It's funny because today a friend I don't know very well tagged me in a face book post today about amazing people and how she considered me one of those people, for, amongst other things (and I am trying to be humble, honest lol) home educating. Well, after my epic fail at getting Elijah to school for his two days on time this week, I consider that actually parents that send their children to school every day, on time, to the rhythm of someone else's agenda are better parents than me! I. Just. Couldn't. Do. It. All. The. Time.
It's not like I haven't tried really hard, it just seems like something is against me. Like traffic, sleeping babies, stropping teenagers etc etc. so I must confess, I for one have not found this transition easy.
How about the boy then? Well, we arrived, we were greeted and introduced to the routine that is expected and I stayed for around half an hour to make sure he was happy before I left. He looked quite anxious and pale but he was joining in with circle time on the carpet and so I left. When I collected him at 3pm he looked even more anxious and even paler if that's possible for my already fairly translucent, golden haired boy, but he claimed to have had a lovely time. He did PE and some work on the computer and played outside and threw his carrots on the floor at lunch time.
Mid week we went to our lovely Playbox Theatre session for home educated children and whilst the children were being educated in all things of a dramatic persuasion we parents chatted. There are a number of us who flexi school and I was keen to learn how it worked for others. Issues such as "homework" and the associated "homework diary" have already cropped up and I was relieved to discover that other flexi school parents think these are redundant notions also.
Roll on to today and it's our second day of flexi schooling (did I mention we were late, again?) and this time my over tired, pale, golden haired boy did not want to go. I must admit that I half don't want it to work. There, I've said it! I selfishly want to keep my boy all to myself without anyone else ruining him. But of course, I have 5 boys, including an even smaller youngling. I have to remind myself that flexi schooling was about giving everybody a chance to do separate things and being able to let the littlest one finish his time at toddler groups and the like where school aged children are not welcome. The idea was "its the best of both worlds".
So, as a compromise (read, bribe) I suggested I would collect him at lunch time today as he was very tired. Bless him, he was so deeply asleep when I woke him at 7.20am that it was no wonder the school run was doomed to fail. On collection at lunch time however, he did seem to have perked up somewhat and I was glad that he was happier about the experience. Today in the homework bag was a new shiny pot containing 44 laminated phonemes and a note from Miss explaining that it wasn't necessary for us to record every single book we read together in the "reading record", just the "school books", despite her previous note that we should record every time we read together ;)
So tomorrow is a home ed day. We've switched off the alarm. And we shall learn to the beat of our natural rhythm. Where we can play pirates in our pyjamas, read a hundred books because no one is counting, go to the art gallery whenever we get there and go home again when we've finished. Its been a tough week, but I'm hoping we'll catch hold of this new rhythm soon.
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