The Great Debate

Homeschool vs non homeschool. It's a pretty hot topic right now in the education world. There are so many options out there to choose from regarding the education of your children. I grew up going to the same tiny public school from kindergarten on through graduation and enjoyed it. And because of that positive experience, I wanted the same for my kids. So that brings us to the great debate...

There were several local schools here that we had considered and we chose a small charter school with great teachers and that had a small school feel to it. Alena has done very well there and we love her first grade teacher because she saw how smart Alena was and is actually doing some individualized/extra teaching for her (she has Alena doing 3rd grade spelling AND math work).

BUT with this sudden move and the fact that we will be going with just one month of school left, I didn't want to enroll Alena in a school for such a short time. Especially with everything that is going on; her daddy going overseas, we move across the country, all these life changing things. So I don't want to add more stress in her life. I have already spoke with her teacher and she assured me Alena would have no problem going into second grade come this fall. Christian's teachers have also let us know many times that he is WAY ready for kindergarten.

So what am I getting at? I will be getting a sort of curriculum for Alena from her teacher so I can work with her at home. Basically, homeschooling for that last month. And it got me thinking...

Can I do this? Can I actually teach my children? Kids learn stuff from their parents all the time but really learning; that's a whole new ball game. That would mean I'm responsible for so much more. Science, History, Math, English, all those subjects! It's intimidating. Not to mention that Alena is not one who likes to take any sort of teaching or directions from me. We butt heads so much! And Christian is your typical can't hold still rough and rowdy boy so that would be a challenge on my patience for sure.

We'll be living with my parents for the duration of Gabe's deployment. I'm not a big fan of the school district that they live in. The kids would end up riding the bus every day (unless I drive them which I do now and do not enjoy it) totaling about two hours. Add in the six hours they would be at school and almost their entire day is taken up by school. The next closest school district is the one I grew up in. While I love the idea that they would be in the same classrooms I sat in 20+ years ago, (Eek, I'm getting old!) I would be shuttling them to and from school every day. Driving every day is something I am trying to avoid. I do it now for two different schools (Alena and Christian do not go to the same school; it's unavoidable) and it puts not only myself but Noah in the car an extra 3 times a day. Almost every day I'm either waking Noah up from naps or he ends up falling asleep in the car because of drop offs and pick ups and I think parents can understand the frustration that comes with that. Not mention that it leaves me with a lot less time to get stuff done. Driving them to and from school in Ohio would be an even greater pain when you mix in the fact that the distance would be three times more than here in Arizona making time in the car also that much more. Driving is just not an option I will consider at this point.

As of now, I'm seeing a lot of positives for homeschooling. Yes, there are some negatives too (can we say mommy's gonna need a break and a drink?!). Alena is already doing third grade work when she's only in first. Christian's teachers how told us how far above kindergarten he is already. Homeschooling would give us the opportunity to continue on this advanced pace. It also allows us to visit the in laws without having to wait for a school break. And let's not forget that when Gabe has his R&R, they will not be missing school OR miss spending time with their daddy.

What I'm getting around to with this novel of a post is that I think for this upcoming school year, homeschooling is our best option. That's not to say that the following year they will go back to public school or we'll be homeschooling again. I don't know what will happen. We're just going to take things one day at a time and I'm going to do LOTS of praying for patience and sanity. And coffee. :)

I never actually thought I would homeschool. Just like I never thought I would breastfeed until two years or that I would have a home birth, or do many of the other parenting decisions we all face differently than I first thought. Isn't that how life and parenting goes though? You always think you know how things will go but we actually don't. And believe me, this decision surprises me probably more so than anyone else.

And the life changes just keep coming...