We are starting with preschool/kindergarten as our first trial run of homeschooling, and I will be starting both Damien, 4, and Lucia, almost 3. We are going to take it one year at a time and actively discern each year and with each individual child if this is what God is calling us to!
Here are a few reasons we have chosen homeschool:
1) Our ministry requires a lot of travel, and we want the flexibility to travel without the kids having to miss school. Homeschooling allows us that flexibility to take the kids' work with us, double up work, or extend school to other days when school is not traditionally held, like weekends or snow days, summer, Labor Day, etc.
2) Boys typically have a harder time in school than girls. Both my inlaws who were teachers and principals/vice principals in the Boston Public School systems agree that unless a teacher is very good with hands-on activities and keeping the students interested, boys easily get bored and act out. Many were recommended to be put on medications for having ADHD -- which is highly over-diagnosed especially in boys -- when maybe the unfortunate situation is that the child just wants to be a child. Because I will not have a group of 20 or 30 students like most overworked teachers, I will have the ability to do these hands-on activities, give one-on-one attention as needed, teach to the level of each of my kids, and give them run around outside breaks when they need one! Lord knows even as an adult I need my own version of run around outside mental break...(Looks more like a glass of wine... or two.) There are some amazing teachers out there and I support teachers 100% - I went to school to be one! I just wish the structure of the school day was more accommodating particularly to boys.
3) Our kids are already ahead as far as curriculum guidelines. As we were debating on whether or not to send the kids to preschool this year, I looked up the curriculum. I was pleasantly surprised that my kids know most of the core objectives for preschool -- and the rest, I'm sure, will come. So, it wouldn't have been an academic reason I would have sent my kids - at least Damien - to preschool, it would have been for the social. So, we had to ask ourselves...are there other ways our kids can get the social activities? Sure! There is an active homeschool group nearby, Damien will be taking martial arts, and Lucia may be taking ballet (depending on our pocketbook). Because they know the core curriculum objectives already, I want to see if we can go further. This year will be a combination of preschool and kindergarten. I don't want them to be bored with learning. Right now they are sponges and they are excited to learn! I want them to feel they have a great grasp over what they are learning, but also give them a challenge and see how they progress.
4) My degree is in Human Development - Education/Psychology. I went to school for this. If I'm not using my degree on a daily basis in a public/private school, I may as well give it a whirl in homeschool. ;)
5) Faith life is a given. We hope our kiddos will learn from us how to be holy people, whether they are homeschooled or private or public schooled, that is the best thing we can teach them! We also want to spend this time with them so they can witness our faith example and journey with us in ministry, as they are our first ministry. -- Ministry through vocation!
These are NOT reasons we decided to homeschool:
1) We don't trust the Church. We love the Church, we trust her teaching authority, and we have a good Catholic school here. The Catholic Church invented formal education for crying out loud! I had a great conversation about this with a fellow Catholic mom about the circles of homeschool groups that are determined to homeschool because they have a mistrust of the Church, a mistrust of the Parish programming, and a mistrust of the secular world to a point of absolute isolation. This is more destructive than anything - but that's a whole 'nother blog post! We did not decide to homeschool because we don't trust our Catholic school to teach the faith.
2) We don't want our kids around other kids. While of course we want to protect our kids from bad/negative influences, especially at this age where they are imitators and not examples, we know that they can't be in a bubble forever. We want our kids to learn to love and get along with all kinds of different people. There will be plenty of opportunities for that, including interaction with kids of all ages in the various homeschool group and other activities we participate in.
3) We want to shelter our kids from heresy, moral relativism, etc. While yes, we are the guardians of their hearts, minds, and bodies while they are in our protections, this is not our primary reason for homeschooling. That said, one skill that we find sorely lacking in much formal education nowadays, even up to the collegiate level, is the ability to think critically. Hopefully we will be able to build a relationship with our kids that should something be said in any environment that they find confusing, dangerous, or hurtful, they will know they can come to us and talk to us about it.
We are taking this ONE YEAR AT A TIME. Our discernment will be individualized per child and their needs, our family situation, our financial situation, etc.
We are very excited about this new undertaking and would appreciate prayers! I am grateful for the structure that I hope this will bring back to our day. We have been so interrupted in so many ways this summer that I am praying for a routine!
Hope this explains everything and if you have any questions, feel free to message me.
God bless!
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