Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Serious post

So, this morning, like many days in the past 6 months, Parker decided he wanted to stay home.

In the past I have fought him on this...after all, he is only 6.

This week I decided to start to seriously consider homeschooling...seriously.

We picked the best, most holistic, laid back school we could find (the kindergarteners drink herbal tea and have hand and foot rubs before naptime everyday...Seriously!)...we were looking for the next best thing to homeschooling and we actually found it in the Calgary Waldorf School...but it just isn't right for Parker.

I know. Everyone keeps telling me that it is a rite of passge, school, and that he needs to go so he can learn social skills and how to function in the world. But...The thing is, he functions great in the world. He makes friends really easily - just not at school.

What takes him forever to do at school (and becomes a long drawn out, negative process) takes 15 minutes at home...no fuss, no muss. When we play with friends he is calm, happy, well-behaved...from what one of his teachers was saying, he is socially "awkward" and doesn't understand social cues. How can a kid be happy, funtional and well-liked at home and in his own social circle, but struggle so much in Kindergarten?

It all seems seriously strange to me...and SO not worth what we have been paying to send him there.

We applied to a local Charter school and will hear next week if he has been accepted...but, to be honest, I think we have made up our minds.

I think we're homeschooling...seriously.

Heaven help me.

3 comments:

  1. Have you checked out the homeschooling website for Canada? They have some wonderful information on there and you might find the social aspects of it there. I believe they do field trips and get together and stuff...

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  2. I am sorry to hear that you are having to make such hard decisions. Personally I think if you can make homeschooling a go for you great. For social aspects there are many things you could go. He could join sports or clubs or something like that. To gain those social skills school says he doesn't seem to have.

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  3. I am planning on homeschooling too. The more I read the more I feel it is the right thing to do. I am part of a home-preschooling group in Calgary. There are also groups for older kids. I found them through yahoo groups.

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