Monday 5 September 2011

Not back to school!

I love when all the other children go back to school and all our museums, parks and libraries become near enough empty and free for us to enjoy!

So many people I meet tell me how they can't wait to get their children back to school, 'out from under their feet'.  I simply can't understand it.  I feel so privileged to have the choice to keep my children at home and celebrate each milestone with them, to watch their eyes light up as they discover new things!

I love that I can give my children something that no school, no matter how good it is, can give them.  That is a personalised education to suit their every need and interests all taught in the safest environment, their own home.  They are given the freedom to grow, the freedom to stop when they've had enough and to carry on with what they're doing for as long as they like when they're enjoying it all too much to stop.

Our personal journey of home education so far has let my children enjoy their childhood so much.  Most rainy days we spend in and learn so much from our books as we love to do.  Sunny days we spend outside walking walls, climbing trees, strolling through parks, using the shops for their maths, reading and science and learning so much!

My house is full of screaming children as I write this, but they're screaming with laughter!  Four sisters who rarely fight, that all call each other best friends.  I have avoided that one thing that school so often does, divide siblings relationships.  Never do I hear, from my children or other home educated children I know, "I'm older than you" or any comparisons of ability.  There is no bullying, perhaps because having parents close by it is easier to teach good socialisation skills or maybe, just maybe it is because they are happy and free?

I know that the freedom for my children to have the choice to move away from bad situations has brought them confidence and socialisation skills that most of their schooled peers have not yet managed to attain. Well, the ones that we have come across in our journey through life.  C has always been a very shy child and although very bright I think a school environment for her personally would have made her more introvert.  Being allowed to grow at her own pace and she is becoming a very caring and confident young lady.

I love that our network of the HE families is a community with no cliques and my children have a large group of friends of all ages.

The #ILoveHomeEd tag on twitter sums it up for me.  Besides having my babies this is the next best thing I've done in my life.  It was worth every disagreement I had with my husband at the beginning and now he loves home educating our children as much as the children and me!

5 comments:

  1. A lovely post Lisa! I know exactly what you mean but only wish I'd had the opportunity to HE from the start like you. Sounds like a fab day in your house! :-D

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  2. Thanks for a great post. My 2 fight like cat and dog sometimes, but they instantly unite against any common threat (eg, ME)

    For the rest of it, these few weeks of the year remind me how lucky we are to be able to give them a chance to be whoever they want to be that day (or hour...)

    We came to HE via school, and while I wish we hadn't, it does mean that they are very, very aware that the grass is not only not greener on the other side of the fence, it's been covered with weedkiller

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  3. Aren't we blessed to be able to let our children live such a rich life! :)

    Glad you liked the post!

    Lisa x

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  4. A lifestyle choice that obviously works for you all so well worth celebrating :o)

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