From 1989 to 2012 I homeschooled non-stop. I spent hours everyday working with my kids, teaching them, giving them experiences, introduce them to unique ideas, and facilitating their learning. I loved it.
When I was divorced I had to go work. For me it was the first time in three decades that my life did not revolve around my family 100 percent. I tried very hard to continue homeschooling but I just couldn’t — not with four kids in grades three through ten.
I finally gave up and put them in a very small charter school. I love it because it is very personal, the classes are small, and they are all at the same school. Their teachers work with them over and above what they have to. For the most part they are dedicated, child oriented, and do almost as good of a job as I could have when I was not working.
I’ve read a lot of articles lately, like this one in Dallas News, that talk about how parents should be more involved in their children’s education. I don’t disagree, totally. I do have some frustration with that mentality though.
You see, like many of us, I work now. I don’t work at a 9 to 5 job and I don’t have a lot of free time. When I am with my kids, those very precious moments, I do not want to be doing school with them. If I had time to do that then I would have continued to homeschool.
Yes, parents need to be aware of what’s going in school and they need to make sure their kids are being respectful and doing their work. I am just not convinced that I need to put in the extra time when they are in school eight hours a day. I am sure that sounds horrible but it is honest.
What are your thoughts?
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