Not Nice Spice
A few weeks ago Stud and I came to a bit of a fork in the road. We have had every intension to send Chickadee off to preschool. We put down the deposit and had the necessary admittance assessments, and we were already waving good-bye when we had a real come to Jesus moment. Stud and I had to mule over what we wanted for our children and what type of schooling best met their needs. We talked about each one's different strengths and weaknesses, experiences we knew they would blossom with, how to highlight their curiosity and what would aid them in recognizing the light and joy they can bring to the world by being themselves.
It’s funny that before we were married we talked about how we wanted our family to do xyz without considering that it might be equivalent to fitting a square peg into a round hole. Why do parents tend to cultivate their own passions through their children? Why aren’t we cultivating our own passions within ourselves, and likewise in our children? What’s more ironic is that everything we talked about wanting out of life, the deep stuff you dig through in premarital counseling, and even while we were still pregnant with our first, well, all of that—tossed in the bin! We have made choices and aligned our family on paths we never would have chosen, or honestly, even knew existed! And we’re so glad we did. So here we are, after 3 years and nearly nine months of waiting gleefully to send our chirpy little birdie to school, deciding to homeschool. The first week took a minute for us to wrap our minds and hearts around the idea. Both for different reasons—can a mama just get some alone time?! And poor Stud was busy prioritizing athletics—soccer, soccer… and soccer. After we sorted and put aside our agendas and realized the endless opportunities and experiences to be had, we had a pleasant change of heart. I started by requesting a meet-up with local seasoned mamas willing to guide us through the ins and outs of homeschool in New York. Then, I sorted through endless recommendations for curriculum. And then I had to regroup and make sure that I was choosing a curriculum that best suited my child and not my teaching preferences, or conveniences for that matter. I decided to present the Peaceful Press to Stud first. I walked him through the website and was relieved to see that it put his mind at ease. Give me a gold star! I’ve downloaded a few of the free-be items on their site. And will layout the curriculum alongside state standards to finalize a scope and sequence for the year. The best part in all this planning? I can scrap, rearrange, edit, pull in or push out different elements. I don’t have to worry if our children need more time on one area and less in the next. And when a chipmunk perches himself on the fence to snack on berries in the morning, we can stop the day for conversation and learning in such a sweet teachable moment. Have I mentioned that we love our backyard?! I would be naïve to think that homeschooling will be all of my wildest Pinterest dreams come true. But a girl can hope, right?! I’ve been blessed enough to have moms share their own experiences with me. God was gracious to us. Five days after discussing our plans for homeschooling at home, we were at a dinner when a new friend mentioned how she homeschooled her, now adult, children. Of course my ears started burning, as I have never had anyone talk about homeschooling. And as the days wore on another mom shared; and another mom; and all of the sudden it seemed as though everyone I talked to had an experience with homeschooling to share. I’m beyond grateful. Life is never what we expect and right now I’m open to the blessing that that is.
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Kate FrancesWhen you don't know what else to do, then it's time to write. Then write a little while longer for good measure. Archives
February 2020
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