Today, We Homeschool
Millions of kids are putting on their fancy new school clothes, stuffing their backpacks, and cracking open their books right about now. And if they haven’t already begun the Fall 2010 school year, they will be very soon. While teachers are frantically making last minute preparations, or are assigning their first homework assignments, I am sending my 3 year old son off to school, too. Except he’s not attending a public preschool, or event a private one. He is simply settling in to his new Toy Story desk in our basement.
His 1-year-old baby sister is right next to him; she thinks she’s going to “school,” too. But actually, neither of them are going anywhere. They will not be dressing up for the first day; rather, they will most likely still be in their PJ’s. Or maybe bathing suits. Or ratty old clothes to roll around in the dirt and the mud in the backyard. And they certainly will not be stuffing their backpacks or holding out their hands for lunch money. Because they aren’t going  anywhere.
They, well the 3 year old, along with approximately 2% of the nations school-aged kids will be homeschooled this year.
I never meant to homeschool my son. In fact, he was enrolled in one of the toughest preschools to get in to in Porter County, Indiana. Back in March 2010, I waited in a long line for many hours, just to get him in to that school. But that is a story for another day.
When my son decided that potty-training was of no interest to him, I knew I had to make a decision. I’d either force him to potty-train (so he could go to school, but go against my parenting beliefs), and which I knew would never work with him and his personality, or I could pull him from the preschool roster and decide on an alternative solution to his early education. I certainly did not want him to start his educational career too many steps behind, so I knew I’d have to work with him somehow. Although, I never thought it would turn in to this.
I have set-up a specific area as our “school” in the basement. Complete with desks, cute alphabet and number posters, workbooks, paint, and all sorts of crafty things. I have a schedule and field trips set and so many ideas to get him educated. But on our terms and on our own time. We will not be following any strict guidelines and I will be doing most of the teaching when HE is interested in learning. We will learn about letter, numbers, shapes, and colors. But we will also be learning by digging up the dirt, visiting museums, talking to firefighters, cleaning up parks, laying in the grass and counting clouds. We will learn by cleaning the house, baking, dancing to silly songs, giggling and tickling, cuddling under a blanket and telling stories, running through the grass barefoot and thinking. And it will just be the 3 of us. Moving at our own speed and our own pace, with no deadlines.
Now, I understand homeschooling isn’t for everybody, but we are giving it a shot. And if it doesn’t work, we may try public or private school next year. And if that doesn’t work we will continue to re-evaluate as time goes on.
That’s the beauty of living in this country of ours. We have control over some of the most basic, yet impressionable experiences an situations our kids go through. Parents choose to homeschool their children for a plethora of different reasons. Frankly, I am just happy we live in a country where we are able to make those decisions for ourselves and our children.
Do you homeschool? Have you ever considered it? Why or why not?
Original post to The Chicago Moms. When Jen isn’t homeschooling her two toddlers, she is most likely dancing, singing, or cooking with both kids under foot, and she wouldn’t want it any other way.
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Category: School
Admirable. My daughter is 2.5 years right now, and we are discussing possible schooling options. Homeschool for us has not crossed our minds. Its mainly around which school.
Reason for us, both of us work. And more importantly, even if I didnt, I dont think I will be able to do a good job. I love being with my daughter, reading with her, teaching her, doing things together. But since she is the only one, I feel she blossoms with other kids around. She is a completely diffeernt person with other toddlers.
I admire your excitement and willingness at making it school like and still having a darn good time. Good Luck.
Garima,
Thank you. We too, went through the same discussion as to where to send him awhile back. Like I said, he was all set to go to preschool, but something like potty training can keep a child from being able to attend. And Jonah is shy, but when put in the situation of being around other children, I too think he would blossom. But unfortunately, I was unable to find a preschool willing to take him since he was still in diapers. I am lucky to be able to have the opportunity to homeschool him, and if it doesn’t work (and he is actualy potty-trained, next year he may be going off to school with most other kids. Time will tell.)
Thank for the encouragement!
Because I work full time and our boys keep busy activity schedules after work hours, homeschooling isn’t an option for us but I would if I could. I have a 1st and 2nd grader and my second grader is easily at a 3rd grade level overall and reading at an 9th grade level. I can’t imagine where he could be if I could work with him a few hours everyday at his level.
Wow, kudos to you Lisa. Sounds like you are doing what is right for your kids. And that’s what is so great about all of this. I homeschooling doesn’t work for us, we can try something else next year. And if it does, great. The thing I have to remember is what works great for me, may not work great for him. And I’ll have to accept that. I have no idea what the future will bring, we just take it one day at a time . Thanks!
Is it really homeschooling if you’re talking about a 3 year old and a 1 year old?
I realize that these days–particularly in urban areas–the majority of kids attend preschool, but that’s a pretty recent development. Traditionally kids in our country start school (or don’t, if their parents opt to homeschool) at age 5 or 6.
Well, I am not “intentionally” homeschooling the 1 year old. But I am not excluding her either. I will be primarily working with the 3 year old, but giving her little things to do, be it coloring or play-doh or some other project I can find suitable for her age.
And yes, I do believe I am homeschooling. I am working on educational things that I otherwise would not have. Instead of drawing a train in chalk on the sidewalk and calling it a “train”, we talk about the shapes that make up the train, or where the train is going, or what the train is carrying in it’s cars, or what a caboose is and what it does. I take it a few steps further. And possibly, some parents already do those things, and DON’T call it homeschool. Either way, the child is learning BEYOND the basics.
I do understand that preschool is not a requirement or even always common. But I know he is ready for something more than just hanging out at home. And since he was unable to attend the school we originally picked out for him, I wanted to make sure I was covering the same topics he would have learned there. I am hoping I can keep him up to snuff so when he does enter school he is capable of doing everything the children his age can do and learned at a traditional preschool.
Could you not find a preschool that didn’t require your son to be potty-trained? My kids’ preschool does not require the students to be potty-trained at any age, which makes it a very welcoming environment.
Essentially, no, we couldn’t find a school willing to take him without being potty trained. And I also was a bit selective on where I wanted him to go. I had a few schools picked out (4 actually), and settled on the one we originally chose (that requires the children to be potty trained) in the hopes that I would have him trained by the first day of school. But since tuition was due in May, and we had to pay 2 months, I was not prepared to lose that money in the hopes he would choose to be trained. And I researched homeschool and realized I couldn’t really screw up preschooling homeschooling, so we decided to give it a whirl. But trust me, if any of those 4 schools would have taken him without being potty trained, I would have sent him without a second thought and homeschooling would never have crossed my mind. But I am kind of happy it turned out this way, I am happy with the turnout.
We LOVE homeschooling! Love it. I think, once you open your mind to the possibilities that it allows, you may just fall in love with it for much longer than you planned. And never, ever, EVER let people get away with the “socialization” card. People socialize with other people. My kids have friends coming out their ears. Going “to” school would just mean they wouldn’t have as much time to play with their friends.
There are a lot of groups for support if you’re looking for ideas. I don’t know what area you live in, but you can email me and I can pass along some online spots to start for other families to be with.
That said, at only 3, most people may not consider you a homeschooler only because 3 year old preschool isn’t required. Neither is 4 year preK. But if you’re doing deliberate, educational activities, you are homeschooling! Welcome to the club and good luck!
Thank you for the encouragement Tracey. Yes, I can feel the judgments sometimes, and I am just now starting to feel it in regards to the fact that “preschool” may not be “real” school or something everyone participates in. But neither is college, and many people “homeschool” or do independent studies w/n higher education . But yes, we are intentionally educating the kids, regardless of age and educational level, so I believe calling it “homeschool” is appropriate. I believe it is a stigma that a lot of people have towards homeschooling, but I suppose that is to be expected since it isn’t the norm. I’d love more info from you, I feel like a human sponge right now, trying to absorb as much as possible when it comes to the topic. Thanks for the support.
Thank you for this post. My son is one and I’m already having the preschool/homeschool debate with myself. (Just wrote about it, http://moderndayrickyandlucy.blogspot.com/2010/09/preschool-home-school.html) It’s good to hear what other moms are doing.