Alex. First, I have to say that I was ready for Alex to be out of the house before he actually was. This is not from a lack of love for Alex, but quite the opposite. I didn't want to be in an argument with him all of the time. As a mother, it is very, very difficult to have a guy on the brink of young adulthood right under your nose and have him be accountable to you for so much of his work. And for me, and for him, this wasn't the ideal situation. At all. And, quite honestly, his going to public school saved my sanity. I thought I was losing my mind. Really. No joke. For those of you who have not raised boys, please don't judge me. :-) I love Alex and am proud of the young man he is becoming. I haven't always been proud of the decisions he's made, but I've always loved him to the core. I am proud to say the past several months have been more balanced. Alex is going in to his Senior year and will continue that at the local high school so he can concentrate on his welding goals. Alex hasn't been impressed with a lot about the local high school, but he does LOVE the welding program and the drama program. So for Alex it will be 10 years of homeschooling, 2 years of public school.
Julia. Well, she followed Alex in October saying she was lonely. I cried when she left. Julia is very easy to school and is mellow and calm. I don't think Julia has ever raised her voice to me or her dad in her almost 14 years. Julia spent 7 months in public school and is making her reappearance in homeschool in August! YAY! Do I want to homeschool again? YES. Am I happy she's coming home? YES. Julia done exceptional in school and got along with everyone. She did, however, express to me on numerous occasions her awe at the lack of maturity in her peers. I found this a little comical since Julia was *the* youngest student in the high school. She went in at barely 13. All I can say for that is homeschooling is *drastically* different than public school. :-) Our homeschool experience has been steeped in community service, classical learning, hands-on projects, and love. I am so thankful for that.
Me. Let's just say I'm all geared up for another year of homeschooling with Julia. What I have missed: Learning together. Sharing together. Spontaneous trips for ice cream. Discussing life together. PJ days. Reading Classic lit aloud. ..................
Anyway, I am grateful for the opportunity to have given our children an alternate to conventional education. There's lots I would go back and do different, and lots I would leave the same. But one thing I do not regret is having Alex and Julia learning at home during those tender, formative years. I am nearly certain Alex would have been labeled ADHD in a public school setting as a five year old. :-) There was nothing about our home school that was institutional and we were free to discuss God as creator during our lessons.
And for the record, I am not "anti-public school". Nor do I think my kids can "do no wrong" (snort). I do not think we are "better" than those who don't homeschool. (ha) On that same page, I am VERY comfortable with my kiddos social skills (have you met my kids???) I am confident they are well prepared for secondary education. And I do not feel like I owe an explanation of what our family does or doesn't do to well-meaning (or otherwise) family members or friends.
In my heart, I'll always be a homeschooling mom. I am grateful to be tutoring some wonderful young people. I use the same approach with them as I did with my children. Many times parents, teachers and even the students themselves are surprised at how well they do with the extra time and attention of tutoring. I am never surprised. Ever. Children are wonderful....and given the opportunity can blossom and thrive under even the most unfortunate circumstances.
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