To Homeschool or not to Homeschool….that is the question.
I understand how Hamlet went mad with indecision. Shakespeare was a wise critter. For weeks now I have been debating the pros and cons of Homeschool vs. a really great private school. Every time I get clear–Homeschool!–I get derailed by fears, by well-meaning “schoolies” offering asked and unasked for advice about how “weird” homeschoolers are, what my daughter will be missing out on by not being in school and how it will be very challenging to get her into a school once the Kindergarten bus departs. (For private school option in the Los Angeles area.)
I did not go to private school. I loved school, all of it, elementary, middle and high school and then college. I’d still be in a Ph.D program given just a couple more hours in my day.
I have talked with so many people, homeschooled adults, my best friend (for whom the idea of a ‘Homeschooling Conference’ in Sacramento makes her scream “Oh Hell NO!” at the top of her lungs,) a Homeschooling Consulting Expert (Thank you Tammy Takahashi), and a couple of shrinks. I realize I’m pretty type-A about this, and it surprises me. Most of my parenting to this point has been easy-peasy-lemon-pie. I pulled Sofia out of my body field-worker style at Cedars-Sinai Hospital and started nursing her and off I went. I did a bathtub baptism when she was a few months old and it was time for the formal blessing. Other than some mad babyproofing and screaming at Claudio to put a helmet on her head when she learned to ride a trike–for which he mocked me till he showed up at the park as the sole parent without a helmet for his precious daughter–I’ve had parenthood pretty easy. I admit, I have had judgmental thoughts about parents who had a harder time settling into the whole kid thing. But this decision–Homeschool or Fancy-Schmancy Private School–this has got me on my knees, crying at night, praying great, big breathy OHMS on the couch in my office.
It’s only Kindergarten.
My sweet husband got me this blog so I can take it to the world at large and stop driving him crazy. He’s letting me do whatever I want to with our girls’ education.
My heart, my Great Big Beautiful Heart wants to Homeschool. I’ll go into the reasons later…right now the salmon needs to be cooked and life needs tending.