Why we homeschool

When I was little I loved school.  LOVED it.  I liked getting my new backpack every year and walking into classrooms that smelled like peanut butter and jelly mixed with pink erasers and Elmer's glue.  My anticipation was palatable, and my association of scents with memories has caused me to have a life long love affair with office supply stores.  I couldn't wait to send my own children to school, where they would be introduced to the wonders of Halloween parades and library day.  Where they would make macaroni necklaces and clay pots for me to treasure forever...

Wait ! Doesn't this blog have homeschooling somewhere in the title? Am I a little confused? Well I am always a little confused, but that is a whole different point entirely.  I have five children, four of them school age, and none of them are in a traditional school.  How did this happen?

It didn't happen right away, that's for sure.  When Songbird was little she was sick frequently, which we later learned was due to high anxiety.  She missed so much school it seemed that there was no other option other than to homeschool.  She was with me more often than she was there anyway.  I figured it was okay, that she would be homeschooled in elementary school, but I would never ever homeschool in middle school and high school.  Those years were to critical in allowing her to develop her own identity, experience relationships on new and different levels, and try out new ideas on her own.  Fast forward seven years, and we are homeschooling Songbird as a high school freshman, and she attended only one year of traditional school in the middle school years. 

Sunshine was in a traditional school until the middle of last school year.  After dealing simultaneously with an undiagnosed learning disorder and relentless bullying we decided to remove her from the environment and educate her ourselves.

Starlet missed the age cut off for starting school this year by 12 days.  She is ready and easily completing first grade level work - even tackling fourth grade work over her sister's shoulder.  So we are doing what we can to foster and nurture her growth, and she will be able to start school at a higher grade level next year.

Snickers should be in preschool, but with everyone else at home....

It's not for everyone. There are days that I wonder if it is truly for us.  But it is what we are doing and what works best for our family. 

Okay, but what's this dark side about?

Our family is a little non conventional, which is immediately apparent when we interact with other homeschooling families and groups.  I feel choosing battles and allowing freedoms is imperative in child rearing.  So Songbird has had different colored hair, spent a year dressed in black or skulls, and has been given permission to get her cartilage pierced when we can take her the 45 minute drive to get it done.  I allow them to wear tank tops and clothes that they are confident in.

In a house full of people, and a budget so tight the shoe strings might snap, privileges are awarded by allowing them to choose what books and music (within reason) they get to read, and how they spend their free time.  So we have some video game geeks in our house, along with Terry Pratchett fans.

We are Christians, but are definitely liberal, and as the middle ground moderate gap closes, we find ourselves leaning more and more towards the left. Songbird feels that she may prefer birds of the same type of feather, and we are supportive of her.

We allow choice, and educate our children that we shouldn't make laws that take away other's choices.  

If the sorting hat were put on our heads, most days we would be Slytherin, and proud of it. (Though I apparently according to my family would be Hufflepuff). 

We decided that October should be celebrate the collected works of Tim Burton month.

Lastly, I am not the organized mom who comes up with her own curriculum for each grade level, files it neatly, and has neat respectful kids on a reasonable schedule.  I would like to be, I think.  But my children, who like to be free range Orcs, are not likely to comply, especially considering I put up a daily schedule on the fridge, illustrated and Pinterest worthy cute, three separate times in the past seven months and it was largely blatantly ignored. 

I must post this now, I have another schedule to go make.