ON BEING SINGLE…

I just stumbled across this post tonight:-

Home school Kids are Smarter and More Behaved

I commented (number 11) just saying that the crux of the issue is that people seem intent on tearing each other down for the decisions they make.

I know in the early days of our homeschooling journey, I remember constantly having to justify myself, why we were choosing to homeschool, did I think that the children would be alright, how would they be “socialised”, blah blah.  I tied myself up in knots many times trying to get across to people why we were choosing to homeschool, without trying to sound as if I thought they were doing the wrong thing in sending their kids to school (which wasn’t what I thought at all, but by saying what I thought about homeschooling and the benefits for us, I automatically thought I could be seen to be being critical of them and their choices).  This went on for the first year or so, and I suffered many snide remarks and “Oh Johnny’s doing …. at school, shame you can’t do that in homeschooling” etc.  Crikey.  I didn’t know it was a competition?!!

In the end I came to realise that it was easier to say “We believe homeschooling is the best thing FOR OUR FAMILY at the moment” and leave it at that.  Occasionally, if someone was really interested in homeschooling and what we got up to, I would chat and tell them what I thought but mostly I found people only wanted to have a dig, and a poke at me and my decisions and choices.

Now that I’m sending my kids to school, I wonder if those aforementioned people are thinking “we knew she wouldn’t last”??  However I never said we’d do it forever, and it was always been a year by year thing.

In a perfect world I’d still be homeschooling, I’d still have a family that was intact, and I would be happily planning resources that we’d be using for this year.  However, that’s not how things are, and the decision has been made for the kids to go to school because it’s the best thing FOR OUR FAMILY at the moment!  We were driving home from Church this morning, and Angus said “I’d still rather homeschool” (even though he’s really looking forward to going to school, and he’s always been my “difficult” student by way of actually getting him to do his school work!). LOL.  Gotta love kids. 

I’d still rather be homeschooling too, but I also know that last year was really hard, I lost my passion and drive, and if you don’t have that as a homeschooler, you’re sunk.

I hope my boys will look back with fondness on the years of happy memories we made homeschooling.  They are both gorgeous, mature young men who I know will stand with a firm sense of self as they go into the school environment.  Like a friend pointed out to me the other day, the fact that Bella has grown up with her big brothers around her for her 4 years here on Earth has been such a great start for her too.  Had the boys been at school they would all have missed out on that time together.

I think as I get older, I learn to be more honest about what I think, and to express myself in a way that I hope doesn’t offend others (although I know I also get it wrong sometimes).  I used to be someone who would say whatever I knew people wanted to hear, but I’m not like that any longer.  Life’s too short to be a yes girl!

Anyway… enough of all that.  I’ve had a busy day doing a big transcription job, which I finished and sent off tonight.  Phew.  Tomorrow I’ve got more transcription to be doing so not much of a long weekend for me.

I hope you’re enjoying your weekend, wherever you are?

F x