Hey y'all,
Here we are a week or so from the start of November! I cant even believe its almost that time of year. With November, comes the start of Holidays, vacations, family functions and breaks from school.
Which is good and bad in a sense. I absolutely love decorating for the holidays, spending time wih my family and friends and embracing that contagious holiday cheer that everyone seems to catch.
But as parents of school aged children it can be stressful times well as thought of... well whos going to watch little Tommy while I am at work? When typically he is safe within the walls of his public school. Or what on earth am I going to do for 2 weeks to entertain these kids?
But for us homeschool moms, we get the.... wait this is "our" park, "our" museum, "our" relaxing homeschool field trip spot. As suddenly the jungle gyms, museum lines and movie theatres are filled with squeeling children all hopped up on Thanksgiving and Christmas break.
You see the moms in over their heads with their own children and their childrens friends, gathered around her begging for more snacks, another juice box or just 10 more minutes at the play ground.
Which is something we homeschool moms know all too well being with children around the clock with no breaks.
Our calm filled days of just going with the flow are now chaotic and planned just right to avoid the madhouse that is school vacationers. Its like when you are planning a trip to Disney world and you try to avoid peak times so you dont wait in line for 2 hours to meet Elsa. You plan accordingly!
But with that chaos also comes the fun play dates at home with their public school friends, the sleepovers that arent limited to just Friday or Saturdays, baking cookies and watching them interact with what society sees as well "socialized/normal" children.
and you know what, mine fit in just perfectly!
I guess we as homeschoolers kind of learn to expect the judgement, the critism and the unsolicited opinions of others who just dont get it! But this is when the "two worlds" collide. When homeschoolers and publc schoolers meet while in the midst of the school year. Not summer break where everyone is equals, but the difference is right there in black and white.
Why is that? I wonder...
My girls do two cheerleading squads, tumbling classes, youth group, attend church, my oldest volunteers at the library. My girls get socialization! trust me I chauffer and coach them. I know how much socialization they get. You put 30 girls in a room and they wont stop talking lol.
My girls also both tested above grade level in every subject this past spring. So, even though they arent learning in the confines of the 4 walls of public school, they are being educated. Educated well in fact.
My kids have gone on field trips to Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestown, George Washingtons childhood home, Seen behind the scenes on how a bowling alley operates its ball return system. They have gone geo caching, tide pooling, watched submarines return from deployment, visited NASA, gone to the zoo, gone to the science museum. Learned about operaing a farm at a local farm, they have milked cows and gone out getting eggs from chicken coops.
They are experiencing more real world, life lessons than most children their gare whoare confined to the walls of any school building
They are doing Algebra, geometry and Anatomy this year. They have disected a flower, planted seeds, built solar systems, made erupting volcanos and more!
My children are just children who choose to school a little differently than some! Not better, not worse just different than societies idea of normal.
So, as the holidays and vactation days approach and our worlds collide please remember, let your kids be kids. Teach kindness, teach inclusion and have fun! It takes a village even if we come from different sides of the road.