A friend posted this to her facebook page today. It cracked me up because it is soooooo true.
When Sam saw this we had a very interesting conversaton:
Sam: (Very dramatically) That's why I like going to school! Number one, You get to stay home when your sick.
Me: Well, (I tried) You get to stay home all the time in homeschool.
Sam: Yeah and do ALL my work in bed while I'm sick! When I'm in school and I stay home sick, you let me watch tv and play video games.
Me: What else do you like about going to school? You said that was number one.
Sam: Number two, It's easy.
Me: You don't want school to be easy all the time. It would be boring.
Sam: Mom, do I even have to answer that?
Me: What else?
Sam: And number three, you get to buy lunch and have cookies.
Well, there's no competing with cookies.
I am a reluctant homeschooler. Reluctant because I'm insecure about it all. I am always doubting myself. Are they getting enough? Would they get more in school? Am I ruining my kids? How will they do in college? It's an ugly spiral.
I am a reluctant homeschooler. Reluctant because I'm insecure about it all. I am always doubting myself. Are they getting enough? Would they get more in school? Am I ruining my kids? How will they do in college? It's an ugly spiral.
Reluctant doesn't mean I don't enjoy it. I actually do. I love English and History. So we can spend weeks on the Civil War learning all about the people involved, studying the maps and reenacting the battles. We'll read novel after novel about the Civil War and (my favorite) watch all the great Civil War movies. But I don't like Science so it is the hardest subject to teach. And if we run out of time for the day, it's almost always Science that gets put off until the next day.
If I love something we will study it completely, if I don't particularly like a subject, we tolerate it.
Pray for my kids.
On the other hand, Chloe just wrote a persuasive essay strongly supporting her love of homeschooling. Her three main points for liking homeschooling are:
1. You can stay home and wear pajamas to school.
2. You can get up early in the morning and do school before breakfast. If you do you will have lots of free time later.
3. In your own environment you might feel more comfortable and less stressed. (That's my shy girl.)
So as a mom I will do what all parents have to do. I will learn from the above (very different) opinions. Let Sam rest and relax when he is sick. Don't be a slave driver. And with Chloe, enjoy these years because the time is fast approaching when she will leave me for college (insert racking sobbs).
Love from the islands,
Twyla
If I love something we will study it completely, if I don't particularly like a subject, we tolerate it.
Pray for my kids.
On the other hand, Chloe just wrote a persuasive essay strongly supporting her love of homeschooling. Her three main points for liking homeschooling are:
1. You can stay home and wear pajamas to school.
2. You can get up early in the morning and do school before breakfast. If you do you will have lots of free time later.
3. In your own environment you might feel more comfortable and less stressed. (That's my shy girl.)
So as a mom I will do what all parents have to do. I will learn from the above (very different) opinions. Let Sam rest and relax when he is sick. Don't be a slave driver. And with Chloe, enjoy these years because the time is fast approaching when she will leave me for college (insert racking sobbs).
Love from the islands,
Twyla
Hellllllo strengths-finder. I love history and hate science....probably because in science it feels like you remove all "context" and it's sterile. History on the other hand is full of context and who's and why's and where's.
ReplyDeleteI will be coming to you when my kids have to be homeschooled...I fear a membership to a science museum and iPad apps might be the only science they get! (well, other than the social sciences like psychology and sociology:)
Oh my goodness, Sharon, you are going to be the best homeschool mom ever!
DeleteOh Twyla! You're doing a fantastic job! The biggest thing about homeschooling is you're living life together. They will never get that at traditional school! Homeschooling builds character like no other! Your kids will be getting all and more than they need. When your ready to write up transcripts, let me know. I'm doing my 5th one this May!!! :)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jennifer! I wish we could still have coffee at Starbuck's and talk about homeschooling. You have such great ideas.
DeleteNick and I have talked at length about homeschool. (Yes, we've already discussed the education of our future, currently non-existent kids.) I absolutely loved my public school education. And he thought the private school he finally settled in as a high schooler wasn't too bad. But he insists that they were anomalies.
ReplyDeleteSee he's a teacher at heart. He looks forward to tailoring his kids education, really digging in to the things they love, and incorporating other things as part of their life that homeschooling would afford (time for a part-time "job", aka work around the house and his parents farm). And honestly, I look forward to that too. I look forward to uniquely raising each child I have.
But when he said "homeschool", I was terrified! The stereotypes scared me away. And so did the idea that Nick might want me to teach something. And that's when he said he would cover science and math (his very strong subjects) and I would cover literature. Teaching kids about writing and those amazing authors that captured my own imagination as a kid? SOLD.
I'm still scared of the idea. I imagine it's intensely hard work. But I also imagine you get opportunities to pour so much more into the kids. And that is where my apathy and fear stops.
Thought I'd share. :)
First of all, I love that you are talking about your future non-existent kids. Second, yes, homeschooling does offer many more opportunities to focus on your kids strengths and help them in their weaknesses. And lastly, it is a lot of fun to teach the things you are passionate about. You are blessed that Nick will take up where you are weak. That's is why God has blessed us with Darlene. She is helping me so much in my weak areas. It's going to be a sad day when she leaves. I love that you are reading the blog. Thanks for hanging in there with me. BTW, did you read the post about movie lines? :) I was thinking of you when writing it.
DeleteI did indeed! :) I think you out do me when it comes to film expression. I'm an encyclopedia of facts. But I'm AFWUL with quotes. There are a few I like to quote often. (The Incredibles and Clue probably being the top ones.) But they are VERY few. Yours were pretty awesome. :)
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