Because I've been busy

I feel like I've been too busy lately to be disciplined with our home school. Christmas shopping, events, doctor's appointments, lunch with friends, groceries, life. Keeping a routine is hard, and it is easy to lose track. I know that is what I used to think about homeschoolers, that there is nothing to keep things going, to keep them on track. Now that I'm here, and have been doing it for a few months, it doesn't bother me so much to take a day off here and there, or to spend all day doing one lesson, or no lesson at all.

Funny, I feel empowered at the moment, because I've been looking at pictures of all the projects we've done since August 10th. But just last night as I lay in bed, I was crying and praying about when I should put my son in school because I'm just not cutting it.

He watched the DVD that they showed at his PreK graduation, and he cried because he misses those friends (and there was a good country song playing in the background). He did have a wonderful class, and the teachers were great. It is such a loving place. Made me think that he needs to be in a classroom full of friends to be happy & whole. But that's not true. He wants those friends back. And there won't be that same loving environment, small class size, and nice friends in a normal kindergarten class. Yes, maybe it will be close, and yes, he needs to be with people who rub him the wrong way. But I know my son, and my God knows both my son and me, and that is not what He wants for us at this time.

So I'm going to post some things for my own benefit, to help me look back and say, "We did it! We actually accomplished some lessons in the first semester of home schooling!" I truly believe there are more lessons learned than are represented on this blog, because they are heart lessons, and character lessons. And also they are Mommy lessons. I have learned so much. If my son learned nothing, it was all worth it because of all that I have come through in the process! That is for another post.

I will post each activity separately, to make them more accessible and easy to read. But before I go, I have one more thought to discuss.

My view of home schooling evolves constantly, almost daily. My latest perspective has been that we have been so immersed in public schooling, that it is difficult to think of education in any other way. But this week I realized that it is pretty simple--home schooling that is. My job is to decide what I want my child to know, and teach him. It is not to measure up to the PASS skills list, or the hundreds of books written on what every kindergartner should know. I am not discounting what professional educators do. They have to provide education for the public. And they do a fine job! But I am concerned only with my children. Anyway, not looking for controversy here, just airing my thoughts.

Let your mind drift for a moment, out of the public school box. Think about what you want your child to know. What things are really important for them to succeed in life? What jewels of knowledge, or treasures of information, or bits of wisdom do they need? Is public school the only place to get those treasures? Does it offer all or any of them? Yes, of course it does some. But it is not the only way. If I can teach my child those things in a way that is interesting to him and fosters learning, then I have succeeded. And hopefully he will become successful as well.

Learning is a lifestyle. I am trying to learn how to balance instructed, direct teaching with spontaneous learning. Got any thoughts? Please share them!

So don't worry about when to call, for fear of interrupting our school day. We learn and experience things all day long. Yes, we do phonics workbook pages, sing songs, say the pledge of allegiance, play math games, do science experiments, read books, learn scripture. And we don't answer the phone if we're busy with those things. But later we might talk about how electricity works when we see the telephone poles being put up, or how ants follow each other to the colony, or how bricks are made. And if you call, we'll answer, because we can learn from you, too.