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Tuesday, May 22, 2012

To homeschool or not to homeschool that is the question...

As Super Kid (aka Travis)'s last week of school has come upon us, I have been scouring the Internet trying to decide what homeschool curriculum we will use for next year.
image by www.homeschoolprograms.biz
All of this year (Travis' first in K3) I have been an emotional wreck and have felt like I have missed out on so much! Which led me to the realm of homeschooling.
There are several reasons that I want to homeschool. The obvious being that, I get to see him all day. I get to see his face light up when he finally gets something we have been covering. I get to teach him to read-how cool is that?! The second is that, I was bullied/ picked on/messed with/ called names all the way through school. I still haven't figured out why, I never really thought I was that weird! But looking back I think it was because I was an easy target...and I know that now because I can see it in Travis. He is his mother's son. My boy is so sweet and tender hearted...and those mean kids will rip him to shreds! I don't want him to go through that (and I don't care what ANYONE says, it DOES NOT make you stronger!). If I can protect him from something, I will. The third, is that I will have control over what he is learning. I won't have to explain why the teacher says that dinosaurs lived millions of years ago, but according to Bible records it was really only about 6,000 years ago. I won't have to worry about other kids/teachers telling him stuff that I'm not ready for him to know (some states are suggesting -and teaching- sex ed in the third grade!)
All of this sounds really good, right? Like I'm thoroughly convinced that this is the right choice to make for our family?
If you think this, then you are WRONG...
Going through all of the curriculum and comparing the pros's and con's of each AND trying to decide which grade he should go into next year....k4 or k5?? I'm stumped for that one!
When I try to decide, I get an uneasy feeling...maybe it's just doubt.
It's been easy all year to dread dropping him off everyday-well 3 days a week anyway. And looking forward to him being home from now on. But I am terrified that I won't teach him the right things, that he won't learn to read....and it will be my fault!
Even though the easy thing would be to put him in public school and forgo all of this anxiety, I couldn't imagine not seeing him for 8+ hours a day....
I guess that's my answer, huh? We do what we have to do for our children...not what is easiest.
It's amazing how much insight I get just from writing all of this out.

So my question this time is for homeschool mamas! How did you choose your children's curriculum? And what in the world am I supposed to do k4 or k5? He will be 5 TWO days after public school's deadline for K, and he just finished k3....sigh...

4 comments:

Hillary said...

Try School of Tomorrow! That is the curriculum I used when I was in homeschool! Now, what grade to put him in, it is left up to you and what you want him to learn! If he will be 5 two days after the public school deadline, try k5! I hope everything works out for you! :)

momto8blog said...

My 23 yr old daughter was writing a graduate paper on the detrimental effects of the birth control pill (which her professor had much trouble considering) and my 7th grade son heard her tell me this and he said, "What? there are no bad effects of the pill. they told in health all the wonderful things it does for girls , like makes their skin so pretty." we spend so much time reteaching all the stuff they are taught...
I am your newest follower..pls follow back if you can.

holcha said...

I have seriously thought about homeschooling the boys, I don't like how the "government" is trying to parent these kids!I just don't think that I HAVE what it takes to actually teach them! Patience is a virtue but it isn't something that I have a lot of!!

KSdetails said...

God does not call the qualified, He qualifies the called! He will give you what you need just as He gives you what you need to parent as you ask for His help? We use Classical Conversations and go to a co-op once a week. Any co-op is a great way to find support and encouragement from like minded parents.