I can’t recall how often I had heard this concern about socialization and homeschooling from friends and strangers alike when we decided to homeschool. I still hear it from time to time but no longer from those who have spent time around us since our homeschooling adventures began. Many strangers still voice concern regarding such a thing or they have concern for me as in: Why would you want your kids around all day? Don’t you want time to yourself? My response: I love my kids and there is no one I’d rather spend my time with.
I just read this article (as in just before posting here which is why I am posting here). I love it and want to shout it on the mountaintops! Please read it – go to the link – read it read it read it! Now! 🙂 I couldn’t have said it better myself, so I won’t. Now go. Then come back here.
And now read this:
I love that my children tell us they love us in public.
I love that they open the door for us and other people.
I love that they talk to adults easily and openly.
I love that they have friends who are two years younger than them and as much as six years older.
I love that they all play together! There were twenty (20!) of them playing together for two hours just the other day.
I love that I can ask my children about white blood cells and they know their names (these books are amazing as is this series).
I love that they get to learn at their own pace about what interests them and in their own learning style.
I love that I get to be present as they learn, discover and create.
I do not love, however, the monetary sacrifice. No, I don’t love it. But, it’s totally worth it. And it helps breed the buddhist in us.
Keep in mind this is what works for us and we do what we can to make it possible. I feel fortunate to do what we do. I am not saying I am better than anyone and that’s where it gets sticky: just because we do this is not us saying we are better. I feel that is what some assume, I can see it in their eyes, hear it in their tone. I just want that to be clear.
We just move to a different groove. It’s an amazing adventure I wouldn’t change for the world. It may not be your cup of tea, and I totally respect that. It’s not everyones’ cup.
It’s tough. Yes, there are tough days. We all have them. And we all love our kids (well, we all should and most of us do thank goodness).
So…the next time someone holds the door open for you, look down and say, Thank You. My kids love it!
Thanks so much for your enthusiastic endorsement!
You’re welcome. It was such a wonderful, poignant post!
Your children are very well “socially adjusted”. If we ALL left our children’s socialization ENTIRELY up to our public school system, I think we would be very disappointed by the results. Children learn best by example, and who better to provide that example to them but their parents? We have always tried to strike a balance with our “public schooled” kids of having them share their socialization experiences they’ve had at school with us so we can help them weed out dysfunctional thinking, brought on by either well meaning teachers or ill-informed peers. It’s all about open dialog and starting very young. I walked by a porch swing yesterday at Kent and memories of our own porch swing flashed back in my mind. The miles we put on that thing sitting outside on it for hours as a family talking, laughing, sharing and learning (<mom and dad especially!) The sacrifices you're making right now to teach your children yourself at home will have huge payoffs! L and X are wonderful…thanks in advance boys for holding the door for me!
Thank you, Lynn, for such kind words! You are so right! I love your family and how close you all are and how, even as your boys are almost all grown up (wow, how did that happen?!) they still love to spend time as a family. You are so right about the communication part. L is so desperately wanting to be more independent. It’s seeping out of his pores. But, we still need to keep him close so as he grows and yearns for this independence he is aware of what comes with it; being careful and aware to start. We talk a lot because if we don’t start now, it will be tough later and there is nothing I love more than the sound of their voices. I love you porch swing story. I think we may need one of those. 🙂