I've been asked several times why on Earth we would choose this lifestyle for our family. Some days, I'm the one doing the asking. I thought it might be helpful to recall how and why we intentionally went off the beaten path. It all started with a conversation.
About two years ago, my good friend invited the kids and I over for lunch. It was one of those great situations where the kids entertained themselves leaving my friend and I free to have a (mostly) uninterrupted conversation. Out of the blue, she asked me if I thought it would be crazy for her to homeschool her eldest daughter. I was surprised to hear this and asked her why she was considering that route. Her daughter was two grades ahead of Lexi and attending the elementary school we were zoned for. I was curious to hear why she might be dissatisfied. Safety was her primary issue at that time. She'd seen some things happening in her daughter's kindergarten classroom that made her uneasy. On more than one occasion, kids had been left unattended. Outside. Without the teacher knowing it, somehow. I listened and considered that, as well as the other points she was made. Then I told her that I really didn't think it was that crazy.
Even a year earlier, I probably would have told her she was nuts. I don't even think I would have sugarcoated it, she's that kind of friend. I couldn't understand why anyone would think homeschooling was a great idea. I mean, how would your kid learn all that stuff you weren't qualified to teach? How would your kid learn to behave like a normal human being? (I'd encountered some stick-out-like-a-sore-thumb awkward homeschoolers) And why would you want your poor child to be lonely and isolated? I'd learned a bit about virtual schooling during my time in the Education program at KU and I just didn't get why someone would choose that for their child. Maybe if your kid was an actor or something and you needed the flexibility. Or if they had some terrible illness that kept them out of school. Other than extreme circumstances, it seemed crazy. With the exception of discussing with my School of Ed colleagues that I thought virtual schooling was wacky, I didn't give it much more than a passing thought. Not my circus, not my monkeys.
Then I became a mom. I had my own monkeys to be concerned about, and I was running the circus.
Tim and I had actually discussed our kids' schooling at length before. We both attended private, Catholic schools from preschool through high school. We knew that our children wouldn't be following in our footsteps in that regard. For one, we didn't have the money. For another, we'd left the Catholic church and had no interest in returning. We'd talked about maybe sending the girls to a private high school since we felt those were the most crucial years. Or at least the years when public school seemed scariest, what with the pressure of peers potentially luring our little angels toward drugs, alcohol and other unwholesome activities. If our kids ran into a snag in school that couldn't be resolved, I could just pull them out and homeschool them for a bit then send them back. I was qualified. I had a Master's degree in Education after all. I'd never considered homeschooling as a viable long term option before though. The fact that a dear trusted friend of mine with a child attending my child's future school was considering homeschooling struck a nerve with me. It hit a little too close to home. If she was concerned, maybe I should be concerned.I realized I should, at the very least, be aware. Maybe it was time to learn more about my options.
I left my friend's house that day with my gears turning. Homeschooling. What was that all about?
I did what I always do when I need to know more about something. I bought a book, and I spent a ridiculous amount of time Googling. What I discovered is what ultimately led us to where we are today.
It's funny how one conversation can change everything.
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