It's a question that has already been answered in our home: no. However, my thoughts sway like a pendulum, constantly gliding between the benefits of one versus the other. I went to school, my husband went to school and so, therefore, our kids will go to school... To me, that is not enough. I like to way up all the pros and cons and make a decision, but also reserve the right to change my decision at a moment's notice, is that too much to ask?
Okay, I guess I should start by giving the reasons why homeschooling is even a blip on my radar... I read blogs! Yep, blog reading can be dangerous- for your marriage! You see, blogs give me ideas, which lead to action (cos I am my mother 's daughter, and why have an idea, I tend to execute it immediately!) Anyways, I'll be a little more specific on why homeschool (in theory) is so appealing to me...
1) We are Catholic. Not get baptised and go to Church once, maybe twice a year Catholic... But get baptised, attend Mass every week at least once, pray daily, learn about our faith (and try to live it) and live liturgically kind of Catholic. This type of Catholicism is hard work, it takes time, dedication, sacrifice among other things (but I hear that the reward is so worth it!) So, I would rather not have all our hard work installing authentic Catholic values in our children be undermined by teachers who do not know or aren't practicing the faith. Unfortunately, this is the case even in many (if not all) Catholic schools.
2) I am a teacher (and so is my husband). So we are trained on how to teach children- not saying that you need to be a teacher to homeschool, however, it would be advantageous to have some background in education, especially when it comes to showing the authorities your education intentions. As a teacher, I would be able to dedicate more time to each of my children than a teacher in a traditional classroom would. Rich learning tasks would be more authentic and I could extend their learning in a more personal way. Also, I would have control over the texts we used and so I could ensure that my children were engaging with literary works with substance and depth, rather than just whatever the school was using. (These days, it seems that classes can only progress as fast as the slowest student- I want my children to be pushed and have high expectations- not because I want them to be genius', but because I want them to be disciplined and to strive for greatness).
3) I could choose the peers my children spent time with. Up to a certain age, parents are their children's biggest influences, however, for a time, that responsibility will fall on their peers. I want my children to spend their formation years surrounded by peers who have raised the same, have the same ideals etc. Also, I don't want my children to constantly feel like they are the odd one out, the one who is not allowed to watch a certain show or who can't play football on Sunday morning. This will be inevitable if they are at school, so I will deal with it when it arises, but homeschooling would eliminate this ostracism.
4) School is a relatively new institution and because of it, our children are missing out on many life skills. Seriously, how many kids these days learn to cook, garden, sew, change a nappy, do washing etc. some of these skills are easy to pick up, but others are like an art. These days, many people rely on companies like lite and easy for meals, or eat out regularly. If they knew how to cook efficiently and healthily, it would save time, money and their health. Cooking and preserving foods is a dying art. (By cooking, I mean preparing meals from raw ingredients- no packets whatsoever). Also, gardening. Many people don't even have the space for a garden now with half blocks being all the rage, but we are losing our sense of connectedness with the Earth. It is from the Earth that we get our nourishment, and I want my children to understand what that means, and to appreciate the time and nurturing that goes into raising a seed to a mature plant that we pick and eat. I could still do this if they went to school, but they would be tired, distracted and bored after spending over six hours (their best six hours) with another teacher and 22 other students.
5) leading on from the last point... I want my children's best hours! Yes, I am selfish! I want them when they are ready to listen, when they are happy to engage... We won't be home until 4pm at the earliest when they are in school, bed time will be 7:30. I would feel a little robbed! I want to be able to invest my legacy in them when they are ready and willing to absorb it, not when the school decides to send home tired monkeys at the end of the day.
6) Now this is not a decider for me because I would gladly sacrifice for what was best for my children, but still it works in favour of homeschool... It is cheaper! Yes, it does eliminate the possibility of me going back to work (therefore loss of income) however, we would be saving a considerable amount of money by home educating.
7) Finally, freedom! Okay, I can see how this might seem sarcastic, but homeschooling would be very liberating. I would be free to teach what I wanted, when I wanted and how I wanted. Also, we could take advantage of little opportunities that crept up along the way, eg, go olive picking at my Uncle and Aunty's property, go for a beach day spend a day at the river trying to catch frogs etc. I would love the opportunity to use my training in teaching and my flexibility as a stay at home mum to deliver a really dynamic and enjoyable curriculum centred on our family's values. Similarly, there would be a freedom to accept children more readily, as homeschooling would eliminate certain issues that need to be considered when deciding whether or not another child is feasible. (However, it would probably also create reasons for not expanding a family eg sanity and the potential loss of).
To be fair, I will now list the reasons why we have decided on traditional school...
1) Cause it's normal y'all! That's right, the primary reason is because school is what you do when your child reaches a certain age. And normal is best, isn't it? We don't want people to think our kids are weird because they don't go to school. (Btw, since there is not sarcastic font, I will just note that the above line is tongue in cheek... Our kids will probably be considered weird at some stage or another because they won't be watching certain shows or listening to certain music etc.) Sorry kids, but I'm not willing to sacrifice your moral upbringing for the sake of being popular, that's not how I roll (btw, I was raised by parents who 'rolled this way' and while, at times, I was sooooo frustrated by the fact that they were the strictest parents ever! I am now totally over it, and I appreciate the boundaries I did have- because sometimes the friends I really wanted were not the best ones for me).
2) Well, anyone who knows me (and some people who don't) realise that I sometimes struggle a bit with dealing with plotting geniuses all day, who spend every waking moment trying to foil my plans of cooking and cleaning. So, yeah, school seems like a pretty good option, getting rid of the evil masterminds for over six hours a day! There is a small part of me which agrees, me time would be nice BUT as I'm going back to work when my kids are in school, well, it won't exactly be me time. Admittedly, I do love work, but as I am a teacher, well, I could work from home (if you catch my drift).
3) Our kids would have the opportunity to interact with others... I added this one for people who don't really 'get' homeschooling and think that it equates to people educating their kids in a cultish style environment with no contact to the outside world... Personally, this is probably better suited in the reasons for homeschooling I reckon. Homeschooling allows parents to filter their child's interactions with others during the crucial formative years. So many times, I have read comments about violent games or explicit tv shows that parents should be vigilant in monitoring what their kids are doing and watching... Well, I would assume that it is not a stretch to apply this ideology to friends since kids are so influenced by their peers... It makes sense that parents would want to (and should) monitor their child's social interactions, and what better way than to homeschool... (Just saying)
4) Okay, now for a serious one... I love the idea of school... The uniforms, the packed lunch, the pencil case, the stationary.... Wait! I can do all that at homeschooling!
5) The kids really want to go to school- at least I think they do. We are always talking up school, especially since our son is not keen on being left behind. I'm sure though, that if they started the kids would love school, they love to please adults (when those adults are not their parents).
6) Finally, the real and main reason why our kids will go to a traditional school... Because that is what my husband and I have decided. The most important relationship in my life (besides God) is my marriage. Also, the head of my home is my husband. If I present my reasons for something to him, and his opinion is different, well he is the man in our house and therefore he is the leader. He doesn't go against what I think or believe out of spite or vindictiveness, he leads in the direction that he sees as best. If I don't agree, I can argue my point, but, at the end of the day, he is the leader and my role is to follow. This is the family dynamic we have established. I don't feel submissive, I just feel as if my role is to allow my husband to lead. As a father, he needs to be respected by our children, and what better way to teach this to our children than by demonstrating it through our actions. My husband respects me by listening to me and being there when I need him, I respect him by being a support for him and allowing him to lead- it works for us. (We are still establishing ourselves as a family, but this is the direction we are headed and I'm glad).
Back to the point... We will be sending our kids to a traditional school. I would like to homeschool, however, I will also be happy being the mum dropping off the kids on my way to work and doing laundry and cooking on my day off. It is what it is, and whatever that is won't be happening for another year :) sorry for the long and rambling post!
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