There aren’t a ton of homeschoolers in my part of the state, especially in my town with its “good public schools”. So, when I first started homeschooling, I remember keeping track of everyone I met because it made me feel better to have a circle of people who had all chosen this not-very-popular way of educating their kids.
But, lately, it feels like more and more of them are choosing a different path, and it’s made me a little sad to see them go.
There is the awesome friend and new neighbor who moved to my town—my town!—but then decided to try out those good public schools. There is the wonderfully supportive friend whose oldest just got into the local charter school and started today. There is the well-known radical unschooling mom whose teen decided to try out school this year. Another mom I know just sent her oldest to private school. And then there are friends who are trying a public-school-sanctioned virtual learning course, with a teacher overseeing their progress.
This all doesn’t mean that a bunch of people have decided that homeschooling sucks or doesn’t work or is too hard. I know they all had to do a lot of soul-searching and had to think of their child’s wants as much as their own. And, for those who are my friends, I know we will still remain friends, no matter how their kids get educated.
But, I’m sad that my circle seems to be shrinking, just a bit.
When homeschoolers move on to something else
FollowHomeschooling using the buddy system
I never wanted to go it alone.
I knew pretty much from the start that forming friendships, alliances even, with other homeschoolers would be critical to keeping me on this path.
It’s not that I’m weak, I just like the company.
And so, from the first year back in 2006, Krystan* and I agreed to get together once a week. Our oldest girls were little kindergartners then. We were both loosely following the “Letter of the Week” format, and our classes were usually centered around whatever country we were studying that week: B for Brazil or D for Denmark. And Q for Qatar, naturally.
The next year, we launched a plan to do history together using Story of the World. Every week, we’d read the chapter to our own kids and then get together to do one of the activities laid out in the program. We figured we’d start with Book 1 in 1st grade, and keep going year by year, to Book 4.
And, here we are, starting Book 4 in 4th grade! (They should print t-shirts that say “I completed SOTW in four years” but I’m not sure they’d sell enough of them to make any money).
But also this year, we’ve upped the ante a bit. I have agreed to take over History for both my kids and her kids. We read the chapters on our own at home, and then I lead the kids through the discussion, outline, mapwork and other related activities.
But that’s not all: Krystan has agreed to take over Science: Beginner Physics.
My joy knows no bounds.
I really, really do not like science, and I am especially afraid of physics which I avoided in school. Krystan is a nurse which, while I’m not sure this helps with physics, means she is super smaht in science and, thus, much better equipped to take this on than I.
We’ve made it through week one. My kids loved their physics class. Her kids were awesome to me as their teacher.
And I’m thrilled to have a buddy in all of this.
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* her name has been changed to protect her identity and also because I don’t want anyone else to snatch her up for her physics prowess
School’s Out For Ever
My only out-of-home schooled child, D, finished his preschool career on Friday.
Congratulations my sweet boy. Can’t wait to see what the future holds for us all.
