My husband recently made the final decision on Abby Grace’s schooling future: he has decided that we will homeschool Abby Grace for her Kindergarten year. We have decided to take the homeschooling “thing” one year at a time.
This decision has been met with encouragement (yea!!!!! to my wonderful internet friends… especially Brittany!) and much criticism (of course…). For the record, it was my idea to consider homeschooling our children, and it was not a matter that we took lightly. We have been discussing this possibility for over 5 years; since before our first daughter was even born. And while it was my idea, I gave my husband control over the final decision, even though it effects me and my day more than it would his.
After much prayer and fasting, Shane decided that the best decision for OUR family is to homeschool. This being said, neither of us has any problem with those of you who choose to send your children to public/private schools; homeschooling is not for everyone, but it is the best decision for our family. All we ask is that you respect that decision.
If you need a little giggle, watch this video from a fellow homeschoolin’ mom: The Homeschooler’s Wish List
The Homeschooler’s Wish List: {with notes by Amy inside these brackets}
- Please stop asking us if it’s legal. If it is — and it is — it’s insulting to imply that we’re criminals. And if we were criminals, would we admit it?
- Learn what the words “socialize” and “socialization” mean, and use the one you really mean, instead of mixing them up the way you do now. Socializing means hanging out with other people for fun. Socialization means having acquired the skills necessary to do so successfully and pleasantly. If you’re talking to me and my kids, that means that we do, in fact, go outside now and then to visit the other human beings on the planet, and you can safely assume that we’ve got a decent grasp of both concepts.
- Quit interrupting my kid at her dance lesson, scout meeting, choir practice, baseball game, art class, field trip, park day, music class, 4H club, or soccer lesson to ask her if, as a homeschooler, she ever gets to socialize.
- Don’t assume that every homeschooler you meet is homeschooling for the same reasons and in the same way as that one homeschooler you know.
- If that homeschooler you know is actually someone you saw on TV, either on the news or on a “reality” show, the above goes double.
- Please stop telling us horror stories about the homeschoolers you know, know of, or think you might know who ruined their lives by homeschooling. You are probably the same little bluebird of happiness whose hobby is running up to pregnant women and inducing premature labor by telling them every ghastly birth story you’ve ever heard. We all dislike you, so please go away.
- We don’t look horrified and start quizzing your kids when we hear they’re in public school. Please stop drilling our children like potential oil fields to see if we are doing what you consider an adequate job of homeschooling.
- Stop assuming all homeschoolers are religious.
- Stop assuming that if we are religious, we must be homeschooling for religious reasons.
- We didn’t go through all the reading, learning, thinking, weighing of options, experimenting, and worrying that goes into homeschooling just to annoy you. Really. This was a deeply personal decision, tailored to the specifics of our family. Stop taking the bare fact of our being homeschoolers as either an affront or a judgment about your own educational decisions.
- Please stop questioning my competency and demanding to see my credentials. I didn’t have to complete a course in catering to successfully cook dinner for my family; I don’t need a degree in teaching to educate my children. If spending at least twelve years in the kind of chew-it-up-and-spit-it-out educational facility we call public school left me with so little information in my memory banks that I can’t teach the basics of an elementary education to my nearest and dearest, maybe there’s a reason I’m so reluctant to send my child to school. {I actually do have a degree: Special Education, focusing on Mild and Moderate Disabilities, thankyouverymuch}
- If my kid is only six, and you ask me with a straight face how I can possibly teach him what he’d learn in school, please understand that you are calling me an idiot. Don’t act shocked if I decide to respond in kind.
- Stop assuming that because the word “home” is right there in “homeschool,” we never leave the house. We are the ones who go to the amusement parks, museums, and zoos in the middle of the week and in the off-season and laugh at you because you have to go on weekends and holidays when it’s crowded and icky. {insert evil laugh}
- Stop assuming that because the word “school” is right there in homeschool, we must sit around at a desk for six or eight hours every day, just like your kid does. Even if we are into the “school” side of education — and many of us prefer a more organic approach — we can burn through a lot of material a lot more efficiently, because we don’t have to gear our lessons to the lowest common denominator.
- Stop asking, “But what about the Prom?” Even if the idea that my kid might not be able to indulge in a night of over-hyped, over-priced revelry was enough to break my heart, plenty of kids who do go to school don’t get to go to the Prom. For all you know, I’m one of them. I might still be bitter about it. So go be shallow somewhere else.
- Don’t ask my kid if she wouldn’t rather go to school unless you don’t mind if I ask your kid if he wouldn’t rather stay home and get some sleep now and then.
- Stop saying, “Oh, I could never homeschool!” Even if you think it’s some kind of compliment, it sounds more like you’re horrified. One of these days, I won’t bother disagreeing with you any more.
- If you can remember anything from chemistry or calculus class, you are allowed to ask how we’ll teach these subjects to our kids. If you can’t, thank you for the reassurance that we couldn’t possibly do a worse job than your teachers did, and might even do a better one.
- Stop asking about how hard it must be to be my child’s teacher as well as her parent. I don’t see much difference between bossing my kid around academically and bossing him around the way I do about everything else.
- Stop saying that my kid is shy, outgoing, aggressive, anxious, quiet, boisterous, argumentative, pouty, fidgety, chatty, whiny, or loud because he’s homeschooled. It is not fair that all the kids who go to school can be as annoying as they want to without being branded as representative of anything but childhood.
- Quit assuming that my kid must be some kind of prodigy because she’s homeschooled.
- Quit assuming that I must be some kind of prodigy because I homeschool my kids.
- Quit assuming that I must be some kind of saint because I homeschool my kids. {although, since you mentioned it…}
- Stop talking about all the great childhood memories my kids won’t get because they don’t go to school, unless you want me to start asking about all the not-so-great childhood memories you have because you went to school. {Really. Please, stop.}
- Here’s a thought: If you can’t say something nice about homeschooling, don’t say anything at all….
And, how about this – I will not be rude about your choice to send your children to public/private school, so why don’t you decide to not be rude about our choice to homeschool our children. Thanks.
Amy, you’re going to do an awesome job! I know this because, not only have you’ve BEEN DOING an awesome job all along 🙂 …..but (most importantly) because you all involved God in on the decision….you didn’t just make it out of the blue. I’m so proud of you!
Britt’s last blog post..Thesis Theme: Now Powering Uncorrupted
One more thing…I was laughing because I would have bolded certain words too 🙂 🙂 🙂
Britt’s last blog post..Thesis Theme: Now Powering Uncorrupted
“If spending at least twelve years in the kind of chew-it-up-and-spit-it-out educational facility we call public school left me with so little information in my memory banks that I can’t teach the basics of an elementary education to my nearest and dearest, maybe there’s a reason I’m so reluctant to send my child to school.”
LOL!! Love it!! We are almost in our third year of homeschooling and we wouldn’t trade it for anything! It has been a blessing for the whole family!
This is too funny… love it!
The weird thing is, I’ve never encountered anything less than absolute encouragement when I say I homeschool. So many mothers desperately wish they could but have to work outside the home instead. We are definitely blessed to be able to be homeschooling moms.
You’ll have some difficult days, but SO very worth every one of them. Homeschooling is a beautiful thing. You’re gonna love it!
Christy Klein’s last blog post..Caffeinated Randomness: My “Little” Darlings No More
LOVE THIS LIST!!!! It’s so perfect, I may have to print and laminate it so I can hand it to every person who asks me how homeschooling my son is going! I love the chemistry and calculus one!
I saw a homeschool t-shirt recently that said, “Civilized is better than Socialized.” 😉
Lisis’s last blog post..Inspiration from Mother Teresa
I LOVE this!! I need to remember some of these responses…lol.
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LOVE this post!!! AMEN!!! I’m strongly considering homeschooling…. what do you think about homeschooling a child who’s been public schooled until 5th grade??? I have a toddler, and the way I see things going in the upcoming middle school – I’m not impressed. I just wonder how he’ll respond??
I also work from home, but my schedule for work is very very flexible, I work during my 3yo’s nap, and then after both of my kids go to bed. So – during that 2 hour ‘down’ time I guess I could make that independent study time for the oldest?? What to do – I need encouragement, advice, etc….
email me at bassackwardsmom at gmail dot com
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I know it’s a tough decision to make, and it’s DEFINITELY not for everyone, but homeschooling your children will give them a huge advantage academically AND spiritually. I’m still trying to weed through all the junk I was taught in public school! (Looking more into Creation-based science.)
Way to go N-team! And we’ll be on the same journey, so hopefully we can share tips with each other on what works!
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BassackwardsMom, I emailed you 🙂
JennyR: I’ve heard really good things about A Beka’s science curriculum. Science from a Christian view. We’re using their math for 2nd grade next year.