From a Home Education Parent to a Mainstream Parent

Hi there! Do you remember me?

we met the other day at Kinder-Gym and you asked me the question dreaded by most home schooling parents you asked "So what Kindergarten does Edison attend?" I quietly replied that he attends home kindy. and you got a look in your eye of incredulous disbelief. Have you never met a homeschooling family before? So immediately and predictably you ask me "WHY!!" as though I've just made some horrible judgement about you for your decision to send your children to school and kindy and daycare. I quietly tell you "it started off because he missed this year because of his birthday. He wouldn't be able to start until next year and we've found he's doing really well, just as good if not ahead of other kids his own age with what we're doing with him at home so.. if it ain't broke.. don't fix it I don't need to pay $475 for them to do less than what I do at home I don't think schools are bad or anything it's just my personal preference"

credit to https://us.beamly.com/exclusives/2014/08/18/crazy-eyes-emmy-right-world/

The next  sentence out of your mouth was equally as predictable "how will they be SOCIALIZED how will they learn to get on with other people and work and make friends I'd be so BORED at home with them all day!!!! This was where I started to sense you were trying rather desperately to some how make me change my mind and say "your right I should send him to kindergarten" like some how your self worth was pinned on how you could convince me this was a great idea.

Instead I motion to were both of our children are playing, Edison is busy negotiating a disagreement between YOUR child and another unrelated child. making sure they take turns and make up so they can all go on playing happily and say "being home schooled doesn't mean you stay home and don't see anybody, Kinder-Gym is just one of the many things I include in his curriculum as you can see he's got friends and he just broke up a fight, he's doing fine socially, also I was home schooled and I am not Anti-social we do lots of things outside of the home and we see and interact with people of all ages. If anything we're over socialized." I smile warmly trying to communicate that we're different but that doesn't mean anyone here is any less.

"Is he going to go to Kindergarten later on or Primary School?!" I reply "if he wants to or if I have to work then he will go to school so he is safe while I work, we're open to it but it isn't our ideal situation."
You got quite angry with this "IF he wants to!? WHAT kid WANTS to!! you have to MAKE THEM GO!! HOW THE HECK WOULD HE KNOW IF HE'S NEVER BEEN!!" trying hard to be diplomatic I respond "we've been to three come and try days at the different local Kindergartens and one school, he did not like any of them and couldn't wait to get home. he has no interest in going and Kindergarten is not a legal requirement."

                           

You are storming inside and I can hardly fathom why my choices are so offensive to you. Perhaps you're not entirely comfortable with the choice you made to use a kindergarten and daycare. Perhaps you think that I think I'm some kind of super parent because I never take a break from my kids.

oh Mainstream parent I am sad. My decisions regarding my children have never had anything to do with you. It had to do with careful research and a desire to educate my own children. I have never and will never judge a parent based upon attendance of a certain education system or if you breastfeed or use a bottle or co-sleep or use a crib. Because I know you're trying. All we can do is the best we can.

That said I do not need you to educate me on why I should or shouldn't send my children to school or tell me how much work that is- I'm the one doing the work -right now. It requires effort that is for certain but it's a price I'm happy to pay. I don't need your judgement and neither do my children. We need you acceptance and we'd like your friendship; Please Mainstream parent the next time you meet a home-school family just out enjoying the day please remember our conversation and how nice and normal my children were. Please just accept them and when you hear them quietly tell you "they are home-schooled" say "oh yep, I know someone else who does that" Because you've met us and we come every week and our children are in no way behind the mainstream children. Please realize that we are not trying to "convert" you or think we're better than you. We are just trying to raise our family the way we see fit.

Love "that home school parent"   

Kindergarten At Home.

I've been meaning to write about our "Home Kindy" adventures for a while but there is this funny little coincidence that DOING Home Education doesn't leave much time for blogging about Home Education. Also because I like to word things concerning children really carefully because lets face it Education is one of those hotly debated topics and one person mentions home education methods and all the parents who like sending their kids to school feel self conscious. I don't want that. I do not care what method of education your child has provided it works for them and they are happy and progressing well. So to be clear "THIS IS WHAT IS WORKING FOR US RIGHT NOW" 


We are currently using the unschooling methods with the Montessori learning approach. That is we use Delight Based Learning and we talk about and then ask questions in the Montessori Order "this is a butterfly, Show me the butterfly, What is this? *holds up the butterfly* .

For example Edison is interested in trains (one of many interests) we provide toy trains and train story books, we count wheels on the toy trains and those train pictures and talk about colors and he learns to read the words in the books. Three lessons in one: English, Art and Maths. See? in order for him NOT to learn these things I would have to keep them from basically everything life involves.   

Many people are new to Unschooling and so they think it is somehow "unparenting" or somehow uncaring or parents simply ignoring their children. This could not be further from the truth. In fact Unschooling is a very hands on approach and I dare say it isn't for everyone because everyone has different needs.

Monday through to Friday I dedicate my days to the boys learning. When we wake up in the morning we get ready for our day by dressing, having breakfast and then spending some time "just being" it is so important that we have time to "be" it as important as "belonging" and "becoming" *early years learning frame work* 
After we spend some time doing what we like I take the boys for a walk. This is our PE and involves bike or pony riding and when we get home they pick the activity and I go with it and use it to teach them most often water play or ball play- I find that children cannot bounce off the walls if there are none.
The PE ends and the boys are ready for some quieter activities, we sing some songs and our ABC's then we recite some Nursery Rhymes that the children pick. We act them out and we dance and jump and play Simon Says.

Art is by far Edison's main passion right now. I have bought some cheaper bundles of paper and he has access to pens, pencils and paints and chalk and oil crayons and sponges and brushes and he draws and paints to his hearts content. We have many many folders containing his works though the really impressive pieces go in a special folder.

Kicky loves ball play and bike riding so we do a lot of that too. He just rides around on the little balance bike and sometimes chases the dog. He's learning control and balance and how to judge whether or not his bike will fit through spaces and also burning a ton of energy. This is a good thing.

Another subject they both love is Home Economics. I know that some people are thinking "but they're only 2 and 3 years old!" but it's true, they are learning both to cook and sew. I haven't forced this on them they simply showed and interest and I gave them the opportunity to have a go and they loved it so it's become an almost everyday thing. Edison is especially good at it since he's 21 months older than his brother and he enjoys making simple meals like microwave scrambled eggs with soy cheese and pancakes and cupcake decorating. They both help to cut up vegetables and enjoy putting on aprons and serving each other fruit and drinks of water.

They learn the sewing machine by sitting on my lap and sewing different stitches onto scraps of fabric and we even made some outfits for their toys with (a lot of) help from me.

"BUT WON'T THEY BE UNSOCIALIZED!" I hear some exclaim.. well.. Unschooling doesn't mean we stay home and don't see anybody. We are also attending Play group, Healthy families, Rhyme Time at the Library, Childrens Church and Kinder Gym and the boys are having a wonderful time at all of these places and socialize well. Not to mention they interact with people of all different ages and ethnicity every day as they explore their world. They are I dare say MORE socialized than some mainstream children.

As I said before this is what is working for us, later on if it stops working, I have to work at the same time of day as MC or if the kids WANT to go to school then we will use a school and supplement that education with our own input. But for now we are happy and our children are thriving.