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Friday, July 27, 2012

Fighting mad

I have been on this home school adventure for maybe 6 months now. L is 4 going on 37 and I am already seeing the benefits of not sending him to preschool. I wish everyone saw what I do. My ex (his dad) and I are great friends and we both work hard on keeping it that way.  Today I lost my cool with him.  The conversation started well enough, he asked when a local home school curriculum fair was and promptly said he couldn't make it. He then started in on a diatribe that I have heard so many times already (how have you long term home schoolers not killed anyone by now)? How is he going to be socialized? He needs to be exposed to diversity, he needs to toughen up, how can you possibly keep up with his education? Blah blah blah. Ok first of all he is 4! 4! I am not real worried about teaching him that J says "juh" and that if you have 1 cookie and I give you another cookie, you have 2 cookies. I think I got this.
Toughen up? What are we raising the next Ultimate Fighter?
And I don't spend MY day in a classroom of 30 kids and yet somehow I manage to socialize with fellow humans. Perhaps he can socialize at the YMCA during swim lessons, perhaps at paly time at Firefly cafe, perhaps at the homeschooling group we recently joined, or maybe at the library we go to.
I do not handle  confrontation well in fact I turn into an angry frat boy so I apologize for my readiness to throw down while folding laundry today E.
Why is the misconception that all homeschoolers are locked in their room reading all day so prevalent? I need a better come back. I need a go-to response for when idiots (ahem well meaning individuals) barrage me with questions on why I don't trust out OBVIOUSLY superb education system to turn my child into a free-thinking, creative, intelligent, caring, healthy young man. Any good ones?

2 comments:

  1. No comebacks here yet but i would love to know. My stepson was in homeschool and when he had to go back the next year he was so bored because he already knew all the material. The worse part is after now being back in mainstream school now for two years he seems to have forgotten EVERYTHING.

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  2. "Life is what you make it - alway has been - always will be!" I am a Mother of a 4 year old boy, very active, very much loving part-time daycare with 2 other boys his own age. Yes, I am trying, trying to look for a job to help with financial stress - and I keep telling myself that this is best for me, best for my son - would I have the will power, strength and determination to shoose otherwise - my parents were both teachers, my sisters are teachers, I am an artist, creative thinker. I love the quote that says, "The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty and power of their dreams." - Woolf (yes?) I think that's what you need to tell yourself - that beneath everything, deep down, you are doing what is right for your own mind, your own heart - your own life - and the choice to stay home, home school or home daycare, whatever it takes, to make you feel and know inside you are doing the best possible thing.... that is all you need. We are more powerful than we think, and I often forget this as a parent. It makes me sad, that I easily give in sometimes, to social, family, financial pressure, therefore sacrificing my own time, love, energy as a parent and Mother to this little boy. We cannot be perfect, but we need to try - the future is a delicate balance, and this issue of home schooling, parenting, and mothering, is very close to my heart. Thank you for raising these questions, if anyone should ever read this, thank you - my email is laura.shylo@gmail.com. Sincerely, Laura

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