Fairly Sure

After dinner the other day, Kayden and I were sitting together... digesting, I guess. Out of the blue, she looked up at me and said, "You know, mom, if you home school me, on Tuesday afternoons, after I get my regular work done, Mr. Aaron could teach me art. He could teach me different kind of painting." She paused for thought. "We could go there or he could come over here and teach me." Aaron is a friend of ours who is an amazing artist!

Wow, I am so glad she has it all figured out! Obviously, she knows what she wants to do. I wish I could be as resolute as a confident six year old.

The more I research home schooling, the more I realize that there are so many different ways to do it... and the more I realize that it is going to be a huge learning experience. (No pun intended). Ahhh, and do you see by my grammar, that I have pretty much decided to do it. After discovering that Chailyn could take band class at Riley, even if he wasn't enrolled in full-time school there, he was totally on the homeschool bandwagon. Apparently he was attached to the idea of playing drums in band class.

But I'm sure you can also tell by my grammar, that I am still hesitant. I am a routine person. I get comfortable in my life, get settled, and I have a hard time with transition. I realize that homeschooling will be a big transition, that I am going to have to get really organized, get more militant (ha ha), and start planning ahead. Having been a teacher and school administrator in a different lifetime, I think I can handle it. But what I really want to get through with my children's schooling experience are those life lessons that I feel are most important: a love of learning, making health and excercise a priority, knowledge of life skills, and of course... the academic curriculum.

Indeed, I have it in my head how I would like a homeschool day to go... In the morning we will wake fullly rested and happy. (You homeschoolers, don't laugh. This is my ideal vision.) The children will help make breakfast. My son makes amazing sunny-side-up eggs. Really, they're better than mine. ( Our next lesson is the omelette.) We will all clean up together, brush our teeth, and dress in sweats to prepare for a morning at the rec center. We will spend an hour or two rock wall climbing, playing basketball, swimming, or running the track... all things my children already love but have very little time for now. I want to make regular excercise a part of our routine life. (Apparently the kids' gym time at school is being cut 15 minutes due to budget cuts. When are they supposed to excercise? When they get home in the dark, after the hour of homework and before dinner?) I also want to show the kids that it's important for me, too. That message doesn't come across when I send them outside to scooter and bike while I stay in and work or relax. Of course, in the summer months that morning time might look more like hiking, biking, tennis and beach swimming!

After the rec center or morning outing, we will either go to the library for books or go to the grocery store. I want to give the children a small amount of money to purchase ingredients for a recipe that they have chosen to cook themselves for a family meal. They love to cook, but I also want them to learn about ingredients and cost of meals. If they stay within their budget, they will get to keep the change! After lunch we will do our lessons. I plan on using Time4Learning for my core curriculum. It is interactive online, and my children love to be logged on! As I study the curriculum, I realize that I am really going to have to brush up my fifth grade science and math skills... but I look forward to to the challenge. I also know that there are other home-school moms for whom science is fun (you know who you are), so I'm hoping to tap them as a resource!

I'm not sure how it will all fit together, but my hope is that our schedule will free up time for Chailyn (especially) to get involved in theatre, something he's wanted to do forever but we've never had the time. Kayden will be able to focus on her art, and they will both get to put some energy into music. If it's in our budget, Chailyn will go to the Detroit School of Rock and Pop for electric guitar. If not, then he'll have to stick with the Riley band class. I may teach Kayden piano myself, until she learns basic skills. Then if she shows further interest we'll look at piano teachers. They can both continue with dance... this is Chailyn's seventh year of dancing, Kayden's fourth. Continuing to be on the basketball team, trying out for soccer, continuing with scouting, group art class, and other extracurriculars are all on the table.

While this is my ideal concept of what homeschool will be for us, I know that could change at the drop of a hat. But that's what's great about it... flexibility... impermanence. We can drop everything and go on a field trip to the Detroit Science Center or Arab American Museum. We might decide that we are going to watch Planet Earth in the morning if we are particulary tired, or go to the Imax to see the 3-D Space Station movie. Or we might take a month in the winter and drive to Florida to see our Grammies! We can visit the science centers there and study marine life while we soak up some sun! Or we might be able to head to Grandpa's for blueberry picking or a presentation at his library! The possibilities are unlimited!

I have a unique opportunity, and feel very fortunate that I am in a financial situation to be able to try this. My children are only going to be children for a short time, and I really don't want to miss it! I also want to help my children develop their inquisitive minds, their self-esteem, and most of all to follow their passions.... something that I wish I would have done while I was too busy in school becoming "well-rounded."