The last thing many homeschoolers want their kids to say is “I want to go to Public School”. After all, you may have worked 3, 5, or 10 years solely on the job of homeschooling, and it can be a shock for your child to want to try something different. Such an announcement can seem like a cruel blow. Well, it could happen. Your child may really want to go to public school after homeschooling for just a few years, or for most of their lives. So, what is a homeschooler to do when a child announces that they want to go to school?
This morning I read an email from a person who seemed devastated that her child wanted to go to school. This caused me to wonder how I would feel. I did some soul searching, and I searched, and I searched, and I cannot say I would take it as personally as this person seemed to.
Next, I asked my husband what he would say if our kids said they wanted to go to school. He said he would have to do some soul searching, and then have them do some soul searching. If, at that point, they still wanted to go to school, he would search for the right school, and then move forward. His only caveat was that he would not put them in public school where we live. Been there… done that… won’t do it again. While, it would certainly surprise me if they did want to go back to school, I think I feel the same way my husband does.
My only reservation, is that I feel an elementary age child (which my kids are not) should not have too much of a say on homeschooling vs. public school. I think only a high school aged child (and older middle school age kids) are old enough and mature enough to make such a life impacting decision.
Stay tuned for my next post: Questions to ask your child who wants to go to school.
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