Never say never

So, while the rest of the free world is obsessing over things like electoral colleges and exit polls, I'm uh...not.  And not just because I'm not particularly politically-minded or because I already voted early, but because I have other things weighing heavily on my mind.

I have decided to pull the girls out of public school and start homeschooling them.  Something I have sworn multiple times that I would never, ever do!

My thoughts and emotions are running the gamut on this one.  One minute I am excited and ready to jump in feet first and get them up to speed and started on Latin as well.  The next minute I am terrified and worried that I am going to forget to teach them something important like cause and effect or where the Great Lakes are.  I believe that this is what they need right now.  For whatever reason, public schools have just not been giving them what they need academically.  We are spending so much money on extra tutoring and judging from their most recent report cards, it's just not enough. And this has really been an ongoing problem since kindergarten.  I can't let it go on forever. I have to do something.  I don't know what else to do.

There are a myriad of other reasons we are doing it as well.  Chloe is struggling emotionally.  I don't want her dislike of school to turn into a dislike of learning.  I get concerned about the kinds of things that kids are up against in schools these days.  It was hard enough when I was young, but it is so much worse now.  I want to protect their sweet little spirits from the filth that is out there. I don't want them to have to worry about being sexually harassed in middle school (it's happening, people!)

Yet I still have mixed feelings.  I love our neighborhood elementary school.  I feel like I am being a traitor or something by pulling them out.  We live in an incredible school district.   I really have loved and appreciated their teachers and all the work they have done in the girls' behalf.  I don't want them to feel like this is a reflection on them.  The fact of the matter is--no teacher can possibly meet all of the needs of all of the students in their class when they have 25+ students!  And I do feel like the math curriculum that the school district uses is awful.

I feel blessed to have some really stellar examples of what homeschooling can be in my life.  A friend whom I admire greatly came over and talked with me for over an hour about it and gave me some great sources and insights.  She also invited us to a little get-together of her homeschooling group. I also got some suggestions from my cousin-in-law (I don't know what else to call her!), who I also really admire and is a great homeschooler.  I have read a couple of incredible books that have not only made this seem feasible (albeit overwhelming) but really exciting as well.

I also feel blessed to have a truly supportive husband who goes along with every random idea that pops into my brain.  And one true friend, who, when I told her my plans said, "I think you will be great at that!"  She probably still has no idea how much that meant to me!  At least one person thinks I can do it and I can do it well!!

We will be working within the school district's homeschooling program, which seems like a great fit for us.  One day a week the girls will go to a school with other homeschooled children and have classes like art, music, science, p.e. and language arts.  The other 4 days a week they are with me.  So for all of those naysayers that are concerned about their social skills (or lack thereof), they will be socializing in a school-like setting once a week (not to mention church and other activities they are involved in.)

The girls are ecstatic--they really can't wait to get started. We are going to be doing a very formal, classical education.  So I wasn't kidding when I mentioned Latin.  We will also be doing math, science, reading, history, penmanship, critical thinking, a ton of writing, art and music.  (I think I missed a few--it's quite extensive.)  The goal for now is to get them up to grade level.

So I have spent the last few weeks filling out paperwork, picking through curriculum, ordering books and completely re-doing our basement to turn it from a playroom into a school room.  It's almost ready.  Today I took the girls to visit their new one-day-a-week school, where they will be in a class with 7 other 3rd graders every Tuesday starting in December.  Now if I can just stop having panic attacks, we will be good to go.