Monday, May 09, 2005
Our History...
I have 4 children from my first marriage. This includes 3 girls, ages 21, 19 and almost 15 and one boy who is 8 as of last week. I have been "separated" for about 7 years and have been with my current partner Eric for over 4 years. He has 3 children, including a 20 year old daughter who does not live with us (she lives on her own), a 17 year old daughter who lives with us, and a 13 year old son who lives with his mom in BC (who will be with us for 6-7 weeks this summer).
My two older girls attended public school for elementary school. Dorothy did not attend high school at all and now is attending university (and still living at home). Sarah completed grade 10 in high school, then stopped. (homeschooling by that time had become the norm in our home). Now she has been working for almost two years full time and is taking a university course now in hopes of teaching English as a Second Language next fall in another country.
Zoe attended school until grade 4 - that was the year when I was totally converted to homeschooling. I attended conferences on it, especially about homeschooling high school students and learned alot. Zoe stayed home for grade 5, doing mostly grade 6 work, and then decided to attend school part-time for grade 6-8. We found a principal in our city that was willing to permit this and so Zoe did half and half public school and home school. This was her choice, although I am sure there was some pressure from her dad. This year, she started high school, and she decided she wanted to try attending school - I gave her the choice - and although she hates some things about it (ie. boring curriculum) she is mostly thriving well. I keep asking her if she wants to homeschool next year - she hasn't decided yet. Did I mention that her average is in the 90's?
Owen has been attending public school part-time for the past couple of years (grade 1 and 2). When he was in kindergarten, we met some great friends who are homeschooling and have spent one day a week with them (often going on outings or going swimming). This year it was always on Fridays. Although I want to homeschool full-time and he wants to as well, his father is absolutely against it (I think Gina will understand what this is like??) Owen has been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder (panic attacks) and OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) and his dad thinks that going to school will help him develop stronger social skills. (Which I know is not true)
So we are having ongoing conflict about this issue, with this part-time school thing being the compromise. It is my desire to homeschool full time with Owen this fall, but I really would like to have his dad agree to it. We will just have to see. In the meantime, I want to do some homeschooling with Owen this summer to work on some of his reading and creative writing.
So, although I absolutely believe that homeschooling, particularly unschooling, can be the best type of education -- I am not actually doing it full time right now! I have so much respect for all those parents out there (mostly moms, darn it) who are homeschooling their kids full time. I find it very frustrating to be in this limbo with Owen.
In fact, I have been attending school myself full-time for the past 4 years (mostly at night where possible) so that I could become a lawyer. Which, is about to happen, on July 13th.
I think life is an ongoing adventure that you take with your kids and figure out which paths will work for your family at any given time. Sometimes life throws you curves that you don't expect and you learn new moves in order to keep up with it. Now that two of my kids have officially "grown up" I have learned to relax more and take the long view, because I know that they have turned out pretty well, probably in spite of my efforts!
My two older girls attended public school for elementary school. Dorothy did not attend high school at all and now is attending university (and still living at home). Sarah completed grade 10 in high school, then stopped. (homeschooling by that time had become the norm in our home). Now she has been working for almost two years full time and is taking a university course now in hopes of teaching English as a Second Language next fall in another country.
Zoe attended school until grade 4 - that was the year when I was totally converted to homeschooling. I attended conferences on it, especially about homeschooling high school students and learned alot. Zoe stayed home for grade 5, doing mostly grade 6 work, and then decided to attend school part-time for grade 6-8. We found a principal in our city that was willing to permit this and so Zoe did half and half public school and home school. This was her choice, although I am sure there was some pressure from her dad. This year, she started high school, and she decided she wanted to try attending school - I gave her the choice - and although she hates some things about it (ie. boring curriculum) she is mostly thriving well. I keep asking her if she wants to homeschool next year - she hasn't decided yet. Did I mention that her average is in the 90's?
Owen has been attending public school part-time for the past couple of years (grade 1 and 2). When he was in kindergarten, we met some great friends who are homeschooling and have spent one day a week with them (often going on outings or going swimming). This year it was always on Fridays. Although I want to homeschool full-time and he wants to as well, his father is absolutely against it (I think Gina will understand what this is like??) Owen has been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder (panic attacks) and OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) and his dad thinks that going to school will help him develop stronger social skills. (Which I know is not true)
So we are having ongoing conflict about this issue, with this part-time school thing being the compromise. It is my desire to homeschool full time with Owen this fall, but I really would like to have his dad agree to it. We will just have to see. In the meantime, I want to do some homeschooling with Owen this summer to work on some of his reading and creative writing.
So, although I absolutely believe that homeschooling, particularly unschooling, can be the best type of education -- I am not actually doing it full time right now! I have so much respect for all those parents out there (mostly moms, darn it) who are homeschooling their kids full time. I find it very frustrating to be in this limbo with Owen.
In fact, I have been attending school myself full-time for the past 4 years (mostly at night where possible) so that I could become a lawyer. Which, is about to happen, on July 13th.
I think life is an ongoing adventure that you take with your kids and figure out which paths will work for your family at any given time. Sometimes life throws you curves that you don't expect and you learn new moves in order to keep up with it. Now that two of my kids have officially "grown up" I have learned to relax more and take the long view, because I know that they have turned out pretty well, probably in spite of my efforts!
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Thanks for the clarification. Unschooling is unschooling, I am not sure that there is such a thing as part time unschooling.
Wow. You'll be a good lawyer for sure, because you can keep all of those details about years attended in and out of school in your head! I always say if my kids ever want to go to school I'd have no problem with it. Most of the homeschoolers I know get upset at the idea of their kids ever attending.
On the other hand, it is hard to convince one parent to have a homeschooled kid if they don't want to. I wish you luck with that because I bet it would be less stressful for Owen and it's not like he wouldn't have pals. Okay, preaching to the choir. I'll shut up! Anyway, more power to ya. What are your graduation plans?????!!! When I finally graduate there will be a HUGE party.
Kim Relaxed Homeskool
bradley.chicago.il.us/kim
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On the other hand, it is hard to convince one parent to have a homeschooled kid if they don't want to. I wish you luck with that because I bet it would be less stressful for Owen and it's not like he wouldn't have pals. Okay, preaching to the choir. I'll shut up! Anyway, more power to ya. What are your graduation plans?????!!! When I finally graduate there will be a HUGE party.
Kim Relaxed Homeskool
bradley.chicago.il.us/kim
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