As a teenager, I had my first look at homeschooling when I went with a friend of mine to her home where her young sister was homeschooling. I remember seeing her sister doing schoolwork at the dining room table while the mother looked on from where she was doing tasks in the kitchen.
Seeing that it was during a time when most children her age were in school, I asked, "What is she doing at home? Is she sick?" And they answered, "No, she does her schoolwork at home - she is homeschooled." At the time, I did not realize that such a thing was possible unless there was something mentally or physically wrong with a child. I remember being curious about what might be wrong with the child and I secretly asked myself questions: Does she not get along with the other children? Did she fail at school and now needs her mother to catch her up? Are her parents trying to protect her from something? Is she mentally disabled? Is she in a wheelchair? Does she have some sort of disease?
During the short time that I was in my friend's home that day, I could not find anything wrong about the child. However, what I did see was a relaxed young person who was mature, articulate and an active participant in the conversations that were taking place.
When my friend noticed that her sister was getting distracted, she said that it was time for us to go, we said our good-bye's and left promptly.
I remember continuing to be curious about homeschooling because it seemed weird or foreign to me so I would ask my friend random questions like, "Why does she do her schoolwork at home?" and,"Why can't she be with other kids?"
My friend answered simply that her sister didn't want to go to school, that she didn't really like the kids that she had gone to school with and that she got more work done at home than in school. Also, her mom was a stay-home-mother so it wasn't a problem for the family to do this. My friend told me that she, herself, was also homeschooled up to high school level. I found this interesting because of how my friend was - she was more mature than any of us at this age, she didn't have the emotional ups-and-downs, she was relaxed, she didn't seem to be influenced much about what others were saying or might be thinking in regards to her or her decisions, she was committed, and all-in-all a really nice, easy-going and down-to-earth person.
So this was my first impression of homeschooling. At the time, the general belief that I had connected to this way of educating was that homeschooling was one of those rare things that others do - that it was a radical and sort of 'on the fringe of society' thing. Also, I grew up in a period of time and within a family where being a stay-at-home mom was looked down on - where I saw that being a housewife was a horrible life choice and that it was wrong to not be out in the world and contributing to society by working.
I admit, I did not see the point of homeschooling. I saw the school system as respectable, experts, and absolutely necessary for almost every child. So, I had this belief that all children that are able should be in school and that all parents should be using that time as an opportunity to work and contribute.
When my first child entered first grade of the public school system, my perspective changed where I began to question what was going on at school and why my child wasn't learning anything new because she wasn't bringing home any work that I saw as challenging or further developing any skills that we had already opened up at home.
In the next blog, I will be expanding on that experience of not being satisfied with my child's education and sharing what changed my perspective on the school system and why, despite my awareness that public school may not be best for my child, I chose to continue to allow them to fulfill the educator role for her. I will also be sharing how this history assisted me with making the decision to take responsibility for my second child's education with homeschooling.
Seeing that it was during a time when most children her age were in school, I asked, "What is she doing at home? Is she sick?" And they answered, "No, she does her schoolwork at home - she is homeschooled." At the time, I did not realize that such a thing was possible unless there was something mentally or physically wrong with a child. I remember being curious about what might be wrong with the child and I secretly asked myself questions: Does she not get along with the other children? Did she fail at school and now needs her mother to catch her up? Are her parents trying to protect her from something? Is she mentally disabled? Is she in a wheelchair? Does she have some sort of disease?
During the short time that I was in my friend's home that day, I could not find anything wrong about the child. However, what I did see was a relaxed young person who was mature, articulate and an active participant in the conversations that were taking place.
When my friend noticed that her sister was getting distracted, she said that it was time for us to go, we said our good-bye's and left promptly.
I remember continuing to be curious about homeschooling because it seemed weird or foreign to me so I would ask my friend random questions like, "Why does she do her schoolwork at home?" and,"Why can't she be with other kids?"
My friend answered simply that her sister didn't want to go to school, that she didn't really like the kids that she had gone to school with and that she got more work done at home than in school. Also, her mom was a stay-home-mother so it wasn't a problem for the family to do this. My friend told me that she, herself, was also homeschooled up to high school level. I found this interesting because of how my friend was - she was more mature than any of us at this age, she didn't have the emotional ups-and-downs, she was relaxed, she didn't seem to be influenced much about what others were saying or might be thinking in regards to her or her decisions, she was committed, and all-in-all a really nice, easy-going and down-to-earth person.
So this was my first impression of homeschooling. At the time, the general belief that I had connected to this way of educating was that homeschooling was one of those rare things that others do - that it was a radical and sort of 'on the fringe of society' thing. Also, I grew up in a period of time and within a family where being a stay-at-home mom was looked down on - where I saw that being a housewife was a horrible life choice and that it was wrong to not be out in the world and contributing to society by working.
I admit, I did not see the point of homeschooling. I saw the school system as respectable, experts, and absolutely necessary for almost every child. So, I had this belief that all children that are able should be in school and that all parents should be using that time as an opportunity to work and contribute.
When my first child entered first grade of the public school system, my perspective changed where I began to question what was going on at school and why my child wasn't learning anything new because she wasn't bringing home any work that I saw as challenging or further developing any skills that we had already opened up at home.
In the next blog, I will be expanding on that experience of not being satisfied with my child's education and sharing what changed my perspective on the school system and why, despite my awareness that public school may not be best for my child, I chose to continue to allow them to fulfill the educator role for her. I will also be sharing how this history assisted me with making the decision to take responsibility for my second child's education with homeschooling.
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| My second child, Hunter, whose school is home, the world, and the things that interest him or are important to him. In the background, you can see where does his structured curriculum like Reading and Math - on a TV table and sitting on a comfy couch with a blanket, his favorite toy Mario, and his Nintendo 3DS. |
Very cool Carrie. Unfortunately homeschooling is ilegal here in Sweden, but then parents can create private co-op schools.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the feedback Anna. There are some parents and homeschoolers here who co-op. So, the parents will 'trade-off' teaching the children certain subjects.
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