On a blog that I read recently someone asked how long readers have been homeschooling. It will be 11 years in July for us! As I reflected on those 11 years, Bilbo's famous speech at the end of his birthday party came to mind, "I don't know half of you half as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve"
What does that mean? Well (laughing to myself!) It is hard to explain but for me that is how I would sum up my homeschooling thoughts! When I think Of homeschooling there has been a lot that I haven't liked! (I'm not talking about homeschoolers but homeschooling in general!) So if I feel that then why have I been doing it for 11 years? well, for me it is a bit of a revelation. Homeschooling is a bit like church life. It can be almost "institutional" ......if we let it! we can get caught up in the programmes, the curriculums, even the views of other homeschoolers! just like church!! and I guess that is the part that I like the least. Homeschooling, like my relationship with Christ has to be a personal thing. When I see it as a personal lifestyle choice then I feel different about it, I feel possitive and happy! Without the constraints of rules, programmes, opinons of others I am free to enjoy what has become the best family experience of our life! We are closer as a family than I believe we ever would have been without homeschoolng. My children are free to be who they are without fear or predudice. I have been able to enjoy my children's company and feed into their lives on a daily basis. We have had fun!
So don't ask me about what curriculum I like, what phylosophy of education I believe in, what homeschool groups I belong to because I will probably respond with an answer that sounds negative. If you ask me about my experience over the past eleven years with my children being at home each day, some of the activities that we have done as a family, the positive outcome of "graduated" children then I will talk your ears off!