The Joy of Homeschooling

We are in such a groove now with homeschooling that it hardly takes any effort.  Lily and Skyler typically start the work that they don't need my help with (handwriting and grammar) before I even finish my breakfast .  Then I tutor them one-on-one with their individual math lessons.  Then they practice their spelling words and do their assigned reading.  But that's only their MWF schedule.  On Tuesdays we attend our Classical Conversations classes and on Thursdays we study science, art, music, and social studies.

It sounds like a lot, but when you live it, it is so so simple and I am spending about as much time with the kids in their schooling as I was helping them with their homework because I would have to reteach them everything before anyway.  They are mostly done with their work by lunch time because they have learned that the sooner they start their work the sooner they end it, and that means lots of time to play.  I took these pictures today when they had finished all their schoolwork by 10:30 AM.

I am by no means criticizing those who choose to send their kids to public school.  Every family's needs are different.  But I'm now seeing first hand how much my kids were actually being held back by public school.  Lily's reading skills are so incredible now and she can easily read the scriptures, even if she doesn't always understand what they're saying.  Skyler is grasping math so quickly that I'm sure by next year he is going to be needing classes more advanced than even Lily (he's only 8 weeks behind her in math right now anyway).  They both have so much joy in knowing that they are expanding their strengths because they are free to move at their own pace.  

I don't wish that I would have started homeschooling sooner because I learned a lot from the kids' teachers when they were in school.  And I'm also thankful that it gave Lily and Skyler a comparison.  They told me this week that they don't miss school at all, especially not having to ride the bus and dealing with sometimes cranky teachers and bullies.

But I think my two favorite things about homeschooling have nothing to do with schooling itself.  First, the kids are free to be kids.  And second, we have so much more family time.  It warms my heart when I see the kids coming up with their own games upstairs, or building lego creations together, or learning new skills.  Lily's started learning how to cross-stitch and Skyler has obviously just mastered bike-riding.  

I thought that homeschooling would be a little taxing on me because I would never get to see the day when I have the house to myself.  But I actually feel like I have so much more freedom now because I don't have to volunteer every week and I'm not constantly being pestered to contribute to a different fundraiser every week.  I don't have to look through daily folders and I don't have to sign up to buy different items for the classroom that the government won't cover.  I never thought I'd say it, but homeschooling has been one huge sigh of relief.