Back Again

This blog started in May of 2011. I just pulled my three kids out of public school and we were so eager to become a homeschool family. We had ups and downs, we went on awesome field trips and grew together as a family. Then something changed. I got an illness, a very contagious sickness, called the second guesses. I let other people's doubts become my own and when my Mom would tell me how happy her other Grandkids were in public school I would wonder if my kids were happy at home. Despite camping trips, and deep discussions, despite loving the time we had together and growing closer, I wondered if I was making the right choice. After al,l I was struggling with one child in particular with math and spelling. And everyone needed me force them to work daily, in my opinion after a year of homeschooling we should be perfect. So after a year of homeschooling I put my babies back in public school. At first it was great, everyone was excited. We loved the newness of it. Now in May I find myself in the same situation I was in in 2011. I pulled the kids out about a month ago. I have seen my two oldest go from active learners, (yeah I needed to motivate them, but they did enjoy it) to kids who hate to go to school every day because of teachers who don't enjoy their jobs. And the child who struggled with math and spelling fell between the cracks in the classroom because he needed the extra attention that a teacher with thirty other kids just could not give. I am not going to go off on some tirade over the teachers who get paid to yell at children, who come to an elementary school with a chip on their shoulder each day. (although I could go on and on and on) I will simply say that our year back in school makes me resolve to never second guess myself again. I am good at thinking that if two families make different choices one of them is wrong, and I am good at letting people talk me into believing in my own failures simply because they believe the same thing, that if I am homeschooling and they are not then one of us is hurting our children. The truth is my nephews are happy in public school, and my kids are happy being taught by their Mama. There are all types of people and there is not a mold we fit in. So here we go again.  I plan to use the blog as a record keeping devise, as well as a journal because if there is one thing I have learned in homeschooling it is that it can get lonely when there are not a lot of people around you who make the same choice. An online community where I can read other families trials and adventures has saved my spirit many days. That is why I will keep my records public, so maybe I can help a new homeschooling mama, and so people who like to question me can come here and know exactly what my kids are learning. I will go back tonight and type up all the paper records I have kept, then I will try to keep the curriculums I use and things we do as a school posted weekly.