We've been parents for 4 years now and we've faced lots of decisions in that time. Paci or no paci? How much tv can the boys watch? How will we deal with bad behavior? Some decisions have been easy and others have required much more thought, but none come close to the decision we are about to make. Captain Silly Wiggles is 4 years old. Next May he will be 5 and it will be time for Kindergarten. That means we have 1 year to make a decision about where Cap will go to school.
It seems so odd to me that there is anything to consider. Before I had kids, I never would have considered any option aside from public school. When Cap was born I was starting to think about different options, especially as I considered the ways the current educational model fails boys and met the first homeschool graduate I have ever known. But I never really considered there to be an option for us besides public school.
Over the last year lots of things have made me wonder about the best educational options for our boys. Here are the options as I see them right now:
Public School: We currently live in a really good school district, but I'm not altogether sold on public school for tons of reasons I'll get into in another post.
Private School: Cap currently attends a preschool program that is part of a K-12 Christian school.
Homeschool: Again, it seems so strange to even consider! As I write, homeschooling is where my heart is. I've got some reservations, but the more I research the more comfortable I feel. I'm eager to find out more.
Some combination: I know the private school I've mentioned has a program that works in conjunction with homeschoolers. Also, I've heard of some cyber schools, where students work from home.
One of the reasons I began this blog was to discuss the big decisions in parenting. This issue was the one that drove me to start writing. As my family goes through the process of making this decision, I want to document the things I find and the research I complete. Maybe they can be a help to someone else with the same questions I have. But, mostly I hope they are a help to me as, at the end of this process, I look back over what I've learned and try to make the right decision for us.
This Sunday I am sitting down with a good family friend who is the oldest child in a family of, I believe, 6, homeschooled children. I am extremely eager to get her perspective, get some pointers on good resources, and ask lots of questions.
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