Framing

We've made a big step on Strong B.A.C.K. Farms.... I've moved forward with our thoughts on homeschooling and we have officially made it official that I will be a home school mom and our munchkins will be homeschoolers.  Please spare your groans and judgements for a few and hear me out (or don't and simply wait for me to finish documenting my thoughts and check out the next post)....

Telling people you are homeschooling, is much like telling people you are moving across the state.. most people don't believe you, the majority question your sanity, and a select/miniscual/nonexistent percentage have an interesting comment such as: "Oh that's interesting... or Yikes it could be good or it could be  very bad.... or How the heck are you going to do that?"

This has been a conversation that began several years ago, when I started talking to Cam about not wanting to send the kids off for school; it began as a little flicker that kept being fueled by my own research, books/articles I read, people we encountered, and observation of our children.  I remember not knowing quite how Cam would react when I approached him about the subject, but after presenting him with my reasoning, he has been on board ever since.    It is definitely not a choice for everyone, and I can most definitely respect that, but it's one that is consuming my efforts; and igniting a new passion.

Night Time Adventures at Lake Chopaka

Here are some of the criticisms I think homeschooling faces and my own two sense... Like I said feel free to skip over, groan out loud, tell me I'm crazy but stay tuned for future adventures this will bring (and know these are but one person's thoughts). 

Being Weird (AKA Interesting): Generally one of the most common replies I get regarding homeschooling is something about kids turning out weird, not knowing how to interact, social awkwardness, etc.  One of the funniest quotes I've seen regarding home school recently stated "I've seen the village, and I don't want it raising my child." HA!  Does anyone else feel like life has just gotten a bit too much lately?  Like it's spiraling out of control and unable to stop, with television mocking the existence we now face.  Schools are no longer a tried and true safe place, bullying has become the product of national campaigns, teachers are expected to parent but have no power, and our children are falling behind-- then are chastised for not making the marks.  So... does attending school to face peers from broken life circumstances, to conform to a broken country make you more able to interact effectively??  There is of course something to say for exposure to all walks of life, but why not prepare your child's own character prior to expecting them to deal with situations that are beyond their years of understanding.  Why not give them tools and confidence in themselves before asking them to sort out the social network of their peers; keep them safe and grown them strong.  If nothing else... let them be a bit weird, for they will be far more interesting.
          
Time: Hours in the day is one of the biggest issues that has hindered my desire to send my kids to school.  Kindergarten has gone to a full time everyday schedule.  That means up at 7, home by 4.  Unless of course you want to play a sport, practice karate, or participate in Scouts.  Then your 5 year old suddenly has a 12 hour day on their hands and you have less than TWO hours to impact your child's life.  TWO hours to inject your family's love and moral structure.  For a child like Bear, sho still naps by the grace of God, every three days or so, I'm not sure he's physically ready to start punching that time clock, and honestly I want more of their time, more of their attention.
 

Bird House Projects with Dad

Learning to Learn and Wanting to Explore:  I've done some reading on how people learn, and have discovered things I never thought of.  The traditional classroom, is itself so opposite of a benefit to a growing mind.  Walls and the inability to move don't provoke thought quite like living, smelling, touching, and feeling your lesson.  There is of course teaching discipline, and growing the ability to focus.  But since I have began working with Bear on his reading, I've found it grows quite naturally, and without much complaint-- and generally I find he asks for a lesson before I am even ready for the next; he will gladly sit down and study something or work on a project.  Our classroom has changed with the seasons, from the shop, to on top of my bed, to the lake, the meadow, or the mountains.  I'll spare you the details of what I think my personal homeschooling approach will be, but I'm hoping it will create little ones who are able to learn anything well, to memorize, to reason and to enjoy the process... Hopefully they will learn how to use their minds instead of just finish a worksheet.  Did you know you can teach things like logic and character??  What a novel idea. 
  

Framing a Future and A Family Unit: What will this do for their future?  Will they go to college?  Will they fall off the bandwagon and need therapy for the hardships they've endured?  Will they find mates that think they are odd or otherworldly?  I'm really not sure, but I don't think heading down a predictable path prepares you any better for the uncertainties of life, the curve balls, or the hurdles you may or may not encounter.  What my hope is, is that we create a safe foundation, a strong base, and an unshakable family unit that can weather it all.  I hope our children learn to work hard, to problem solve, to enjoy each other, as well as enjoy the power of play and adventure.... because that is what they will see being home more than being away.  I hope they learn to be family members, to care for animals and their neighbors, to survive life in the country, to build, and to explore.  Should they one day read my stories, most of all I would like them to know that we made the choice to give them something different, to give the most of ourselves to invest in their lives.....to frame what we think will be a meaningful life