Foster Further

 Yesterday one of my daughter's friends was at our house for a playdate. They went outside to play but about 10 minutes later, while checking on them through the window, I witnessed a strange behavior. The girl was walking rapidly in a circle about 10 feet in diameter, talking to herself. I couldn't hear well from inside but it sounded like she was distressed. I paused a moment to see if she was looking for something. I thought if she found it she'd be okay.  But, after another moment it became clear she was just walking aimlessly and frantically, not looking for anything. I went to the door and called to her. She stopped and looked at me. I said, "is something wrong?" She began to cry and said, "I miss my mommy."  I called her into the house and comforted her and explained that if she wanted something all she had to do was ask. I said, "what do you want?" She said, "I'm tired." I got her settled with a book on a chair, called my ...

 NO TIME CHANGE!! I just read an article about a family that decided not to do the time change last fall. They adjusted all their electronics to the next time zone over and kept on living without changing their clocks.  If that isn't the single greatest reason to homeschool--literally setting your own time--I dunno what is.

 Scope and Sequence That's where I keep tripping up. I look over a curriculum guide and my public school teacher's eye reads it wrong every time. I look at a 3-yr cycle and see it as one. I look at a year-long cycle of only three items and I think I must've downloaded it wrong because where's the rest? In short, the Charlotte Mason method, which is where I'm leaning as I contemplate home education covers SO MUCH LESS CONTENT. But, it covers it well. Except, I don't even know what "covers it well" really means because I've never taught that way. As much as I've bemoaned the hoppy/jumpy modern education style of bouncing from one item to the next without quiet time for reflection and learning...still, I've never really written lesson plans for this alternate schooling method. Case in point: I learned that CM had her students doing a Composer Study and an Artist Study each year. They would study the works of famous artists in the world of pain...

 Both girls have always bitten their nails. I haven't focused on it because I was hoping they'd grow out of it with time. And besides, who needs another battle?  The only thing I did was offer a reward. I'd paint their nails and have a fun "spa day" if their nails grew enough that I could see white on each fingernail. It's only happened twice in two years and only when I was doing lots of encouraging each day.  Recently, Kate brought up nail polish and our fun spa day (I'd been asking her what she wanted for her birthday). She, on her own, said she was going to stop biting her nails so she could get nail polish. I was excited that she wanted to take this step and have been encouraging her for the past few days.  Then, this morning, it was clear she'd bitten all her nails down to the quick. I was so disappointed for her. I asked her when she did it and she said, "in the morning time". I asked her why and she said, "because I thought they ...

 Something is happening with Jane. She is, like the Velveteen Rabbit, becoming...real. Real emotions, genuine reactions revealed instead of hidden, seeking physical comfort, stating her need with the expectation of having it met.  These things are happening in the tiniest of ways. Just little moments once a day. One quick choice to take a different path she's never taken before. A moment as quick as the blink of an eye but still, I see the change.  For example, during the last two weeks, when I've picked her up from school there have been 2 or 3 days where she has looked distressed at pickup. Worry or fear, it was written there on her face, though I didn't know what or why. (Previously, her usual demeanor, would've been an artificial display of happiness--too much, too fake, too plastic, like a Disney character every damn day.) On these days when distress is written on her face, I have waited till we are alone and then asked her what was wrong. She always lies first. I ...

 Today was one of those hopeful early spring days. In the 50s, warm sun, soft wind. You step outside and you smell the earth awakening from the long winter.  Gus, who is 14, took the three littles (James, 5; Jane, 5; and Kate, 3) outside to play after dinner. It got dark and still they stayed out. He ran in for flashlights and patiently taught them how to play flashlight tag. He gently counted aloud with the tiniest one who can't yet make it to 20 on her own. He led them in shrieking gleeful chases around the yard.  I looked at the clock and saw it was past their bedtimes, on a school night no less, and I did not care. How could I possibly interrupt this annual rite of spring? How could I tell my children to stop loving each other's company? Stop making the memories that form a childhood? And this is why I want to Home Educate. Not because schedules are bad, but because during these years, schedules should not rule our lives. There will be decades upon decades when they a...

Modern Schooling is an Artificial Construct Yesterday I had a conversation with an adult who is an expert in the medical/psychological needs of children. This person is not an educator but we were talking about school.  I was making a point by contrasting two types of students I've taught.  Student A: super hard worker, always on time to class, comes prepared, completes every assignment, spends hours on even the most trivial of worksheet, doesn't score real high on tests but gets good grades because they do every bit of busywork, doesn't take the real hard classes but has a high GPA.  Student B: risk-averse, reluctant, never speaks in class if they can avoid it, may or may not complete any assignments, almost always turns things in late, aces the tests so passes classes despite doing very little schoolwork, ironically is most engaged and gets the best grades in the hardest classes but has a lower GPA overall.  After describing these students from an academic standpoi...

 As we tiptoe closer and closer to homeschooling (but I prefer the phrase Home Education just because it doesn't have all the weird connotations of home schoolers I've known, plus I'm not trying to replicate school to any degree) I've begun feeling more and more fed up with their current school.  Case in point: at 7:30 tonight the Kindergarten teacher sends out an email announcing all kids have a special out of uniform day tomorrow! Oh boy! In honor of Dr. Seuss's birthday the kids must wear blue pants and a red shirt!  a) pretty sure my girl doesn't have a solid red shirt, are patterns okay, cuz that's what you're gonna get. b) could you for once get your act together and NOT send a late night email informing me of the super fun thing my child will be devastated if she misses out on? So that I can't passive-aggressive fail to see the email lest the child suffer? The first time this happened, okay. Now, the tenth time--you're incompetent and I re...