The Year We Forgot to Go Back to School | Homeschool Diaries
The air turns cooler, the bus driver practices the new routes, the mall teems with parents and kids in search of the perfect backpack and so began the most surreal fall of my life: the year we forgot chose not to go back to school.
I thought our jumpstart on the year by homeschooling over the summer might ease the peculiarity of the days leading up to the first fall we would not send our kids back to school. It's still strange to see the first day of the school from the other side of the bus. My children woke up as the bus stopped at our mail box and the neighbor kids piled on board. As my kids dressed and made their beds, I poured out oatmeal.
Kylee noticed a tree frog clinging to the window screen and invited him in to visit over breakfast. After freeing "Jumpy" and a couple hours of homeschooling, we headed out to take our first day of school pictures and run some errands. It was on our arrival to the library that I noticed something odd. The hall, crowded with the usual combination of seniors and moms, lacked anyone under twenty and old enough to be free of a stroller. My kids drew glances and questions.
No, they aren't sick and we don't go to a private school with a shifted or year round schedule. We didn't forget to go back to school. We didn't miss the date.
We homeschool.
After some time reading and taking first day of school pictures at the park (where, again, they drew questions), lunch was in order. Heading to Café Express for a quick bite at Market Street, again the buildings teemed with every kind of adult but oddly lacked children. Still undaunted, I took Chris for a haircut. Running into an acquaintance from church while Chris got a trim, I gladly finished my errands and headed back home.
It took weeks for the oddness of being stared at in public to stop feeling like a glaring spotlight. It wore off a little each time I bumped into a mom with four school age children at the grocery on a weekday or joined in on our homeschool group's play date at a local park.
I'm no longer self-conscious in public and Chris and Kylee will answer as quickly as I do to the constant refrain of "Why aren't they in school?" with the simple truth.
We homeschool.
Kylee noticed a tree frog clinging to the window screen and invited him in to visit over breakfast. After freeing "Jumpy" and a couple hours of homeschooling, we headed out to take our first day of school pictures and run some errands. It was on our arrival to the library that I noticed something odd. The hall, crowded with the usual combination of seniors and moms, lacked anyone under twenty and old enough to be free of a stroller. My kids drew glances and questions.
No, they aren't sick and we don't go to a private school with a shifted or year round schedule. We didn't forget to go back to school. We didn't miss the date.
We homeschool.
After some time reading and taking first day of school pictures at the park (where, again, they drew questions), lunch was in order. Heading to Café Express for a quick bite at Market Street, again the buildings teemed with every kind of adult but oddly lacked children. Still undaunted, I took Chris for a haircut. Running into an acquaintance from church while Chris got a trim, I gladly finished my errands and headed back home.
It took weeks for the oddness of being stared at in public to stop feeling like a glaring spotlight. It wore off a little each time I bumped into a mom with four school age children at the grocery on a weekday or joined in on our homeschool group's play date at a local park.
I'm no longer self-conscious in public and Chris and Kylee will answer as quickly as I do to the constant refrain of "Why aren't they in school?" with the simple truth.
We homeschool.
Hi Lori! Love your homeschool diaries post...looks like homeschooling is going wonderfully! I love your pictures...where did you go to take them? Thinking of taking Faith there for her school picture this year too :)
ReplyDeleteTown Green Park, next to the Pavilion has some lovely arbors.
DeleteI think the sooner we ignore what people might think about us the better it becomes for us..Glad you don't care anymore..You have the right to do what you want and no one has the right to judge
ReplyDeleteRandom Thoughts Naba..Memories of School and Some More...
I am sorry you had to go through that scrutiny in the first place. The kids nor you deserved that treatment. I am glad though, that you have learned to not care. I think what you are doing for your kids is great and amazing. You are doing what is best for your kids and that is what all parent should do.
ReplyDeleteI have been enjoying seeing all you do in your pictures you post on facebook. You have two amazingly brilliantly smart kids who have a loving caring mom!