Homeschooling

Without going into a rant about the public school system, I would just like to say that I hope to homeschool Elodie when she is ready for her schooling to begin. The Pte. at first wanted nothing to do with it but the more I explained my reasonings, the more he came around to the idea. Getting him on-board is my first goal. Becoming confident with my abilities to be the main educator of my baby girl is a close second.

That being said, I brace myself for the doubt that will be put in my head by naysayers. The negative comments I am sure to receive. The concern people will send my way about my poor child's socialization without public school. But then I read blog posts like this: Socialization in Today's Public School and I'm thrilled that at least one other person understands that public school doesn't always offer ideal opportunities for children to create healthy social lives.

I am not a trained teacher. I am not proficient in all the subjects that I plan to offer my child - not by a long shot. Heck, I'm starting my curriculum research now because I'm not even confident that I will be able to teach her everything I hope she will want to learn.

So, what can I do, you ask? Well, I can provide her a relaxed and loving environment. I can offer her hands on learning and not just worksheets. I can tailor her curriculum to her needs and learning style. We can slow down if she's stuck on something or speed up if she grasps a subject completely. I can teach throughout the entire year so that we don't spend the first few schooling months re-learning the things we learned at the end of the previous school year. I can use the things she is interested in to help her learn. For example, if she goes through a frog phase I can use her interest to teach her about the life cycle, the difference between amphibians and reptiles, and even the responsibility of caring for a pet - to name a few. I can offer her a stable schooling environment even if the Canadian Forces deem it necessary to move us.

Every parent has to make a decision about what they think is best for their child. There is nothing wrong with me trying this and having it not go as planned. There is nothing wrong with me opting to put Elodie into public school after the first year, or her ninth year of homeschooling. But, there is also nothing wrong with us trying this and succeeding! I just hope that everyone in our life will allow us this opportunity to succeed without too much negativity.

-The Mrs.