*I was inspired to take the above pictures by a post I saw on a homeschool blog called bluemanoreducation.com. Unfortunately, the specific post no longer exists, but I did want to give credit for the idea. *
School starts this week in my area, and that’s always a time of mixed emotions for me. For that reason, I’m pausing in my series on planning to make this special post. I’ll go ahead and be upfront: this post is for homeschooling moms ONLY. If you aren’t one, you may be offended by what I have to say. It’s not that I’m intentionally trying to be mean or offend anyone; it’s just that I want to encourage my fellow homeschool moms, and I can’t do that in this post without being completely candid. So there you are, homeschool mom, able to sleep until eight (or nine) because your kids don’t have to be on a school bus by seven am or dropped off by seven thirty. You’re feeling confident in your decision, free even, as you think of the carpool line you don’t have to line up for later this afternoon. Then you get on social media. Post after post of smiling children holding little chalkboards that say “first day of kindergarten” or “first day of middle school.” (Okay, those kids might not be smiling, lol.) Posts of smiling, beaming teachers with shiny hair like Miss Honey in Matilda. The brand new backpacks are so colorful, the pencils so sharp, the chromebooks so . . . Wait, you ask yourself, they give chromebooks to four year olds? Mine can barely use scissors! It seems like all these kids are headed straight to the Ivy League, and yours are still in their pajamas watching Puppy Dog Pals. And all of a sudden, doubt rushes in. Are you doing the right thing? You make the mistake of reading some of the posts. “Little Tommy just loves his teacher!” one gushes. “We are so blessed by our local school,” another one proclaims. “I can’t believe we have a high schooler,” another mom states with a crying emoji, “but I know these are the best days of his life!” Several moms relate crying after dropping off their preschoolers and kindergartners for their first ever day of school. Thank God, you think, at least someone is being honest! But these moms inevitably go on to say the same thing: “You have to let them go sometime!” Mommy guilt rushes in once again: are you holding them too tightly? Are they missing out? No, Mama, they aren’t. I can promise you that. Yes, we will have to let our children go someday. But at four or five? Is that really all the Lord expects of us? The preschool years, then we can hand them off to someone else for eight hours a day? Really? Those Chromebooks may look really impressive, but is that the best education for our kids? To stare at a screen all day long? But it’s educational! It’s technology! But don’t doctors and child experts tell us to limit ALL screen time on multiple devices? Or does that only apply at home? Are these really the best years of that high school kid’s life? All we have to do is think back to our own adolescence to know how much that rings false. And being in a traditional high school with its pecking order and intense pressure to fit in definitely doesn’t do anything to make those years easier. That’s all your teenager is “missing out on” - the encouragement to follow the crowd. So are all of these parents really being genuine in their gushing happiness? Maybe. But usually, if they were brutally honest, they’re relieved to have the kids at school again. They're excited to go to Target alone after carpool. They’re excited about taking that 11 am yoga class. And believe me, I get that. Sometimes I wish I could do those things. But I’ve chosen this homeschooling path because I truly believe it is best for my kids. It takes sacrifices that I am more than willing to make, and I can’t let the status quo cause me to doubt that. We also have to remember that social media only portrays people’s best selves. Those back to school posts don’t show us the whole picture. They don’t show us the seven year old melting down over his homework at four in the afternoon. They don’t show us the fourteen year old in tears after being bullied all day long. They don’t show us the parent teacher conference when a ten year old is failing math because it isn’t being taught in a way he understands. Not exactly Instagram worthy. So be encouraged, Mama! You may have chosen the road less traveled, but rest assured, it will make all the difference.
4 Comments
Doris Viall
8/3/2021 11:16:21 am
Great article Melanie!
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Katie Mckoy
8/4/2021 03:33:56 am
Wonderful and encouraging article! All of it is so true.
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AuthorHi, I'm Melanie! I'm a homeschooling mom of three kids ages 13, 11, and 9. I have a BS in English Secondary Education from Asbury University plus 30 hours of gifted certification course work. I've taught in just about every situation you can imagine. Public school, private, homeschool hybrid, and private tutoring. The most important thing I've learned? One on one, individualized instruction can't be beat. Archives
July 2022
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