Does anyone do this anymore: home school without being part of a co-op or community of some sort? I am contemplating doing this next year because honestly, I need a break from the pace of an outside structure determining what we do.
When we first sunk our teeth in to serious schooling, having a group to be a part of was really helpful for the kids and I to meet people and make friends, but the first such group wasn't academic in nature so fell by the wayside after a year and a half. After that we joined Classical Conversations, which I have loved--for the foundation it's given our schooling and the friends, for both me and our children. I have nothing negative to say about our 5 years in Classical Conversations, yet this feeling of anxiety when I think of next year just won't pass. I have been praying for a while about not participating for a 6th year in a row so I can have more flexibility with what we do in school, and the money and time saved will enable me to travel to see our sister's more. I'm hoping to go up monthly...and having 5 school days during the week for math in particular is a huge plus. We could travel one Friday a month and still get math in that day and have our weekends for our family time.
So what is holding me back? Fear I'd say...fear of regretting the decision, fear of being lonely, worry that my kids will be lonely, worry I'll be sweating it with doing school so much more on my own...
Most of our social time has been on Friday's during CC. My oldest has made 2 of her closest friends at CC and my other kids have their closest friends there...but I've never wanted to stay in a program primarily for friends and I don't think we need it for academics at this point. It's a lot of money for me to spend when I really don't want some of what is offered with the program next year...but are my wants clouding what is best for my kids? It feels like it could be the Lord leading us to not participate, but I'm so unsure, I can't confidently say it is His will yet.
How about you? If you've home schooled for a while, have you ever just wanted to pull inward with your family and simplify to recharge? I want to refocus a bit and just can't get my mind around doing that if we're on a program that is going to have a set pace for the majority of the year. I do not think being in a program halfheartedly is appropriate, so going there and just doing what we want would never happen. It diminishes the program for one thing, and for another, we are all trained in how to work a CC year.
God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of a sound mind...
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