Eight years ago, I was faced with the decision of whether to homeschool. My oldest child was about to complete first grade and was enrolled in a prestigious Catholic School in a western suburb of Chicago. We dished out some good money because we wanted the best education for our children as well as an abundance of rich opportunities for them upon graduation. A few years prior, when he was about to start preschool, I had contemplated homeschooling. However, I had convinced myself that I was ill equipped. I’d earned a bachelor’s degree with a double major, but it wasn’t in education. Then I thought of all the things I would be giving up. The “me” time would truly be non-existent. How could I replicate the years I had spent in school at home? Little did I know all the feelings I had were erroneous.
Back to the Catholic school… The new principal was highly respected having spent many years in the public school system. She came in with big plans of change which included firing most seasoned teachers and bringing in tablets for all students. These were two changes I was unhappy about although I’m unsure how most other parents felt. We ended up meeting with this new principal but not before I made the mistake of forwarding her and my husband a choice of words on how I felt. (Inserting a friendly reminder to always double check who is on your recipient list when forwarding emails to avoid literally feeling your stomach turn. More on this now hilarious story in another post.) At this meeting we were told tablets would not be coming home with the children. This meant we would not see what was being taught in the classroom.
Several factors impacted my decision after that year. My son’s mood, drastic faculty turnaround, tablets, changes in education topped with the common core standards (which by the way private schools are required to teach math and certain other subjects if they want to continue to receive state funding) was the icing on the cake. where I looked at my husband and asked if it was time to consider homeschooling. To my delight he looked over at me and said, “I’m ready if you are.” It was at that moment the decision had been made. Although we knew NO ONE that homeschooled, I dove deep into researching for several months all I could. It was that September when he entered 2nd grade that he was officially a homeschooler. Since then, my son and his siblings have been home with us learning and thriving. It really has been the best decision for our family and I’m so happy I decided to do it.
Over the last six years I have helped families with guidance and support to pursue homeschooling. We strongly believe that parents are the best teachers for their children. If you have read this far and are still here, thank you for sticking with me! With this blog I hope to continue supporting families seeking another way to educate their children (and themselves.) We too learn alongside them!