halls of knowledge

Our school supplies arrived last week and I finally have them all organized and ready to crack open. We start back up with our virtual charter school in just two more weeks and although I will be sad to say goodbye to summer, I am slightly ready to get back into a regular routine.

I can't even count the number of conversations I have had with people about home schooling.

The comments are usually along the lines of, "I could never home school, I don't have enough patience." Or maybe something a little more flattering like, "You are a better woman than I am, I can't wait for my kids to go to school in the morning."

Believe me, there is very little about home schooling that is easy for me. Ask those in my inner circle about my natural patience level or my desire for time to myself.

I'm as impatient and selfish as anyone else.

I've told the story many times about how we decided to try home schooling.

From before the time we had our first son, we always seemed to be surrounded by families that home schooled. I balked at it, saying all the things that people say to me now.

Only I didn't know the full measure of love that I would have for my
own children.

These families had children who were a joy to be around. They enjoyed their families, were good friends to other kids and related well to both adults and younger children.

In short, we considered them to be a blessing to those around them and we both said we would like our future children to be like them.

Still, and I will quote myself here, I said to those very friends, "God would have to do a huge work in me to ever get me to home school."

Be careful what you say about God.

Fast forward to two sons, one of which is at preschool age. We had worked very hard to train our boys to have good manners, be respectful, and act appropriately in public.

Although far from perfect, I felt that we were starting to see the fruit of
our labor.

Then my eldest son, at a mere four years old started to be characterized by finding the "naughty kid" in every crowd and idolizing him. He put that misbehaving boy on a mental pedestal and followed him off any cliff of mischief that he was led to.

It was a frustrating time and we really felt like it was an area he needed guidance and time to mature in. We discussed the possibility of home schooling and decided that it would be easier to try it first and then put him in school later rather than the other way around.

So, I guess I would say that character training was our main motive.

Little did I know there was so much more waiting for us.

Check back for part two of this story.

And may I make a disclaimer here? I am not AT ALL saying that only home school kids are well behaved and a joy to be around. There are plenty of public school children that we enjoy friendships with. I am recounting our experience with our children, not claiming a general rule of thumb.