For a variety of reasons, schooling became more formal and evolved into what we see today.
It just makes sense.
I teach at a public university and went to a great public school when I was a kid.
I just knew she’d be on the honor roll someday.
Only that didn’t happen.
Instead, she was constantly in trouble, had mediocre grades (at best!
), and, by sixth grade, was labeled as having ADHD and a learning disability.
At first, I went along with their suggestions but something inside me said that this wasn’t right.
If the teacher was annoyed by my spirited daughter, she was a problem.
If the teacher was grateful for my illiterate but quiet boy, he was a good student.
I knew I had to make some changes.
This is a deeply personal choice
Most parents are obviously invested in their child’s education.
For that reason, whatever path they choose to take is going to be deeply personal.
There’s no right or wrong answer that fits everyone’s situation.
or “my kids would just sleep all day if I did that good luck!”
and so on and so on.
Why not take the risk since what we had been doing wasn’t really working for us?
One day, when the kids were much older, I ran into her at the grocery store.
She asked how things were going.
I warily gave her an update and explained that we were moving away.
This news seemed to take her off guard and she was quiet for a moment.
It was just easier to criticize you than to admit that.
You’ve done a really great job."
It really blew my mind.
What would they do with all of that free time?
My daughter chose to pick up a part-time job with the express intention of learning more about management.
This experience came in handy a few years later (more on that in a bit!).
My daughter has completed a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in human resources.
That first year was a mess all-around as we all tried to figure out the best strategies.
They loved that I trusted them, and I loved being able to trust them.
She thanked me for choosing to homeschool her and said that it helped her self-esteem “skyrocket.”
I was shocked I didn’t know that she had felt bad about herself in the first place.
Kids had overheard these things and teased her about it.
It was an accomplishment that, she says, restored her faith in her own intelligence and ability.
Her brother has echoed these sentiments but for a different reason.
He said that it felt awful to receive empty praise without much constructive criticism.
Socialization comes in many forms
My kids are respectful and capable in most social situations.
Clearly, they have some social skills.
A simple trip to the grocery store can be about so many things.
I also encouraged them to research the products we were buying.
What was in the food?
How do they treat their employees?
Do we agree with the company’s mission?
How do we learn about recalls?
You’ve just got to dig a little deeper!
We saw a glacier and visited UNESCO World Heritage sites such asHead-Smashed-In Buffalo Jumpand Thomas Jefferson’sMonticello.
This would be so much more complicated if the kids weren’t homeschooled.
At other times, we feel more studious and focused on books and formal instruction.
That’s the beauty of it.
Aside from a few blips here and there, this method really hasn’t failed us.
When we finalized our decision, I chose to go back to school full-time through an online university.
I had always wanted to continue my own education, so it felt like the perfect time to upgrade.
It’s worth investigating, at the very least!
That’s the beauty of our modern, option-filled society.
