One of the advantages of homeschooling that a lot of people don't recognize is the ability to control our schedule. We start our school year on July 1 and thus have a lot of freedom to work in our required 180 school days by June 30.
Today the wind is just howling, leaves are flying all over the place ("It's raining leaves!" someone says), and the kids are making kites. Oh, this morning we did our catechism, and went over some math and grammar in preparation for the standardized tests the kids are taking tomorrow. Yes, I confess - I'm teaching to the test! We will read history over lunch, just before we head out for Occupational Therapy for the boy, and a long walk in the park for the girl and dog (and me). When we come home we'll read some historical fiction about the Russian Revolution.
But right now, my kids are making kites, running around with them, fixing them, improving them... getting fresh air and exercise, and being best friends again.
Sometimes people express concern for my kids because they aren't with their age-peers all day. But most kids the age of mine aren't into making and flying kites. The boys talk about cell phones and tv shows and gamecube. The 4th grade girls talk about clothes and pop stars and compare Hannah Montana gear. Oh, there are exceptions, but most of the "schooled" kids we meet are way too sophisticated to run around the yard with a homemade kite.
Maybe my kids will take their kites, and some kite-making materials, to the next homeschool park day in case it's windy again. Then all the kids could have a blast together. But today, the two of them are happy to spend this time together, and I'm happy that they have the freedom to do this.
3 comments:
Thanks for the beautiful reminder of just one of the many joys of being at home.
I totally agree. What makes homeschooling so beautiful is knowing that our kids have the freedom to be themselves and are not always confronted with peer pressure to conform and "act their age"(whatever that means?!?)
Very cool.
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