But one thing I know for sure: I don’t miss sending my kids to “real school.” NOT AT ALL. In fact, I find myself looking on all the “normal” parents with a certain amount of pity. I’ve seen them wandering through the local Walmart with mile-long school supply lists in their hands, desperately trying to find protractors or composition books or 12-packs of colored pencils, and I don’t envy them. In early mornings I watch moms herding backpack-laden kids toward family cars or down the street to bus stops and I give a happy, contented sigh because it’s them and not ME. I wouldn’t want to be in their shoes, not even for more “me time” or a clean house or for daily hours of silence.
Honestly there are SEVERAL things I don’t miss about sending my kids off to school.
1. I don’t miss starting school in early August.
I would argue that once the homeschooling mindset has taken hold in a family, school continues whether it’s actually in session or not, but, just the same, I can say I DO enjoy a long summer break. For one thing, I use the time to catch up on all the big household projects I haven’t been able to get to throughout the school year. But I also ADORE summer! I love sunshine and bare feet and flowers and warm dirt and the buzz of locusts in the trees. There’s something amazing and magical and just…delicious about summer!
But around here, kids miss out on nearly 1/3 of it! Schools have already been in session here for more than two weeks, and our county started later than many in the area! How awful to have to make my children trade sunshine and summer freedom for florescent lights and a cold classroom!
2. I don’t miss having ZERO flexibility when it comes to starting school in the mornings.
I’m an early riser and I like operating on somewhat of a schedule. But I also love the freedom to adjust our school plans to fit our circumstances.
If one of the kids has been up sick all night, (which always means I have been, too,) I LOVE being able to make the executive decision that school will start 2 hours later than normal! If something happens to put us home late on a school night, I don’t have to worry how I’ll get my kids up and out the door for school the next morning! If family or friends visit from far away, my children can stay up late and enjoy the company rather than being forced to bed because they have to be at school by 8:00 the next morning.
As homeschoolers, we can start school at noon if we want to, or even cancel altogether for the day if need be! And I don’t have to write an excuse note for anybody!
3. I don’t miss dragging my kids out in awful weather.
I. HATED. THAT.
I had to drive my kids to and from school every day and it was very possibly the thing I despised most about having my children in school. There are few things I find more wretched than a cold, rainy day. Going out in weather like that is bad enough myself, but dragging four children out in it with me is utter MISERY!
Even sending a kid to a bus stop can be hassle enough! Every morning I used to pass parents who had to drive their children to and from their bus stop. But even if a child can catch the bus at the end of their own driveway, they still have to be suited up in layers and then pushed out in frigid temperatures so they can go spend their day with scores of kids carrying every cold weather illness you can think of.
No thanks! I believe I’ll just watch from the warm coziness of my own home…
4. I don’t miss buying uniforms!
I always took some issue with the idea of uniforms to begin with. I suppose they’re intended to maintain some standard of modesty while reducing the possibility of distractions, but I’ve never been convinced they actually accomplish that. It always seemed to me the kids who pushed the envelope with their normal clothes just continued to try the same with their uniforms. And true uniformity can only be achieved by depriving children of their individuality. Of course that seems to be the ultimate goal of the public school system in general, so maybe they figured dressing everybody the same way was a good place to start. But I digress…
To me, uniform shopping always felt a lot like throwing dollar bills down a sewer grate. I was spending good money on clothes I didn’t even like and my children liked even less than that! And finding the right color polos and the right tennis shoes and the right cardigans and getting it all in the right size without breaking the bank was never easy.
But my kids can wear tap shoes, Superman capes, and cowboy hats to school, ALL AT THE SAME TIME if they want! So long as they can focus on whatever work we’re doing, I couldn’t care less! They homeschool in their pajamas much of the time and that’s fine by me. The kids are comfortable and I’m stuck with less laundry to do, so it’s a win-win for everybody!
And speaking of pjs…I haven’t done it yet, but I love the homeschoolers whose “shopping for school clothes” consists of buying several new pairs of pajamas. That’s MY kind of thinking!
And finally…
5. I don’t miss packing lunches.
This was another thing that added incredible stress to my school mornings! How do you come up with an interesting, filling, and at least somewhat healthy lunch for everyone every single morning? Most of the quick, prepackaged lunch goodies you’ll find in the store are not only pricey, but high in fat and calories and loaded with preservatives. I could always find lots of lunch-packing ideas in magazines and on parenting websites, but 95% of them were things my children would NEVER eat. (Half a turkey sandwich on rye bread with celery sticks and fresh edamame? You’re kidding, right?)
At my daughters’ small Christian school, they even had access to a microwave, which certainly gave me more options than your average parent, but I still felt limited and I also found that good microwavable containers aren’t easy to come by!
I love being able to fix my kids good, hot meals for lunch almost every day. Sometimes it’s soup or hot sandwiches or every once in a while I’ll throw together a chicken pot pie. It’s also easy to pull out supper leftovers and reheat them, which is usually what we have at least a couple of times per week. I know my children are eating healthier, and eating better also means they usually do far less snacking in between meals.
And just never again having to clean out any forgotten lunchboxes is reason enough to be thankful I don’t have to pack them anymore!
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These are good ones. One of mine is the bus. The dreaded yellow school bus. Coming from a public-schooler myself, who rode the bus alllll 12 yrs, I learned far too many things on the bus. I breathe a sigh of relief that my children have never had to ride one. As several come through our neighborhood every day, I am reminded to be grateful my kids aren't on it.
Same here! I experienced some HORRID things on school buses and, just like you, I'm thankful I've never had to put a child on one!
Great list! We've started off homeschooling, so I can't really say what's better/worse, but there are certainly things I'm glad I don't have to worry about 🙂
Thanks for linking up at Thriving Thursday. I can't remember if I told you this already, but I'm also a KY gal 🙂
You told me once before you were a Kentucky gal, which makes me love Serving Joyfully all the more! 🙂 And thanks so much for the opportunity to link up at Thriving Thursday! I'm grateful!
It sounds like you're one of those stellar homeschool moms. Way to go – I truly, truly think that's awesome. As a mom and daughter of the King who is called to a different schooling method, I will gently say that I don't need your pity. It's a wonderful, glorious thing to feel like you and your family is operating in total submission to the Lord, isn't it? Bless you and your adorable little (and not so little) ones.
In Christ,
Melissa
STELLAR homeschool mom? Hardly! But it sounds like there might have been a hint of sarcasm inserted here.
Believe me, Melissa, I respect the decision every mom and dad has to make about the education of their children. We took the more traditional approach for several years before I did what I said I'd NEVER do and began homeschooling. I have been very, VERY thankful for the change. I wasn't trying to imply anyone would NEED my pity, but it doesn't change the fact I don't miss the "old days" and having my children in a traditional school setting. That was the only point I was trying to make.
I'm so glad you stopped by today and I hope you'll do so again soon!
Me too! Thanks
Thanks for reading!
Great list!! I don't have school-aged kids yet, but my oldest is 3 and I'm already thinking some of these things about not sending her to preschool!
I did the back-and-forth when my boys were very small and now I don't even know how I managed! It was miserable for me at times dragging out two children and a toddler and baby. I survived it, but I wouldn't want to go back to that kind of schedule for the world!
I say enjoy the liberties of keeping them HOME! So glad you stopped in today, Jessica!
I have a 2nd grader and a 1st grader in a small, private Christian school. Our decision to send them to a Christian school was because our church is small and as a matter of fact, they are in a sunday school class of just themselves. We are 2 hrs away from cousins so I felt like they needed to be around some other Christian children. I'm completely open to homeschooling, if and should I ever feel like that's what I need to do. My reason for commenting was I felt like you looked right into my heart naming all the things you didn't miss about sending them to school. I was amening you all the way even though I am currently doing all those things. Only thing I disagreed with you about was the uniforms. I love the uniform policy. I feel like it was cheaper than having to purchase new school clothes every year. When I pull up to pick my kiddos up all the students look so nice and neat. Everyone looks modest and the rich look the same as the less fortunate. (My kids, ha.)
Great post!
I WILL say that uniforms eliminated any question of, "Soo….what am I going to put the girls in today??" 🙂 I always had the WORST time finding uniforms for my girls, so that's part of why I hated them so much. At our school the girls could wear only powder blue or white polos and khaki skirts. That was IT, so I didn't have much selection. Perhaps that has left me bitter. (Just kidding!)
We all have to do what works best for our families and at different seasons that may mean different things. But I don't miss the back-and-forth of taking mine to school, that's for sure!
It was so good to hear from you, Amy!
I think my daughter can relate to this post. Thank you for sharing at the Thursday Favorite Things hop xo
Thanks so much for hosting!!
I totally love your list! Can I also add, I don't miss the calls from school.
Good one, Nita! I should have added I don't miss the notes home I never actually received! My girls were notorious for not informing me of stuff I really needed to know!
Thanks so much for reading!
Amen to #3! When people ask me why I homeschool, my first answer of course has something to do with God or academics. You know, the safe answers. But honestly, I just hate driving. And battling traffic in cold, icy, wet, or sweltering hot weather is just miserable. When my son was in public school pre-K, I did not take him on snowy days. The front office staff seemed baffled at my reasons for not being at school that day. They didn't know whether this was an excused or unexcused absence, which baffled me. I'm his mother and I am excusing him from school!
I had a feeling I wasn't alone on that one! I hate getting out on cold, nasty days! Honestly, there are at least a dozen reasons why I homeschool and these are certainly some of the lesser ones among them, but they nonetheless make homeschooling shine all the brighter in my eyes!
How interesting that the Lord made us all so different. I love packing my children's lunches, as that's time I pray specifically for them and their classmates. I adore school list shopping and feel proud when we complete the task! The routine and morning schedule are welcome to help us order our days and we love the creative way God changes the season and weather.
No need for pity, we are grateful for our school system and the world for whom we get to influence. I pray we represent Him well!
Of course there are parts of every life choice that are less than enjoyable
I will certainly agree with you on that point, Missy! I know there are a lot of people who wouldn't want the trade-off of some of these things for the challenges of homeschooling. I'm so glad you stopped by to read today!
Oh, I LOVE this list. It's so many of the same things I think. This morning the school bus drove by as we were sitting outside… I was in comfy pjs (at 5 months pregnant, comfy is the key!) and the kids in play clothes… The bus driver is a friend of ours and goes to our church… he waved at the kids as he drove by… they loved waving to him, but not a one was eager to get ON the bus! LOL
Comfy is ALWAYS key when there's a baby on the way! So glad you can enjoy the benefits of staying home with those kiddos!
Thanks so much for reading, Elisabeth!
LOVE it!
I have 12 children, and have homeschooled for 22 years. I wouldn't trade it for anything!
I "only" have 5 kids left at home . . . and only 3 left "schooling" with Mama. (6th, 8th, 9th grade)
Just found your blog, and look forward to reading more.
Laurel 🙂
I'm such a newbie compared to you! But I've learned so much in the years I've been homeschooling and, just like you, I wouldn't trade it for ANYTHING! I've been so blessed in my decision to teach them at home.
I'm so glad you found me! And so glad you stopped by today!
We love our local public school, but I totally agree with your feelings about uniforms! I wouldn't have chosen a school with uniforms for my child. I hated them the one year I had to wear them. As for modesty, I work across the street from a Catholic girls' high school. Every day at 2:30, hundreds of girls come pouring out in their white blouses and plaid skirts which are only knee-length to begin with, and then they stand on the sidewalk rolling up their skirts at the waist until they are ridiculously short! It just makes me shudder, especially because almost all of them have bare legs–if I went to that school through a Pittsburgh winter, I'd be wearing thick cotton leggings AND tights every day!
That made me laugh, Becca! I totally agree with you! I think uniforms are usually well-intentioned, but I'm not sure they really accomplish the good they are SUPPOSED to accomplish. If kids WANT to be immodest or distracting, they'll find a way to do it no matter what they're wearing. Dress codes are necessary, I understand, but I don't think uniforms can ever nix the need for clearly defined, well-enforced dress codes.
Yikes! I could write an entire post about school uniforms! But I don't think I will… 😉
I hope to be a homeschool mom for these reasons and many more. Thank you for sharing.
And thank you for reading! I hope you get to be a homeschooling mom yourself someday!
I'll be a homeschool mom when my son is a bit older, he's only 9 months. I love your reasons, and they are some of mine. Love that we have the right to homeschool in our country, unlike Germany… Hope that changes.
I featured your post at this week's Free to Talk Friday! =)
Hannah J
dreamingofperfect.weebly.com
That baby will be homeschool-age before you know it, Hannah! Then you can reap all those homeschooling benefits yourself.
Thanks so much for reading and for featuring my post!