Comments on: Me, The Homeschooler http://www.amothersjournal.com/2007/05/15/me-the-homeschooler/ The way we spend our hours is the way we spend our lives. Sun, 12 Feb 2012 12:37:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Lynn http://www.amothersjournal.com/2007/05/15/me-the-homeschooler/comment-page-1/#comment-16847 Lynn Fri, 17 Jun 2011 17:13:42 +0000 http://www.amothersjournal.com/?p=88#comment-16847 Janine, I am so grateful for your words. Homeschooling is such a job, but it brings such reward. As you will read on, you will find that I have had to bring our homeschooling to a close. Not by choice, but by circumstance. My work for pay has increased to such a degree that I could not do my little social butterfly 12yo daughter justice. That said, there have been trade-offs. I see more silliness. More gossip. More drama. I see less settled contemplation on her part. The school she is in is wonderful, but public school is a different culture. No matter what style you teach with from home, your children are in a more controlled setting. Does that mean sheltered, overprotected, unsocialized, underprivileged? No. It does not have to mean any of that. What it means is that one person is looking ahead to see what's on the tracks. It means that peers are more chosen rather than randomly put into your child's life. You don't have that privilege anymore when a child goes to public school. I am rambling now, but I didn't want you to read of my new direction and think that equals giving up. To the contrary, I feel we were just getting started. Keep me posted! If you have time. At any rate, best wishes to you!! xoxo Lynn Janine, I am so grateful for your words. Homeschooling is such a job, but it brings such reward. As you will read on, you will find that I have had to bring our homeschooling to a close. Not by choice, but by circumstance. My work for pay has increased to such a degree that I could not do my little social butterfly 12yo daughter justice. That said, there have been trade-offs. I see more silliness. More gossip. More drama. I see less settled contemplation on her part. The school she is in is wonderful, but public school is a different culture. No matter what style you teach with from home, your children are in a more controlled setting. Does that mean sheltered, overprotected, unsocialized, underprivileged? No. It does not have to mean any of that. What it means is that one person is looking ahead to see what’s on the tracks. It means that peers are more chosen rather than randomly put into your child’s life. You don’t have that privilege anymore when a child goes to public school.

I am rambling now, but I didn’t want you to read of my new direction and think that equals giving up. To the contrary, I feel we were just getting started.

Keep me posted! If you have time. At any rate, best wishes to you!!

xoxo
Lynn

]]> By: Janine http://www.amothersjournal.com/2007/05/15/me-the-homeschooler/comment-page-1/#comment-16844 Janine Fri, 17 Jun 2011 15:35:17 +0000 http://www.amothersjournal.com/?p=88#comment-16844 Thank you, Lynn. I guess I'm just trying to be at peace with it all, and your words brought peace because they reflected everything I have been struggling with and experiencing. There are so many doubts, so much responsibility with this job (and it doesn't help when you have no energy, a brain that can not function, and a will that is weak and undisciplined). I keep saying, "My life would be so much easier if I just submitted to the prepackaged school." I look to and admire my local hs friends (but in writing this I realize I have been coveting what they have instead of accepting what I have) and I am asking, "Why can't I do that?" There has been so much anxiety. And I keep asking, "God, what and how do you want me to feed these children?" And my biggest fear has been that I am not doing what God wills for them. It is a job where one really must have faith and trust in who they are and in the path that fits them (how God has put me together); one must trust when one is "squeezing-through-the-eye-of-the-needle while traveling-the-road-less-traveled". But one must be honest, too. I have to correct my despair and not fall prey to the temptation of sloth. I must SEE that this is good and accept what works for me - as teacher. And then I must find the joy in the job and DO IT! In finding your post, I have been confirmed with the path we are on. It comes on a day when I watched our oldest pull Shakespeare off the shelf by her own desire. I can see that that concern about her not reading a play this year has been unnecessary - CM tied with Classical united with Unschooling = WORKING! Your reflection was like looking in the mirror. It helped me to be content about the educational decisions that are being made during the busy real life we are living. And I can breathe because I know I am not alone; there is a woman who has been there and done that; a woman I can learn from. Thank you so much for sharing. I look forward to digging into your garden and reading more about your life and how you grow. It may not be ideal but we are on the right track. I just have to keep chugging along (now the song Love Train by the O'Jays is chiming in my brain). Have a wonderful day! Janine Thank you, Lynn. I guess I’m just trying to be at peace with it all, and your words brought peace because they reflected everything I have been struggling with and experiencing.

There are so many doubts, so much responsibility with this job (and it doesn’t help when you have no energy, a brain that can not function, and a will that is weak and undisciplined). I keep saying, “My life would be so much easier if I just submitted to the prepackaged school.” I look to and admire my local hs friends (but in writing this I realize I have been coveting what they have instead of accepting what I have) and I am asking, “Why can’t I do that?” There has been so much anxiety. And I keep asking, “God, what and how do you want me to feed these children?” And my biggest fear has been that I am not doing what God wills for them. It is a job where one really must have faith and trust in who they are and in the path that fits them (how God has put me together); one must trust when one is “squeezing-through-the-eye-of-the-needle while traveling-the-road-less-traveled”. But one must be honest, too. I have to correct my despair and not fall prey to the temptation of sloth. I must SEE that this is good and accept what works for me – as teacher. And then I must find the joy in the job and DO IT!

In finding your post, I have been confirmed with the path we are on. It comes on a day when I watched our oldest pull Shakespeare off the shelf by her own desire. I can see that that concern about her not reading a play this year has been unnecessary – CM tied with Classical united with Unschooling = WORKING!

Your reflection was like looking in the mirror. It helped me to be content about the educational decisions that are being made during the busy real life we are living. And I can breathe because I know I am not alone; there is a woman who has been there and done that; a woman I can learn from. Thank you so much for sharing. I look forward to digging into your garden and reading more about your life and how you grow.

It may not be ideal but we are on the right track. I just have to keep chugging along (now the song Love Train by the O’Jays is chiming in my brain).

Have a wonderful day!

Janine

]]> By: Lynn http://www.amothersjournal.com/2007/05/15/me-the-homeschooler/comment-page-1/#comment-16834 Lynn Fri, 17 Jun 2011 11:45:11 +0000 http://www.amothersjournal.com/?p=88#comment-16834 Janine, thanks for your comment! Life is busy. Homeschooling is a job! I hope you'll comment again and share how all turns out! Janine, thanks for your comment! Life is busy. Homeschooling is a job! I hope you’ll comment again and share how all turns out!

]]> By: Janine http://www.amothersjournal.com/2007/05/15/me-the-homeschooler/comment-page-1/#comment-16826 Janine Fri, 17 Jun 2011 04:19:29 +0000 http://www.amothersjournal.com/?p=88#comment-16826 Well, I really don't know what to say...you seem to have said it for me. Trying to plan for next year, still trying to finish this year, I am in the process of research and that research has led me to this post. Thank you. I look forward to reading more. Sincerely yours, Janine Well, I really don’t know what to say…you seem to have said it for me. Trying to plan for next year, still trying to finish this year, I am in the process of research and that research has led me to this post. Thank you.

I look forward to reading more.

Sincerely yours,

Janine

]]>