We decided to home school Hannah this year. We've almost completed our 4th week and things are going well. We're really getting into our groove even though we are also flexible. On the days Michael goes to pre-school, we usually work from 9:30-12:30. Sometimes we start at 7:30 and are finished by 10:00. Some days we stretch our lessons out throughout the day and take some breaks to ride bikes or walk around the block. It is amazing how quickly our family has settled into our new schedule.
We had school on Labor Day, but we took a 4-day beach trip the following weekend.
Frank pointed out that we get our entire school day finished in the time most parents spend battling homework and in carpool. I was talking to my friend, Marie, today about how much calmer our entire home is this school year. We decided that is partly because there isn't the scramble to get out the door in the morning and the kids aren't tired in the afternoon from a long day at school.
I'm enjoying learning history with Hannah. Admittedly, my own history and geography is very much lacking. The thing I've always worried about is teaching a child how to read, but Hannah seems to be doing fine. My teaching background is math and science so I just have to be careful not to overdo the teaching in those areas.
My proudest moment came last week when we had to take Michael to the pediatrician because he had had a fever for 3 days. Hannah told the nurse that Michael's white blood cells didn't get all the germs so that is why he was still sick.
Of course, sometimes too much knowledge can be embarrassing. The previous week, we studied the food pyramid and the role each food group plays. At Wal-Mart, Hannah pointed to a customer and said, "Look, Mommy, he ate too many carbohydrates and didn't exercise enough to use up the energy. Now he is fat!" She also told her Daddy something similar over the weekend. It may have worked because Frank has been walking every day since!
One day we talked about how adults begin to show signs of aging in their 40's and 50's. Hannah asked how old I was and I told her 41. She said, "But Mommy, you don't show any signs of aging!" I'm telling you, this girl is smart!!!
In all seriousness, I am so glad we made the decision to home school. We have a great public elementary school or I could go back to teaching private school and send my kids for free, but for now home learning suits us well.
I really believe that homeschooling is the best education. It is true that nobody will care about your child's education more than the parent will care.
ReplyDeleteI believe in the school system, even private schools, students spend a lot of time quietly sitting in their seats waiting for the next activity. I call this the transition time. This may seem like a small amount of time but over the years it adds up to a ton of wasted time. This time could be spend on learning, playing, living, experiencing. Thanks for sharing your homeschooling experience!