Monday, February 7, 2011

More Schooling thoughts...

We've chosen a pre-school. I should say it actually chose us. Or, really, my inability to manage life with two children has chosen a pre-school. I wrote a bit about schooling and choices previously. I have this really big issue with the fact that the schools (at least in this area) have turned Pre-School into daycare. While I do understand that I am extremely fortunate that I am able to stay home with my children, at the same time there is no reason why a four year old needs to be in school 5 days a week from 8:30am until 2pm. Smush will be in school for the rest of her life after this (unless I figure out a way to make homeschooling work for us.) It makes me want to cry. No matter how good the teacher is, no matter how much fun she'll have, no matter how much free-play they say they schedule into the day, it's still regimented school. Sigh.

As for homeschooling I really wish I could make it work, but I just don't think with Smush and Squiggly being so close in age. In addition, he is so into everything and needs to be watched pretty much the entire time he is awake. So far, this week alone I have prevented him from climbing into the 20 gallon fish tank we have in our kitchen, stopped him from climbing over the gate we have at the top of the steps to the basement, grabbed him as he worked his way out of the shopping cart seat (yes he was buckled in) and many more things like this. He is 19 months, he understands what we are telling him, but he is still into everything. EVERYTHING. As it is I know Smush gets frustrated that I can't finish books I am reading to her because I have to grab him or pull him into the den or just hold onto him, which then causes the book to get shoved to the side. When we are all playing together it's fun, but when Smush wants to do a project or read a long book, it ends up being relegated to his nap time and I don't think that's fair for her at this point. Future potential for homeschooling is still there, just not at this time.

So, this fall, Smush will join the legions of "back to schoolers" and will head there herself. The big question is why do I feel so guilty about it, and why is she so adamant that she doesn't want to go to school or to grow up? Peter Pan, where are you to answer all these questions?

1 comment:

River Glorious said...

Don't feel guilty... you have to make a decision that will benefit your daughter.

Me, I homeschooled using A Beka Academy, which was popping in a DVD and then being a proctor for my children.

With my daughter, who was then in 6th grade, it was me teaching her, and it's not easy, but once we had DVDs, the boys liked it.