Mommy's Moment: School Time

Okay, so this will be the last Mommy's Moment and we'll get back to the real silliness of life! But I wanted to share a bit of my heart as I step into this new, unchartered world of home schooling. I'll admit, many people have given me strange responses when I mention we may homeschool our kids. Honestly, I never thought those words would become part of my everyday vocabulary. A former public school teacher myself, I always envisioned our kids going to public school. However, my heart has begun to change over the past two years. There are days I've fought that change. What will people think of us? Will our kids be social outcasts? Do we come across as "holier than thou?" But the more I've delved into the heart of homeschooling and talked to friends who homeschool, I see a wealth of benefits that well out of it. I don't think one form of education is right or wrong. But I have felt this tug on my heart for awhile now and it gets stronger. . .even with resistance. And, expressing my thoughts on my blog is the best way for me to articulate why I am strongly considering homeschooling.

I want John and myself to be the major influence in our children's lives, especially at this young age. I want to present to them a Biblical worldview as we study all the Lord has created. I want to spend time with my kids. Enjoy them. Participate in their learning and discovering. I think homeschooling provides unique opportunities to explore the world in a way that public schools can't. We can pick up and go on field trips whenever we want. As a former public school teacher I know how much time is wasted in the classroom dealing with discipline and more importantly, administrative red tape. In a homeschool setting so much more can be covered in a shorter amount of time. And, unlike when I was younger, homeschooling has blossomed to provide group activities for my kids. They won't be social outcasts...at least not because of homeschooling! My plan isn't to bar them in our home for hours on end while they wear dresses and bonnets (of course not Grant). It's to take them OUT. Expose them to the world. Also, as a school teacher I was always frustrated with the anti-gospel message fed to kids. Obey, and you'll get a treat. At such a young age it teaches kids to obey for a reward. It slowly imparts a works based mentality. If I do good, I'll be rewarded. I challenged it when I taught but unfortunately, in a classroom full of 25 kids...it was the "best" method. This is a mentality that permeates our culture and fights the message of the Gospel.

All this to say, we may send our kids to public school. And I know God's grace will be there. And thankfully it's all about God's grace in each decision we make. If Hannah, Grant, and baby go to public school the Lord will give us wisdom in how to navigate through it. My hats go off to all the teachers who teach. It's a hard, hard job.

I could go on and on regarding my reasoning and thoughts behind the benefits of homeschooling. My intentions, however, are not to look down on those who have chosen the public school route. More than anything, I guess I would like to be better understood as to why we may choose this route for our family. I get flustered when challenged by others and often trip over my own words. I'm too often worried about what others will think of me. Writing is not threatening. Call it a cop out. It's easiest for me to communicate in this way. It's a hot topic that easily gets people stirred up and somewhat angry. It shouldn't. It's not about who's better or who's making a better decision for their family. It's about doing what you think is best for your family and doing it for the glory of the Lord. That truly is my heart.

SO, this is our first real week of "school time" as we call it. It entails simply an hour of our day. I'm starting small and simple. This week we learned about the letter A. Apples was our theme. We read apple books, made apple trees, apple prints, and learned an apple poem (Grant's favorite). We talked about astronauts, what they do and made a star picture. We talked about ants and went on an ant hunt outside. We did some adding with animal crackers. We practiced writing (a challenge for Hannah) and we read lots and lots about Adam and Eve (or Adam and "Steve" as Hannah continually says). And next I'm going to plop all their "creations" in a book to create our ABC scrapbook. Honestly, it's gone better than I thought. Like I said, all of this intimidates me a bit. But I have thoroughly enjoyed doing it with them. I LOVE teaching. I LOVE it that MUCH MORE when I can teach my own kids. And thankfully, they've enjoyed it. So next week, we're on to the Letter B. I'm already excited about the fun ideas I've found to share with them.