Why I Stopped Homeschooling
When I left my full-time corporate gig I also took BooBoo out of preschool with the hopes of homeschooling him. Good idea? Bad idea? I had no idea.
I did it to save money, plain and simple. My bloggy sistah Danielle wrote about whether preschool should be free; my pocketbook is going to go with a resounding yes on this one. My greatest fear was that I'd suck at homeschooling. Now, three months later I'm here to proclaim that I indeed suck at homeschooling.
I think I figured out why.
1. Home is where the Wii is.
And the iPad. And the TV. And the toys. And the snacks. Every day I'd prepare a beautiful and fun (or so I thought) lesson. BooBoo would begrudgingly sit down and the floodgates of irritating questions would open: How long do we have to do this? Can I play the Wii? Can I have a snack? Are we done yet? Every letter trace, every number game, every craft project was viewed as some malicious form of child abuse. Who knew making a hand-print wreath could cause such psychological damage? Not I.
Related: 5 free alternatives to public school for your kids
2. Home is lonely.
With his brother in school all day, BooBoo was lonely - so very, very lonely. A few weeks ago I asked him to draw a picture of himself with his friends to which he replied, "I don't have any friends." Yeah, that stung.
3. Home is where Mom is.
I don't want to say it's me but it is. BooBoo has shown a million times over how good he is at following directions and behaving properly for anyone other than his mom.
4. I didn't have a solid plan.
Successful homeschooling begins and ends with an educational plan and truthfully, I didn't spend the time or energy to create one. I needed to create opportunities for my child to socialize and engage with other children and surround myself with a homeschooling community.
Related: 28 ways to make your kid's teacher like you
I began to notice my once social and happy son becoming a withdrawn child who wanted to stay in his jammies indoors all day long. This just wasn't my kid.
It was clear that BooBoo needed preschool; it no longer mattered if we could afford it.
Last week I licked my wounds, accepted the truth and enrolled him in preschool three days a week part-time. I'm choosing not to view this decision as a personal failure, but rather a change of plans. I'm already beginning to see glimmers of his formal social self reemerge, proving to me that I made the right decision.
Related: 10 very real and ridiculous reasons why kids are late to school
To those of you who homeschool, I bow down. It takes a special person with unwavering commitment to the cause. Maybe I'm just not that mom, but maybe (just maybe) that's OK.
Have you done homeschooling? Sound off!
- By Lori Garcia
For 15 things that make moms melt down, visit Babble!
MORE ON BABBLE
12 ways college prepared me for motherhood
14 reasons why my kids are smarter than Congress
The top 5 classic kids books I can't wait to read again
20 simple ways to show your kids how much you love them
15 memories from childhood our children won't have
