Tuesday 24 February 2015

This Is Why I Homeschool

www.jakeskinner.ca
Follow this link to the 2015 Sex- Ed Curriculum blog. Answers lots of questions and concerns people have. Not agreeing or disagreeing. Just sharing a different perspective.

I have read and reread articles and talked about and heard  about this new curriculum that is going to be a part of the lessons that children will learn in their classrooms. I am glad that people are so passionate about what their children will be taught in their schools, and  it is interesting to me to hear such divided opinions from so many families about how they feel with regards to this topic.
I will be honest, I am surprised by how accepting some people are of the changes, and on the other hand, I am just as shocked at those who are against what is happening. More than anything, it shows me that we as parents recognize how important our children.... our future....really are.
I am not going to speak about how I feel with regards to this new curriculum, but what I want to do is share what I know about teaching my children.
We decided after sending the two oldest to JK and SK, that homeschooling was something that we wanted to try. At the time, my sister was homeschooling her family, and she invited me over to watch and see what it was all about. I knew immediately that it was exactly what I wanted for my family. I had four children at the time and one on the way, and I was trying to be in two places at once. I wanted to spend as much time with my children as possible, and just couldn't be at the school and take care of things at home. I let the girls finish out that year of public school, and then purchased our curriculum to start the next school year at home.
People ask me all the time how and why I do it. People ask if it is hard, and people always ask about the social aspect of raising kids in my own home without the regular interaction with their peers. My answers are usually quite consistent. Some days it is really hard. Some days I want to give up and just enroll the kids in school. And some days, I think about how it would be a little bit easier financially if I was working full time to help support our big family. But the positives of homeschooling ALWAYS  outweigh the negatives of sending my children to school.
Before anyone takes offence to this, please understand, that I am very aware that homeschooling is not for everyone. Everyone has their reasons for making the choices that they do with regards to their children, and I respect that. I am not trying to "sell" homeschooling, I am simply sharing why it works for us, and why I decided to teach my children at home. In light of the latest events with regards to the new curriculum, I feel so very fortunate that I have complete control over what I teach my children. Notice, I didn't say "what my kids learn", but what I teach them.
I, like many parents, am very aware of a some of the things that our children will be exposed to in our society. We do not live in a bubble, and I know that there are things that my children will see and hear that may not be age appropriate, but I can also us discretion with regards to what ages is best for each child to learn about specific topics, such as sexuality, religion, prejudice, etc...The homeschooling atmosphere that we have allows me to observe each of my children and recognize their personal teaching styles, level of readiness for each subject, and maturity. Not every child is ready at a specific age, to learn about certain topics....I can decide if my child is ready or not. Not every child can sit behind a desk for a certain block of time.....I can help find the best way to help my child learn. Not every child needs to be surrounded by other children their age to become a strong, independent, intelligent member of our community.....I have seven children who have proven this to me.
I tell my kids all the time that being homeschooled is a privilege. They are very fortunate that they get to stay home to learn. But what I realize when I see all of what is happening in the schools now, is that it is MY  privilege . Every day, I thank God that this is something that we can do. Believe me, there have been many sacrifices. Financially, we have had to give up things, but only to see the gain in our children. Emotionally, I have cried many tears of frustration, but many more tears of pride and joy.  I'll be honest, I hate Algebra, it's hard to switch from momma to teacher, and lots of tears fall on the textbooks at the Grineage school table. There are days when I just don't want the huge responsibility of making sure that my children are getting the education that they deserve because every child deserves to be educated with a curriculum that will propel them in the direction that they want to go. All of our children deserve that.
I posted a link at the beginning of the blog. I posted it because it shows some of what our next generation will learn in the public school system, and I just wonder if it is what our children deserve. Is it what they need to propel them in the direction that they need to go in life. Does it provide clarity or confusion? Is there more grey than black or white areas? Are we coming together as parents, or is there more division then ever.
This is why I homeschool.

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