Unplanned Isn't Just For Pregnancy Anymore

Hi there and welcome to the Accidental Homeschooler!

For those of you who don’t know, I am now home schooling my daughter.  The reasons are important, but this isn’t the forum for it. Suffice it to say that our district has an unconventional middle school configuration that Marisa isn’t learning well in, so after reviewing all the options, this was what we decided on as the best course of action.

I will pause now for 30 seconds so anyone who has ever heard my tirades about homeschooling can laugh. Get it out of your system. Done?  Okay.   Back to our regularly scheduled programming.

I thoroughly believe that the universe screws with me just for fun.   I swore I’d never be a Girl Scout Leader…but I did it for a year.  The jury was out on same sex marriage in my book, until of course, my son announced he was gay.  Homeschooler's?  Hell, they are all nuts!  Does any parent really want to spend all that time with their children? What makes them think they can teach better than teachers and heck, how will those kids deal with society when they finally have to?

I'm finding that occasionally I'm wrong.  Yeah, it happens.

We are only into our second week, so a lot remains to be seen, but so far,it's proving to be a great experience.  I did purchase a curriculum because I want to make sure she stays on track, but we are throwing some 'unschooling' in there to mix it up a bit. We have field trips planned. I’m learning a lot.  I had forgotten all about independent clauses and where to put the comma.  I learned what the decimal equivalent of Asia's land mass is to total earthly land mass.  I have an excuse to sit and do calligraphy or draw with my daughter and not feel like I should be doing something else because art is a required course.  Ditto for hanging out and playing a little classical guitar. 

Day two of our homeschool adventure Marisa was reading curled up in a rocking barrel chair next to the wood stove. She was warm, relaxed, unstressed.  She looked up from the book and said "Mom, thank you so much for homeschooling me.  I don't feel like I am going to be rushed and I can think."

Changes are already starting to be seen.  She's less anxious and is actively self correcting some behaviors.  She knows she has some control over what we do in a day, or at least, the order that we do it in.  The tough stuff comes in the morning, but she has the choice...math first?  Social Studies or reading? She loves science- that's the brass ring. 

So, now to the question of the day... Is Holly Smarter Than A Fifth Grader?"

Well, I’m not so sure that I am but so far I’m managing to be one chapter ahead of Marisa. 

As long as I can keep the pace, well, what she doesn't know, won't hurt her!