Why did “WE” Home school, even before COVID !!
YES,I am NOT A COVID Homeschooling Mom :). My kids (6 and 7 year old) have never been to any kind of school ever, during pre-COVID times too!!
“You live in SINGAPORE, it has one of the best Education Systems of the World. Still you Home-school? Why?”
“Schools are not only for ACADEMICS,kids get to learn so much REAL LIFE Stuff in school life. You chose to deprive your kids of all that School Fun too. Why did you choose to keep them at HOME? ”
“Kids will always live with you/siblings all their life, why keep them HOME ?
In a nutshell,I have been asked this question directly/indirectly several times and eventually I stopped responding to it. Our reasons were not “justified/acceptable enough” and it was much more PEACEFUL for me to stay quiet :).
Thanks to COVID, many parents are forced to HOMESCHOOL now and while I try to guide these families in this time of unexpected Chaos, this question has resurfaced again and it takes me back to our lane of memories of all these 6 years and all those “NOT JUSTIFIED/COMPLETELY EMOTIONAL” reasons of our family to homeschool :). I never thought to put our reasons out in public but recently a mother told me that she is completely ready to homeschool her child but is scared somewhere if “she would be able to do it?”.
I wondered, “wow, she is so well prepared already and then also she is worrying? What were we thinking when we started :)”. I realized how we mothers are so unsure of ourselves.Though we want to do our BEST for our kids,but doing something unconventional is so hard. I decided that it was time for me to tell my story aloud to everyone out there who is in dilemma or is just scared to take up this path.
But before you get your hopes high for ANSWERS here, I would reiterate the fact that we are too emotionally foolish kinds and I usually take a LEAP OF FAITH for everything in my life :). Be it my education, career, marriage,kids or homeschool.
Let’s begin with the story now :)
I have two kids, (Oct 2013;Nov 2014). It was September 2014, I visited three Playschools near our home and registered for S1 for next year’s session .
June 2015, it was time to start SCHOOL for S1. We were shortlisted for two schools and while we started discussing pros-cons of each school, my heart was not in it. Why?
S1 was 20 months old and S2 was 8 months old. They had just started communicating with each other. S1 had figured out how to climb on the crib of the S2 and would be found TOGETHER giggling in the crib in morning. It was a new UNEXPECTED bond which I was experiencing (I had read /heard countless stories of sibling rivalry and because I had no idea how to prepare an 11 month old for a new baby, I was scared/paranoid of their EXPECTED relationship. Hence, this bond was a shock for me).
I did not want to break this bond. Anyways these two would sleep most of the time and whatever AWAKE time they had, the majority would be taken away by the Play school .
I WANTED TO KEEP THESE TWO GIRLS TOGETHER FOR AS MUCH TIME AS I COULD, THAT’S IT. THAT WAS THE ONLY THOUGHT I HAD. <I had no clue of Homeschooling till then.>
We decided to delay the admission, assuring ourselves that we will enroll them to Kindergarten together. In the meantime, the super guilt mom (damaging the academic career of my 1 year old child by keeping at home) started making DIY activities for her. I needed to research more and more for free printables and I came across several homeschooling blogs/homeschooling groups and was introduced to the world of YouTube.
But it was 2015, I had no one to ask my queries/questions. I did not know anyone in person who home schooled, to whom I could shoot my worries/questions. Trust me, every Sunday Church service, I would pray to lord to guide me if I was doing right for my kids and give me courage to move forward ALL ALONE. And as always, the lord helped me. < I am a HINDU but I have a very old “connection” with JESUS>
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It was a fun casual meet of Church families and everyone was amused with our two “Look Like TWINS” girls as usual. They started asking me about their age, schooling etc. and from nowhere, my hubby told, “Surabhi is planning to HOMESCHOOL them” and I gave him a stern look. ..<These husbands.. I tell you. Trust me,he had no clue what this word means> and now guess what happened???
“Oh is it? Amazing..Do you know “XYZ” is also homeschooling her kids”. And calls the lady “XYZ” to our chatting group. Now guess, “Who is this “XYZ “ lady”??
This “XYZ” is the owner of SINGAPORE HOMESCHOOLING COMMUNITY on Facebook, Can you believe that? She was a part of our church group, just that we never talked about schooling (my kids were too young anyways).
YES, I do have a connection with the LORD . Lord had come down to me literally to hold my hand in this journey. This lady was my anchor..the messenger from the lord who literally smiled at me when I was in tears telling her that I need someone to tell me I am doing correct. I did not need any technical help (YouTube and books and blogs were enough for me, my kids were barely 2 and 1 year old) but this mother needed a message from her Lord that he is with my decision.
And then, there was no turning back. I took the LEAP of FAITH.Yes, there were huge falls, tears, big stones, numerous hurdles, but I knew I needed to move ahead because Lord wants me to do it for my kids.
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Here comes 2019, It was time to enroll S1 to Primary School (as per our initial PLAN).
“Nope,I am keeping my kids at HOME this year too”. Why?
“I don’t have ANY REASONS to SEND my kids TO SCHOOL.”
“Kids still WANT to homeschool, they don’t like WAKING up so early”.
“My hubby WISHES that we continue, he enjoys our FLEXIBLE lifestyle.”
And our “WHY's” would change/tweak every year as per our life circumstances and we would take an year at a time!!
Are you disappointed with my reasoning? I had warned you before :).
But trust me, you will not find your “WHY” in other family’s “WHY”.
Every family is UNIQUE and every family needs to find its OWN REASONS to Homeschool. And once you decide, write those “WHYs” in a journal/notebook. Because there will be tough times in this journey when you will question , “What have put myself into? Why do I need to do all this? I can’t do it ”. And that notebook will give you the REASON to continue, it would remind you “What you would LOSE if you GIVE UP” ,so, please find a STRONG enough WHY for your unique family.
Ask Yourself, your Partner & Kids.
“Do WE WANT to homeschool?
Why do WE NEED to homeschool?
What are OUR EXPECTATIONS from this HOMESCHOOL?
What are the CHANGES this new system will bring in our lifestyle?
Are we READY for all the unplanned/unexpected surprises this journey might bring in?”
Pretty much same as we get our self ready for other major events of our life!!
And if you don’t find answers to all these questions.. “Take a Leap of FAITH like I did”. That is much SIMPLER :).
Honestly,I don’t know how their bond would have been if S1 would have joined school in 2015.I don’t know how our family rhythm would have been if our routines would have been controlled by the School schedules. I don’t know if my kids would have done much better in academics if they would have been in the BEST EDUCATION SYSTEM of Singapore.
All I know is, how things have turned out to be, I am GRATEFUL for it,we LOVE it and we are not changing it as of now.
And in all this story if you missed my“WHY”!!
I just LOVE to be with my kids..as simple as that !!
Happy Parenting Everyone!!
