By: Cheeky Bums

Cheeky Bums — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 19:20:04 +0000

Mandy, thanks so much for your kind words! What a fun adventure you are starting!! there is so much to read about schooling that it really can get confusing!! Just keep it simple and enjoy your little one! Soak in all the information you can, and don’t be afraid to go for it!! all the best!
kelsi

By: Mandy Charlton

Mandy Charlton — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 18:09:01 +0000

Thanks so much for this series! I’m reading through them, as I have an 11 month old and am hoping to start figuring out what type of schooling to do. I’ve been wanting to know more about home-schooling and these posts are a huge help! And I love your viewpoint of things, I agree with so much that you say, and it’s encouraging to find others who are on the same page! Thanks again!

By: Cheeky Bums

Cheeky Bums — Sat, 02 Mar 2013 20:11:31 +0000

Tiffany, Thank you so much for your response and I have to say, I don’t think we disagree quite as much as you suppose. The kind of “crazy” I mentioned is when I said: “If your children are uncontrollable, disrespectful, apathetic or generally unpleasant and YOU couldn’t be around them, then that’s your first clue that THEY NEED YOU.” When you describe your family, I would say you have *great* kids and the “craziness” that you’re dealing with is the general amount of chaos that simply comes with having children, like I mentioned. To me, based on what you’ve said, your level of chaos isn’t related to parenting (and of course none of us is perfect!) and so I think we are just talking about 2 different kinds “crazy” here.
Of course my kids can drive me bonkers, but honestly, it REALLY is only if I let them – the issue is not my children, regardless of whether I am an introvert or extrovert and regardless of personality differences. Even if my house is in total shambles, kids are whining, dinner’s burning, etc. I can still be at peace if I *choose* to be, regardless of what my kids are doing. As a Believer, my circumstances shouldn’t dictate my responses – and trust me I am not even close to mastering this principle yet – but I see the freedom that comes when I choose the right reactions. If I understood you right, you’re saying that because of your personality vs. your kids’ personality, you wouldn’t be able to homeschool. If that’s the case, I TOTALLY see your logic, but I would still respectfully disagree. I have a homeschooling mom-friend and she’s been doing this for 8 years. She and her oldest son have been butting heads since day one and it’s a daily struggle for both of them because their learning styles and personality differences are so polar opposite. However, they’ve both grown as individuals because they have HAD to learn to respect each other’s differences and personalities and they’ve found creative ways to work together. Similarly, I have close friends who have their children in public school, and their son is having a really hard time because his personality is so different than his public school teacher’s. I don’t mean to sound naive on the subject or make over generalizations that make it sound too simple, but I understand you because *I* am NOT A KID-PERSON. At all. I hated babysitting growing up! But I love MY children dearly and homeschooling has been one of the BIGGEST PERSONAL STRETCHES that I’ve ever encountered. We homeschool, not because it fits our personality, but because for us, it’s the right choice for our children’s education. Now, that all being said, (without turning this into a novel!) not all people can or should homeschool. It’s just that simple. It doesn’t by ANY stretch make them a bad parent! it simply means that it’s not the right time or not the right fit for whatever reason. That is up to each individual family to decide. Homeschooling is not an elitist club (there will be a blog post coming along these lines soon!) or the best choice and everything else is second best. Our series is meant to open up discussion and thought for those that would ever consider homeschooling as an option and to dis-spell some homeschooling myths.
I hope that made sense and clarified where I am coming from. Again, the choice to homeschool is up to each individual because it boils down to what is the best educational choice for YOUR family. Personality differences and general chaos will always work itself out and seasons come and go. The question should always be, what is best for my children?
Blessings on your journey and thank you so much for bringing this up and taking the time to comment – I truly appreciate it! – Kelsi

Comments on: I Want To Homeschool, But…My Kids Drive Me CRAZY

By: Cheeky Bums

By: Mandy Charlton

By: Cheeky Bums