Month: November 2018

You WILL catch flak about removing kids from the traditional school setting.  In some form- one way or another –  well meant, or not so well meant, you’ll hear some negative. So will your kids.

Kid version) Homeschool?!? Ewwww, yuck! That’s so weird! Why would you do that, I would die if I couldn’t go to school and see my friends!  Parent version) We would have to become raging alcoholics to deal with having our kids home all day every day!

Hahaha no, really though, people can react that strongly/negatively to your choice. This post inspired by a dear friend’s little girl who had this very thing happen the other day at ballet class. Seven year old girls gathered after class- the cat outta the bag…’what school do you go to?’

Oh, I do school at home😊

‘What?! Ewww gross, yuck. What a weirdo.’

This didn’t happen often at the Smiley Academy, kids even said things like, “oh that’s cool…I wish we could do school at home!” …but happen it did. I mention it briefly in the book- the very first time this judgmental negativity was leveled at me- the day I took my kids out of public school…someone thinking they were out of earshot said they thought doing school at home should be considered child abuse.

I was able to use these incidences to facilitate good, honest conversations with my boys about why bullies say things to hurt – how people say things out of ignorance – they simply don’t understand. Even the people closest to you- friends and family – can say downright hurtful, mean things thinking they are being helpful…’we’re worried about this hurting the children.’ ‘You’re not a teacher – you can’t do this.’

Personally, this gave me fuel…strengthened my resolve and will to persevere – I. Will. NOT. Let the naysayers win.  I believe I was able to pass that attitude on to my kids.

We won. 😊 now that it’s all said and done – I can definitely attest to that fact.

My dear friend’s little girl’s response to the ballet class bullies…”Uh, there’s nothing wrong with being homeschooled- you go to school, I do school at home it’s NOT a big deal”(said with confidence, if not a tad bit of well deserved condescension). Perfectly said and 100% correct.  Atta girl😊

 

 

 

One of the best things about doing school outside the traditional classroom setting is time. Or rather, not having to worry about time quite so much.

Recently returned from our first trip to Europe, we got the distinct pleasure(sarcasm) of going through two daylight savings times…one in Italy, then the next week at home in California. Still feeling a bit discombobulated- jet lag plus two time changes are hard on an old person haha 😉 Teachers know all to well it’s hard on kids too. That one little hour seems to be able to cause all kinds of difficulties.

We mostly did school here at the Smiley Academy during regular school hours, but the ability to change that was a beautiful thing! There were a multitude of reasons for needing to get a school day done at night, on the weekend- during a holiday…

Did leaving school to be done at a more convenient time wreck my kids for ‘real life’? Jobs, college etc. – NO. A thousand times, NO. In fact, I think it taught them to get things done no matter what- no matter when. Did you need Thursday off for (insert reason)? Then, get that school day done after dinner, or on Sunday afternoon.  The world continues to turn- learning still happens😊 any time.

*and when we have to ‘spring forward’ losing an hour…you get to sleep in😊