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Homeschool Memoirs

Through other blog reading I have found an interested meme for homeschoolers- Homeschool Memoirs.
Wednesday was the official start and the first meme is to share about you- the mom behind the homeschooling.
And so it begins:
Every journey to homeschooling is interesting and mine is no exception. I am a quite simply, a convert. I didn’t start out planning to homeschool. My oldest went thru two year preschool program and right into public school. My dear sister-in-law had her oldest 6 weeks after mine and she went right to homeschooling. I was shocked. At the time I didn’t know anyone who homeschooled and couldn’t fathom why she would do it. Neither could Mr. Steady. When we mentioned it within my family someone quickly retorted that if we were to do that Maiden would be spending all day in detention due to her strong will as well as mine. It just wasn’t seen as an option. And we worried about my sister-in-law choosing it- you know, we were “those people” who remarked on “socialization”. Yeah, I admit it, we were warped.
So what changed?
My view point.
We decided to homeschool first and foremost because we prayed about it, opened ourselves up to the idea and followed God’s nudging. It is a bit of a long story how this came to be but quite simply three things came into play.
1. I made some wonderful friends who ended up being homeschoolers and ended up greatly influencing the building desire in me to homeschool. Right in front of me was a ready made support group.
2. My relationship with my oldest, Maiden was suffering. I was seeing a dear homeschooling friend live out with her daughter the relationship I wanted with mine. And I knew that her time away from school was taking time away from our relationship and was also influencing her in negative ways.
3. I didn’t send Sassafras off to preschool like Maiden. The first year she wasn’t emotionally ready and so I kept her home and taught her simple things myself. The 2^nd year I didn’t send her because I had found such joy in the simple teaching the first year plus I had found her to be a very big daydreamer with the attention span of a gnat. I knew how to handle it at home and I knew that a teacher with 20 other kids wouldn’t have the same time or desire to do the same. During this time my friend talked me into joining her homeschool group. I didn’t feel like a homeschooler and stated that I was still planning to send her to school the next year but she encouraged me to join for the year.
I felt like a fraud but did so.
That year changed my perspective in grand ways and as it winded down I couldn’t imagine it ending. I couldn’t imagine not teaching Sassafras and not being a part of such a wonderful, incredible support group where I had made true friends. At the same time I couldn’t imagine homeschooling one and not the other but I couldn’t see that I would have the same joy if I brought Maiden home.
Mr. Steady and I talked and he wasn’t keen on the idea of homeschooling one and not the other and wondered if I would actually have the time to commit to it. We decided to pray. When it came time for the next school year he announced that he wanted Sassafras to go to public school and Maiden to continue. He really wanted to see how she would fare within the system and for me to take the time to really evaluate that this was the right choice for us.
It was an incredibly difficult year. I desperately wanted to have the girls home and found that every little thing that could possibly be wrong in public school became another strike against it. Sassafras suffered due to her daydreaming and short attention span and I hated the notes that came home every week. I begged Mr. Steady to let me bring her home and he continued saying that we must wait it out. It was difficult those first few months- more difficult than it had to be because of my bad attitude and desire to homeschool. And then I realized that I could continue to homeschool even while they were in school. The evenings I spent time going over homework with Maiden, I was homeschooling. And I continued with reading and math lessons at home with Sassafras, that was homeschooling too. I spent my day time with Mr. C and also worked to rearrange my office and other areas to make room for homeschooling. I spent time researching curriculums and teaching styles and read any book I could get my hands on about homeschooling. I stayed involved in the homeschool group and listened to what others liked/didn’t like, what worked/didn’t work and how to combat the doldrums that come mid-February. The group was like a lab on homeschooling and I took notice and notes. By the time the school year ended I had not only chosen my teaching style but had also chosen and ordered and received and put together my curriculum for the next year. And I didn’t stop there- I put together a 4 week unit study for us to do over the summer.
The first year was wonderful, not completely wonderful but it was what it was. Maiden and I spent those first few months really working on our relationship and we all worked together as a family to make homeschooling a lifestyle. By the end of the first year people were remarking about the positive attitude changes in Maiden and how Sassafras had blossomed. Mr. Steady was thrilled with the more relaxed person I was becoming.
And so I knew we had done the right thing.
It seems like so long ago and yet we’ve really only homeschooled in the sense of the girls being home to school for two years.  Maiden is going into 6^th grade, Sassafras into 3^rd and Mr. Conductor in preschool. Mr. C will be my only child to have not experienced the public school system. At 4 years old, our homeschooling lifestyle is the only thing he’s ever known and he thrives in this environment. Not only do we see the teaching opportunities in everything but now my parents and sister see them too and collaborate- giving of themselves to our homeschool.
While I haven’t made converts out of everyone I have more support than I could have imagined and with others we at least have their grudging respect.

Want to read more about our homeschooling journey? Click on Homeschooling under my categories on right side bar.

Photo above: Name & Logo for our homeschool

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1:55 PM, 2008-Aug-22 .. Posted by Anonymous

It is so neat to read about the different ways we all came to homeschooling our children. Each family situation is so very different.

I look forward to getting to know you better in the days and weeks to come.
Elaine
http://akhmmm.wordpress.com

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2:56 PM, 2008-Aug-22 .. Posted by seventhheaven

Thanks for sharing.... I love reading of everyones homeschool journey.

Blog

12:27 AM, 2008-Aug-23 .. Posted by Anonymous

Kudos to you for keeping at homeschooling! :) Nice to 'meet' you! :) Have a great homeschooling year!

HappyGoMommy!
http://www.happygomommy.typepad.com

:)

11:37 PM, 2008-Aug-24 .. Posted by Anonymous

Wow, praise the Lord, what a journey.

I admire your perseverance and humble and submissive attitude toward your husband's guidance.

Thanks for sharing.

I clicked your link because I like your name :)
I'm having a blog-warming party, and I'd like to invite you :)
I even have a door-prize that some lucky visitor will win. Seeing as only one person has entered so far, the chances are pretty good that you could win! hahaha ;)

Amy
Trujillo, Peru
http://fisheracademy.blogspot.com