the perks of being a homeschooler

I hear all the time from others how they could never homeschool. How they don't have the patience, how they need the break, how they are not "smart" enough, "educated" enough, to homeschool. How their children won't listen to them, how its too much of a hassle. Sometimes, just the plain truth... how they don't want to. For us, it works at times and at others, it hasn't. It worked well when Peanut and Punk were little.... up until Punk decided that he wanted to mainstream school (something that we always said that we would listen to our children on, as we do on most everything else). Around that time, I realized that I was in over my head with Peanut (mainly because I never learned how to properly deal with her and her issues). Right now, with SweetPea and PorkChop, homeschooling is what works.

But why? Why does it work? Do I ever feel harried? Do we ever have bad days? How do I deal with them?

manual labor

Homeschooling works right now because its all that they know. When the time comes for us to review our options, we will, once again, take their wants and desires into consideration. I would love to continue homeschooling throughout high school but I also want them to take charge of their own education. If I include them, they will want it. They will work for it. It won't be something that they "have" to do, it will be a choice that they made.

I oftentimes have to remind myself NOT to add stress to all of us worrying about what I think that she should know versus what she does know. Its hard learning to trust yourself as a parent. Its just as difficult learning how to trust yourself as an active "teacher" in your child's life. Every success is one to be applauded but when a temporary failure arises, its hard to let it roll off your back. I have had to remind myself, sometimes daily, that it truly doesn't matter if she doesn't remember/recognize every letter/sound/number that we have worked on. She just turned four. There is time. One day, I know that I will look back and wonder why I was so hard on the both of us. I taught Peanut and Punk to read.... I can teach SweetPea and PorkChop. 

On bad days, days when everyone seems to be moody and mouthy, when the littles just want to fight and bicker, when it seems like just "one more thing" is going to be the fatal blow, its time for some manual labor. Today? That was shoveling snow. Other times, its a game of dusting the living room, a dance party in kitchen, racing the ride-on toys down the hallway... something physical to replace all that negative mental energy.

And thankfully, since helping around the house is something else that they just "know", its not a punishment or viewed as a chore. Its something positive... they are HELPING. They are rewarding themselves and us with a change in the flow of energy. Just recently, SweetPea asked if she could have a chore since she felt that she was the only "big kid" in the house without one. Instead of complaining and viewing it as a negative, doing a chore and helping mom and dad is something reserved for those that are special enough to be chosen.

Someday, all this might change. SweetPea may decide to enter school. Our lifestyle could change and she may have to enter. We might have another baby and I might need the break from being the center of her world. Learning challenges could crop up that necessitate schooling for one. I am not going to live in the future of the maybes and what ifs. I am going to enjoy the perks of being a homeschooler now and live each and every minute with my children.