Mindset

Not a very descriptive title, is it? Probably I should have gone for something like, "Beth and School" or "Trying not to turn this into a soapbox on public schools" or something like that.

NOTE: This is a long "thinking" post...more article length than quick update length...so if you're short on attention, might as well skip this one. :)

If I had known then what I know now, I would have planned my babies exactly when they came (maybe squished a little closer together in age on the end there, or maybe not - depending on the day). Huh? You say.  What I mean is - I want to keep them at home as long as I can (without homeschooling them), so I'm glad they were all born in the fall, or at the beginning of the year (instead of spring or summer when they turn 5 and then BAM - they're in school.)

I do think having as many as possible before the first starts school is a good idea (because a baby and a school schedule didn't go so well for me), but I am glad I've got 3 more years before I'm "done" during the day with preschoolers.

The 'mindset' though is how those thoughts got me thinking and changed my mindset about school -

I have always felt like public school was what was right for my family (not all families, but for our kids). But with that comes the aggravations (just like any decision - positives and negatives) - Here's where I will breeze past my frustration over too much homework, teachers/systems who forget you have more than 1 child to work with, fundraisers/$$ begging, many overly particular rules, the need to try to make everything "fair" while still somehow being "unfair", and everything else I have griped over in the past three years....and keep the soapbox put away for now.

However, I have felt like sending my kids to school was handing over the responsibility, opportunity, privilege, claim, etc. on my child's education to someone else. Yes, not having to worry about 'Am I covering everything for this age/level?" is great, but that has probably been my favorite part of being a mother  - teaching my kids.

 (in whatever - teaching them to talk, to sing a song, to use paint, to get their own breakfast on Saturday morning :) , to read, to play the piano, to match clothes, to organize their toys, to use a camera, to clean a window...whatever - yeah, some of those are a work in progress, and I haven't been their only teacher - Dad, grandparents, uncles/aunts, of course teach along the way too - but I'm the one in charge of deciding overall what/when/how they learn....until they start school)

The thing I have just started to realize is - I am still in charge of their education and learning- I'm just outsourcing a portion of it. Of course, this means I agree to deal with and work with the plan of that source...in this case - SC public schools, specifically, the school they attend and the teachers they were each assigned to.

I know at the end of the summer, I'm "ready" for them to go to school - but really, I'm just ready for a few mornings' break each week. :)

What I'm getting at.....Instead of seeing the school as the 'thief'' of my time with my kids that dictates what I do with them in the afternoon (HW) and the 'thief' of my privilege to teach them, I'm trying to change my mindset...I'm learning to see school as the extension to the home that it should be...someone who teaches them most of the academic basics so that I can round out the rest how I like.

(Disclaimer - that doesn't mean I'm not going to gripe about the 2 hours Seth spends doing homework or when I throw away 4 copies of the wrapping paper fundraiser and other things...because sometimes I just like to gripe.)  :)

OK, things to sign, piano lessons to do, homework to check, (and Alee glued to the TV so I can focus on the other four for the afternoon)...