to school. I just couldn't...there is no way. BUT when you use public school for day care then I would think that you just can't get them there fast enough...such a shame. I am so thankful that we are able to homeschool...
ReplyDeleteOne expectation that particularly makes me angry is when the schools tell the parents they are no longer ALLOWED to walk their kids to the classroom. They can do it for about a week and then they have to drop them off at the front door and leave. At five years old? Excuse me for parenting, but isn't it our own business whether or not we walk with our kids? For this reason and others, I too say thanks but no thanks, public school. I am getting more and more excited about the prospect of teaching Suzi myself.
ReplyDeleteHi Moms. Just a little bit of positive info about homeschooling from a gram who has 5 grandchildren, which 2 are homeschooled. It is the best decision my daughter made for her girls. They are 13 and 15 now and have been homeschooled all their school year lifes. At first I was leary because of the social side of it. Well, guess what??? My granddaughters have so many friends from church, the community and public school that they are always doing things with their friends and hanging out at my daughter's house with them. They can sit down with an adult and carry a conversation with them just like they do their friends. My daughter knew from the start that homeschooling is what God wanted her to do for her girls. She has taught them the values that she knows are important in their lifes and has a daily bible and devotional lesson included with their regular curriculum. If you are battling with the decision of homeschooling or public school, pray about it and listen to what God tells you to do. He has been taken out of the public schools and is trying to be taken out of everything else in our society that I honestly believe I know what His answer will be. God Bless you all!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI repect your decision to stay at home with your kids and homeschool them. I just have one comment. Some of us have to work and pay taxes so that you can live on government assistance and homeschool your kids and continue to have more! I stayed home with my kids when they were young (until kindergarten), but I had to go to work to help pay for groceries, etc. My kids are in public school and it is not as horrible as you seem to believe ( and yes, I am allowed to walk my kids to the classroom and to visit anytime I wish). I refuse to get government help when I am capable of helping myself. Just food for thought!
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, I have no idea why you assume homeschooling parents must be receiving government assistance. Not that it makes them bad parents, and not that it's any of your business. Just because a kid is in public school doesn't necessarily mean the mom is at work! There are plenty of kids in public school who are getting free lunch, and who, may I ask, is paying for that?
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