Back to School

Today was our official last day of summer vacation although everyone in our house hold will be sleeping in tomorrow but Kain and I. Kain is ready for 5th grade and looking forward to returning to his teacher he loves and his friends he missed seeing over the summer. He is social like his mother and school fills that outlet for him as well as the fact he simply loves the setting of it all. As much as I would love for him to stay home with us like the other kids I am excited he has not only the opportunity to go to a school he loves and that serves him but that he is able to make that choice. It is amazing to see the difference in the child that has control over their education. Never does he wake in the morning not wanting to attend school so with that he doesn't have the heaviness upon his heart of returning to the "daily grind" so many of us do with what is expected of us. Not to say my children never have to do things they don't want to do because they will be the first to tell you they enjoy eating but not the grocery shopping that allows them this privilege but the choices now about their education have become not only a means in which to be taught more but a lesson in and of itself. They have at a tender age been given the gift of empowering themselves with what makes them most happy.

Which is what I remind myself of daily when I wonder how it came to be that I am now doing the one thing I always said I never wanted to do - have half in school and half at home. But different strokes for different folks and I believe I am doing right by them, or at the very least the best I can do for them with what I have to work with. Gage had mixed feelings about whether or not to return to school this fall. When he would think about his friends he misses he would ask to return but when he was reminded of how most of his day would be spent he opted ultimately to stay home. We have noticed great improvements not only with his over all attitude in general but his self esteem as well which is far more important to us than any "education." The ironic thing about that is I feel his self esteem has opened him up to receive a better education because of it. He is anxious to get books for this fall and trips to the library again which is a HUGE improvement even from when we pulled him out earlier this year!

Aubriel is going into 1st grade and has asked very little about returning to school. She did inquire once about not going back... she thought she would go back again for a bit and then stop half way through the year. She showed a slight disappointment when we explained she was just going to continue staying home but that didn't even seem to last 30 seconds and she was onto planning out her year with Gage. She has not skipped a beat with his learning over the summer as she continued to do her workbook for fun and has been relentless with the boys and I "playing" math problems. This has to be my single motivation to keeping my children home for school now. Although Kain choose to go to school and will not complain even once he would never go so far as to refer to math (or any other subject for that matter) a "game" as Aubriel does. I have watched my two oldest get sucked into the school trap... it is considered fun and "grown up" almost even for the first few years and then they either shut down completely or just find ways to get the stuff done that is expected of them simply because it is... well expected of them but rarely is it ever for their own personal enjoyment of learning something new. Aubriel has shown that she truly has a lust for learning... I remember Kain and Gage did too at that age and more than anything I want her to hold onto that since I feel THAT is what will truly help her succeed in life. She loves to learn new stuff from Gage as does Brody from her and Gage loves to teach her new things as does she in turn loves to do so with Brody. It is so much fun to watch them play like children are meant to all the while sitting back and watching the learning that is taking place within all of them in a way that can not be "taught" but needs to be experienced... priceless! I am looking forward to our first full year of Unschooling, Home Schooling and Public Schooling as the needs arise!