I received some email questions this weekend from a student who is researching homeschooling. This student had some very good, and informed questions, and so I thought I would present some of his questions here, with my answers. The first questions involve my decision to homeschool.
1. When was the instance you chose to homeschool? I can’t say there was an ah-ha moment that prompted my to homeschool. The decision instead from a long and slow period of self education as well as life circumstances.
I first became aware of homeschooling when I recovering from the birth of my first child. My husband had a co-worker who was a homeschooler and came home from work one day very excited about the idea. He had met this person’s kids and was very impressed. I summarily shot down the idea. I was angry and indignant that he would say that I should go above and beyond what any normal person would do in raising their child. In my post-partum condition, he knew he had planted the seed, and let the conversation drop.
A few years later, I found myself living in New Orleans and was not pleased with even the private schools. I looked into homeschooling again, but was discouraged by the lack of support we found. After moving to Georgia, however, I met several homeschooling families who were more than happy to give me advice and guidance.
2. What occurred to cause that final decision? My child’s teacher said to me. Have (my daughter) diagnosed with ADHD and on Ritalin, or she can’t do second grade here. I smiled and said “OK”. She smiled and handed me a doctor’s phone number (the same doctor that had prescribed her son’s Ritalin). I handed her the note back, and walked out of the room.
3. What was the determination involved? I knew in my heart that the child in question was indeed hyperactive, but hardly attention deficit. I knew that as her parent I had to trust my gut instinct to protect her intelligence and self esteem, both of which would be damaged by the prescription. After this determination, it became clear to me that my older son was suffering in silence with a different set of issues. He asked to homeschool as well, and we agreed.
My husband did a very rude, I-told-you-so, happy dance.
Read: Why I homeschool: An Answer for Kaye
“Why I Homeschool My Son with Asperger’s Syndrome.” One Mother’s Story
Mother Knows Best: Why I Homeschool, Part One and Part Two