Hi friends! I hope that this is finding you all well. In my last blog I mentioned that I would be starting a new blog series "in a week or two (depending on how life shakes out)." Bless past me for having such insight into what would end up being "4 weeks from now"... Here's the thing y'all- there is almost always a lot happening for Team Yearley and this last month was no exception. Although, I will also note that I may or may not have brought a lot of it on myself... but also, in my defense it was all done in the name of homeschool! Before I jump into any of the specifics, I'd like first to explain how the heck we even got here. Why homeschool? Do I really have an affinity for making things harder for myself? Don't I already have a full plate?
Homeschool was a conversation that Jesse and I had had early on when Lucas was first born. We discussed different ideas and concerns with all of the schooling options on a fairly basic level because at that time he wasn't old enough for any decisions to be definitive. When he was of age, the discussions grew that much more intense as did the fears and overall sense of pressure that the "wrong choice" could dramatically impact Lucas for the rest of his life. As these conversations started getting a bit more in depth, we had another factor that added heavily into the conversation - Lynae. What would the pros and cons be of doing public school, private school, charter school, or homeschool? How would it impact not only Lucas, but also Lynae? What would life look like going down each path?
During that season, it seemed like the best decision for our family was for Lucas to attend school outside of the home. Since Lynae was born in November, we would have almost a year of time together at home before Lucas would start school giving ample time for them to bond and get to know each other. Then, while Lucas was in school, Lynae and I would have the opportunity to spend one on one time together the same way that Lucas and I had done since he was born. It seemed like the best option for our newly minted family of 4.
Upon doing research in my local school district I came across a charter school in the area that seemed to check off a number of boxes. We decided that we would go through the lengthy process of trying to get him registered for the charter school. We were invited to an early back to school event where the parents and kids could learn about the school and their expectations of education. To say that that particular charter school wasn't for us is an understatement. The meeting left little to be desired for the type of education that we hoped Lucas would have. We met quite a few of the kids attending the school and very few of them had any sort of extracurricular life outside of the rather intense school schedule that even kindergartners adhered to. Lucas is a rather athletic kiddo and has so much fun getting to be in sports and extracurricular activities. There wouldn't have been as much freedom for such things while he was busy learning latin... Unless of course we were gunning for burnout. And at 5 years old, that just seemed... excessive? Unnecessary? Morally wrong?
*I should note that I was an IB student in high school and experienced the unnecessary and completely consuming life of a rigorous upper academia in stark contrast to the life skills and real world knowledge I was able to learn once I escaped the IB walls and joined all of the FACS classes my school had to offer. There is a fine line between being prepared for college and career and being able to actually live and care for yourself in the world. Academia is really only a portion of that formula and I'm grateful that I let myself off the hook when I did.
After that experience and little time, we opted for a public school in the area. Due to fears and concerns about the public school system, I decided to heavily research all of the schools in the area. My brother mentioned that my niece had gone to school at one of the public schools down the street from us and that we would benefit from checking it out. We did just that and before I knew it we were packing Lucas' backpack for his first day of kindergarten. Having a 5 year old heading into a classroom where he would be gone from 7:45am until 3:10pm all week after being with me 24/7 for the first 4 years was a huge adjustment. All the while I kept telling myself, this will be for the greater good. He will get what he needs, I will get time with Lynae and time to work and take care of the house while she napped.
Fast forward to the last few months of the school year. I was feeling incredibly defeated by the public school system. So many things hadn't panned out the way that I had anticipated and many things had panned out exactly as I had feared they would. Everyday felt like we were fighting a losing battle against parents that have little to no interest in actually parenting their children. We were seeing extreme behavioral changes in Lucas that left us feeling lost and concerned. Our family had gone through a massive transition at the beginning of the year, so we knew that a lot of Lucas' change was due to that. Unfortunately the environment wasn't supporting him in that transition, it was causing more issues. The teachers are only equipped with so much and without parent participation in the education and raising of their children things begin to fall apart (imagine that!).
Amidst all of this struggle, I had a meeting with my mentor and friend. She suggested homeschool again, reminding me that that is always an option. On the drive to meet with her it had crossed my mind, but I pushed it aside feeling as though I wasn't equipped enough educationally, physically, mentally, emotionally, and even spiritually to lead him in that way. So when she mentioned it during our meeting, something sparked in my brain. I was leaving the meeting and received a message from my mother in law depicting how great Lucas is and that while it may be hard, we're doing a great job with him. Blown away by the timing, I called my husband to share all of the things with him. Stunned, he said that he had thought about homeschool that very morning. It felt like all of the confirmation that we needed.
So began my quest for all things homeschool knowledge. As I began to research I learned that we have a homeschool co-op that meets one day a week during the traditional school year. It is a part of the local school district and offers K-12 learning for homeschoolers. It's an opportunity for involvement and connection, further education and access to things that we may not have access to at home. I was overwhelmed with joy upon finding this option. I did more research and was able to get Lucas enrolled for the co-op. I decided that it made the most sense to continue learning on a year round basis with breaks sprinkled throughout rather than taking several months off at one time and having to spend more time on recap. So at the beginning of July, we dove head first into year round homeschool.
To say that this journey has been easy would be a complete and total lie. This has been hard y'all. There is much to consider and a lot goes into making a decision like this. But it is safe to say that in the last several months, I have learned so much and have found a passion for homeschool that I never thought would be possible. I am thrilled to have this opportunity and look forward to what is to come! I encourage you to join me on this journey as I dive more into all things homeschool. I am planning to share more about year round homeschool, the co-op, curriculum, tips and tricks, and all things in between. I hope that you'll join me!
I pray that wherever you are in this season, you are seeking peace, patience and grace!
Chat soon friends!
Xx,
Mama Yearley
コメント