about me

Practically imperfect in every way. Start with a lot of silliness. Mix in some insecurities and a handful of awkwardness. Add a pound of naivety, innocence, and child-like wonderings. Blend well. Half-bake and top off with a sprinkle of imagination and dollop of dreams. It’s the recipe for me!

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quote of the day

  • "Moral of the story: Do not look at the gap. The gap is the mind-killer. Remember how Wile E. Coyote never fell down until he saw the chasm? It’s just like that." --Taylor "Tei" Lindstrom, Rogue Ink

dumbass quote

  • "I think we have come to find out that the Education system, run by Liberal Hippies that really couldn't find any other job that allowed them so much time off, the ability to do drugs, and to spout their rhetoric is alive and well. It is teaching out kids things like 'Abortion is Good,' 'Government is Bad.' We have educators that, for the most part, don't teach to the subject, they teach to their beliefs. It is really sad, and even sadder when you see highly intelligent children buying into it." --Kelli

kids say...

  • Jacob: "I need to operate on my frog, but first he needs some amnesia."

copyright

Copyright © 2004-2006 Kerrie Lee. All rights reserved.

The Answer

December 5, 2006

Yesterday was my first day back to Tae Kwon Do since I made the decision to homeschool the boys. Not surprisingly, a few of the moms were interested to know why I decided to homeschool. It wasn’t the first time I was unable to give them The Answer because there is no simple answer. Rather, it’s a decision that I’ve come to over the last several years.

When I moved the boys to a charter school for second grade, I believed it had solved all the problems I had with the public school. And for the most part, it did. Their peer groups included kids from a range of ages, rather than one age per grade. The student to teacher ratio was capped at 20:1, with the average being 18:1. Teachers taught in pairs, and the material taught per level was consistent across that level. Aside from weekly spelling words, multiplication facts, and the occassional project, there was no homework. The school had a group of professionals called a Teacher Support Team which worked individually with kids who needed extra attention in certain areas. The school philosophy was that each child is an individual, and thus, should not be labelled for any reason. And most importantly, the school felt that teaching children was a partnership between the teaching professionals and the parents. Parents were welcomed in the classroom anytime of any day, with or without notice. The teachers built relationships with the parents and made them feel like they were part of the school. And being a parent in the school was a great experience.

So why homeschool?

1) Socialization. I want more control over which kids are influencing my kids. The accepting nature of the charter school attracted a lot of parents of kids with behavior problems. My boys will still have many opportunities to interact with people, but I will have more control.

2) Quality Time. By the time we leave school, attend afterschool activities, and get home, it’s near 7:00 p.m. I’m exhausted and they want some free time. We don’t have time for dinner, a bath, and “please read to your children every night.” Usually, it only leaves time for dinner and “go watch t.v. until bedtime.” I don’t know what I would do if they had daily homework or if I worked full time outside of the home.

3) Efficiency. The boys can learn more in less time at home. They were unable to learn their 2’s after three weeks in school. We learned them at home in 30 minutes.

4) Curriculum. I want more control over what they’re learning. Only the three R’s are essential. Everything else is optional. I want them to participate in their education.

5) Flexibility. I don’t believe that children must learn on a schedule. Learning can happen at any time of any day during any season. If we want to spend more time on a subject just for the fun of it, we can.

6) Fun. I want learning to be fun for them. Brendan’s first two years of school were not enjoyable for either of us. His learning spark isn’t as bright as it used to be. When he’s learning with me, he doesn’t feel the anxiety he felt in school. Now, he has fun.

There are other things that made the decision easy, such as the state we live in and the fact that I don’t work outside the home, but these are the main reasons.

CATEGORY: Homeschool, Twin Tigers

12 Responses to “The Answer”

  1. Lara Says:
    December 5th, 2006 at 2:17 pm

    Your answer sounds perfect to me. I wish you all the best on your homeschool journey.

  2. Oz Says:
    December 5th, 2006 at 5:28 pm

    Reading your post made me hopeful that I might feel that way one day down the road. If I was willing to home school my children, our lives would be much simplified. As it stands now, the public schools are so bad that we’d have to move or shell out BIG MONEY for private school (this you already know). I believe that home schooling can be great for kids, but right now, I just feel like I need my space from them, and one of the mantras I chant to myself to get through the hard times is, “One day, they’ll be in school,” and that means, “they’ll be out of the house away from ME!”

  3. Whimsy Chick Says:
    December 9th, 2006 at 9:12 am

    Lara, thanks for the encouragement!

    Oz, I went through emotional lows when the boys were still very young and very dependent upon me. Since they’ve grown some and learned to do a lot of things for themselves, I can’t remember what the big deal was. Through, I still can’t take a shower without someone banging on the door.

  4. Janet Says:
    December 9th, 2006 at 2:30 pm

    As a teacher, and as you know, I am on the fence about homeschooling. Obviously if everyone do it I’d be out of a job! But seriously though, sometimes I think of homeschooling and I think of those famous kid stars who were tutored on the sets of their tv shows. They always went to top notch universities because they were so smart. But were they really or would everyone flourish like that in a fishbowl of a school? This isnt so much an argument against homeschooling as it is a question.

    And then there is the socialization factor. I know of some homeschooled children whose parents leave out that very important factor. It’s a necessary balance. If you work hard at it though, it can work for you, I think.

  5. Whimsy Chick Says:
    December 10th, 2006 at 4:27 pm

    Janet, I agree that socialization is important, and I suppose only time will tell if we’re doing it well. We’ve always been fortunate that the boys are naturally very friendly and outgoing, so I think it won’t be too difficult for us.

    In the case of children who learn their social skills in an artificial setting such as the public school system versus children who are homeschooled and learn no social skills at all, I starting to feel that the former is only the lesser of two evils. Thus far, the homeschooled kids I’ve met who were lacking in social skills were the kids of parents who, shall we say, were lacking in more than just social skills themselves. :)

  6. Lara Says:
    December 10th, 2006 at 7:46 pm

    I tend to giggle a little when teachers bring up the socialization issue because I remember that I always seem to get in trouble when I socialized in class. Maybe public schools have changed since I graduated…

    In any case, there are so many opportunities for positive socialization for homeschoolers. There are homeschool co-ops, sports, church activites, scouting, science classes, etc. There have been times where we ended up being over-commited and having to pull back on the social stuff to focus on the school stuff.

    That is not to say I haven’t known a homeschooler here or there that never left the house. They really are the exception, though, not the rule.

    Also, Whimsy Chick, I was thinking you should submit this to the next Carnival of Homeschooling. If you aren’t familiar with the Carnival, you can get more details at whyhomeschool.blogspot.com.

  7. Whimsy Chick Says:
    December 11th, 2006 at 8:14 am

    Lara, my boys always got very high marks in socializing. It was their favorite subject. Hehe.

    As you suggested, I checked out the Carnival of Homeschooling, and I think I will submit this entry. Thanks!

  8. Lilie Says:
    December 11th, 2006 at 2:53 pm

    I use to be a teacher and wanted to homeschool. I just really don’t have the patience to teach my own kids. Does that make me bad? My girls LOVE school. In fact the oldest woke me up at 6AM to go to school (I usually get up at 6:30AM).

  9. Andrea Says:
    December 13th, 2006 at 2:47 am

    That’s a mouthful… though true.

    You might want to print and pass out flyers.. that question will be raised alot.

  10. Whimsy Chick Says:
    December 13th, 2006 at 9:37 am

    Lillie, I don’t think that makes you bad, and it’s great your girls love school. School isn’t one-size-fits-all. We should all choose what works best for us, right?

    Andrea, I’ve never given all those reasons in casual conversation because, like you said, it’s a mouthful. What I forgot to include in my post was the answer I usually give has nothing to do with the real answer. I usually tell people that the boys are falling behind academically, and I want to catch them up. In reality, I’m not concerned about where they’re supposed to be because I don’t believe in strict timelines for acedemics.

  11. Fatcatpaulanne Says:
    December 13th, 2006 at 10:19 pm

    I might have to print this out!

  12. Whimsy Chick Says:
    December 14th, 2006 at 9:45 am

    Fatcatpaulanne, I might have to print it out too, just to help work through those bumpy days!

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about this blog

It’s the spark of an idea that hits me unexpectedly. It’s the silly wonderings I have after a whirlwind of thoughts. It’s about creativity, inspiration, and imagination. But sometimes, it’s just about eating noodles.

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