Why we really chose homeschooling for our family

I know this seems like a slightly odd topic for the end of the school year, but it's what has been on my mind. It all has to do with G. and L. turning five years old. There must be something about your youngest turning five to make you remember your oldest turning the same age. It was about when M. turned five (or maybe a little earlier, I don't really remember) that there was a Baby Blues comic that appeared in the paper. The short version is that the mother sees a school bus going down the street and clutches her baby a little tighter thinking about having to send her away to school. I loved this so much I put in on the refrigerator where it hung for years. I've even blogged about it before because the whole idea is really the reason we started homeschooling.

Having the little girls turning such a pivotal age, it feels brand-new, this feeling of needing to keep my little ones with me just a bit longer. And five years old really is little, it was not so long ago that they were little tiny babies. Multiple times a day something happens that causes tears and I need to kiss and hug them. A good nap is still needed every few days. I admit it... I'm selfish. I love spending time with them. I love watching them learn. I love listening to the stories and games they make up.  I don't really want to share that with anyone. Soon enough they will be bigger and more independent. Soon enough they will be leaving the nest. Soon enough I will be looking up at them (or at least in the eye). With M. being 21 years old and pretty much independent I am intimately aware of how quickly this will happen. I was in no rush to send my oldest off and I am even less inclined to send my littlest.

The phenomenon of sending children off to kindergarten is so culturally pervasive that I sometimes have to remind myself I don't need to participate. It would be very easy to start crying and hyperventilating at the thought of the first day of school. I am thankful I have the choice and can opt out. Instead I can look forward to kindergarten. I get to share their excitement over learning new things. I get to be the one to watch them grow and mature. I get more time to spend with my little girls because in the great scheme of things that time is very short.

Comments

Lucy said…
Absolutely right. I don't like the idea that somehow momma crying when her little kids leave her and leave their home to spend most of their waking hours with strangers is a "rite of passage". Wrong.

I cried when I had to drop a 6 week old off a daycare, it wasn't a normal or natural thing to do and in no was was it right.

A couple years later I left the next 6 week old home with daddy. I hated going but there were no tears. Not perfect by any stretch, but even so, much better than the alternative.
6/16/2014 11:13 AM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Making bias tape... otherwise known as the Sew, Mama, Sew! Giveaway

Image
( Sorry, the contest is now closed .... though you're welcome to leave a comment if you like.) [This picture has absolutely nothing to do with this post, but is here solely to give Blogger a different photo to post in the thumbnail.] It's Sew, Mama, Sew Giveaway time again.  I love bias tape.  It is so useful and so easy to use... finishing edges ... finishing seams ...  And while the pre-packaged stuff has it's place and I use it often, I really like to have patterned bias tape as well.  Enter one of my favorite little tools: the bias tape maker.  This one make 3/4 inch bias tape and I will be giving one away at the end of this post.  But first, I thought some of you might like to see what it does if you've never used one before. I don't have a rotary cutter, nice cutting mats, or even a proper cutting table (I cut-out things on my floor), so if I can do this, so can you.  Here is my admittedly quirky method. Step 1:  Lay out the fabric and fold a corner ove
Read more

An uncomfortable post

I hope it comes as no surprise to my readers that when I vote early next week I will be casting my ballot for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. Being in a blue state this feels as though it is a very little thing in the effort to bring our country back past the brink of no return . I'll be honest and say that I am feeling such stress and fear about this election that I can't listen to any news or look at social media for very long. The radio is pretty firmly set on our classical music station even though they are in the middle of a pledge drive. The pledge drive is preferable.  But for those of you who are supporting the other side, if there are any of you left who continue to visit my blog, here is what I need to say. When I drive around and see signs in people's yards supporting that man, I treat it as an early warning system. The people who live in this house are not safe for my family to be around. This is far more than a difference of opinion. That worked for all the preside
Read more

Sew, Mama, Sew! Giveaway

Image
Sew, Mama, Sew! is hosting another giveaway day , the day where many bloggers giveaway things they have made or supplies to make things or both.  It is great fun to visit a lot of blogs and try to win cool stuff.  So fun that I thought I would participate this year. I had great hopes of making a set of coordinating mother/daughter aprons.  But reality reared its ugly head and I came to terms with the fact that my time is not limitless.Instead of aprons,  I must continue to spend quality time with yards and yards of red plaid flannel.  What am I making?  Well, as I tell my children, it is the season not to ask questions... I will be able to let you know sometime after the 25th. Instead of making something, I went to my favorite thrift store and found some supplies in the form of sheets and pillowcases (some of my favorite raw material).  I'm giving away three pillowcases and one twin flat sheet. I decided to go with bright, springy colors, because if you are anything like
Read more