Wednesday, October 21, 2009

In Which I Become a Homeschooler

Yes, I am a homeschooler. I've always been open to the idea, but I never actually thought it would happen. But our little M hated kindergarten after just a few days (actually after just a few minutes, but that's another story . . .). I'm not sure why, exactly. She's given me several (spurious) reasons. For example, "I don't like playing on the little playground." "I wanted to put my fingers in my nose sometimes when it itched, but it was against the rules." "There were some people I didn't like in class." "I missed you, Mommy." (That one I believe.)

For my part, I was not impressed by what she was doing in class, so I told her she could stay home another year and do kindergarten at home. Which she readily did.

This is how homeschooling M works. She gets up in the morning and says, "I think I'll do XY and Z today," and then she proceeds to do so. Sometimes I give her a suggestion, like, "Why don't you make a Writers' Workshop book like E did in kindergarten," and then she spends the rest of the day doing it, with verve, panache, and all those other French attitudes.

Now, just take a look at today's (self-imposed) task, and understand with me why the public school couldn't keep up with her RPMs:


8 comments:

Holly said...

That's hilarious. Just a sniff will do!

CSIowa said...

She already writes better than my second-grader, mechanically and narratively. As long as it's that easy, enjoy it! (Even though it probably means you have one more child to take with you to the grocery store.)

Johanna said...

OK - neither of my grade-school kids (3rd & 4th graders) can write as neatly as M does. Impressive! Kindergarten surely would have been a bore. Hope the homeschooling goes well. Has E asked to be homeschooled yet??

SCS said...

E keeps berating M for "quitting" kindergarten and reminds her that she can't drop out of first grade. I had thought my two girls would have opposite reactions to attempts to mainstream them in the public schools. So much for my mothering instincts!

The only drawback is that I can never never never take a walk with three kids (can't push two strollers, and M whines after about four blocks).

Johanna said...

Yeah, my mothering instincts are about the same - Andrew loves exciting things and Haley is fairly shy. I figured Andrew would love all the rides at Disneyland and Haley would be afraid. Completely opposite reactions. Could have knocked me over with a feather!

Amy said...

HEY! JOHANNA! You're commenting on MBC's sister's blog!

It's so exciting when worlds collide.

SCS said...

Whoa--worlds colliding, indeed.

Now don't you two start talking about me behind my back on the other side of the mountains.

SCS said...

p.s. to Johanna--we went back to school because M asked to, basically. I had planned to start in January, but then someone else wanted our spot unless we took it immediately, so we took. And now M cries on days she doesn't have school instead of on the days she does.