We are finally getting back into the swing of homeschooling now that spring break is over. And with all the unpacking, sorting, and washing I have had to do to get us resettled, Lilla only spent about six hours doing school work this week.

But if I am honest about it, that is about as much school work as we do in any given week. Sometimes we do eight hours, but never more than ten. Because that is all the time it takes to cover what she needs to learn.

Which astounds me, because that is how many hours most kids spend in school per day. Except kids in school are not actually learning for six or eight hours a day, because the school day is packed full of wasted time. It takes twenty minutes for everyone to go to the bathroom, and ten minutes for every water fountain break. And don’t forget all the transition time in a single school day – kids lining up and walking to P.E., recess, computer lab, or lunch.

It makes sense that there are only about two hours of actual learning going on during any given school day, the exact same amount that goes on during a homeschooling day. But it makes me wonder, why would anyone ever put their kids in school?

And yet, I know there are multiple answers to that question. Some people don’t think they are cut out to homeschool. Many people have jobs and must work. And for others, well, I think they just like the all the free babysitting that public school provides.

But if you have ever thought about homeschooling, trust me when I tell you, if I can do it, you can do it too.

 

 

More and more of my friends are looking at homeschooling as an educational option for their kids. The private schools in our area are very expensive. And the public schools are not very good.

What this really means is that most of them will soon be homeschoolers. They just don’t know it yet. But it is true. Because there is no way to honestly evaluate the benefits of homeschooling and not conclude it is better than sending your kids to school. At least, a public school.

I know saying this will probably piss some people off. Because people like to think that their public school isn’t so bad. Or that it is the exception to the rule. And maybe it is. Maybe your kid will do great and go to Harvard. But I doubt it.

Because at the end of the day, whether your kids go to a good public school or a bad one, all public schools have the same fundamental problems, with the most significant being that the kids are taught what they must learn in order to pass the state tests.

Schools don’t teach what kids are interested in. They don’t teach what engages or fascinates them. They don’t teach what kids are bent toward or gifted in. They simply teach for the test.

Because the results are what schools are evaluated on. And they are what a school’s score is based on. So schools and teachers teach kids to make sure they pass the test, to the exclusion of other important subjects and concepts and to the detriment of the students.

No wonder so many kids hate school. No wonder so many of them think learning sucks. They are not being taught that learning is valuable and important. They are not being taught to be independent thinkers and learners. They are not being shown that learning is what makes life rich and full and good. And they are not being taught that learning is a life-long journey. Instead, they are being taught that they only need to learn enough to pass a stupid test created by faceless, nameless beaucrats.

Is it any wonder that so many kids are bored and completely disinterested in school?

 

I was late. I knew I probably would be. Because I am always about 5 minutes behind. But I had warned Lilla beforehand that she may have to wait a few extra minutes for me when ballet was over.

There was an empty space right up front. I pulled in and locked Bette in the car. And I ran in to grab Lilla.

A neighbor was there, waiting on her daughter. We exchanged small pleasantries. She asks Lilla if she is heading home to do her homework.

Lilla just looks at her. Uh, no I do homeschool.

Well, I am sure you do homework, she said.

Not really.

She laughs like how in the world can that possibly be? And then she looks at me.

We don’t do homework, I tell her.

She just laughs again. Like I am pulling her leg and making a joke.

And I can’t figure out why this is so hard for her to understand. But she is not getting it. She can’t comprehend it.

That we don’t do homework. Ever.

Because we homeschool. We do all our work at home. Everything we do is home work. Literally.

There is no such thing as after school work in homeschool. School is the work. The work is school.

Lilla doesn’t need to spend extra time after school doing worksheets to reinforce concepts. That is what we do in school.

I am her teacher. I know what she understands. I know what she doesn’t understand. And if she needs more practice in something, we practice. During school.

There is no homework. If there was, what really would be the point of homeschooling?

The point of homeschooling is to move at your own child’s pace. Not at anyone else’s pace. There is no one slowing you down. And there is no one forcing you to keep up. You are not subject to anyone else’s curriculum, schedule, or agenda.

You make your own decisions. You keep your own schedule. You decide what is best for your family. And it is Fan-Damn-Tastic.

When people learn that we homeschool, I usually get one of several responses from them: Wow, you are brave. Or, You are more patient than I am. Or, I could never do that. Or whatever.

And for a long time, to be nice and to make sure no one felt bad, I would always follow up with something stupid like, Well, you know, homeschooling works for some families. It isn’t right for others. You have to do what is right for your family.

Which a teeny, tiny part of me still agrees with. I mean, obviously, some people cannot homeschool. But now, I mostly think that is crap.

Because the truth is, anyone can homeschool. Anyone. Because what I have learned is that homeschool is not a big deal. In fact, it is a whole lot less of a big deal than real school.

It is not as complicated. It is not as all-consuming. And it is not as controlling or demanding.

There is an incredible amount of freedom in homeschool vs. real school, and it is the kind of freedom that once you get a taste of it, you never want to let it go.