Homeschooling

For a while now, Leo and I have been praying about whether or not to homeschool LJ. Last month, we decided that I am going to go ahead and give homeschooling a try. I know some of you are probably wondering "why homeschool your kids?, what about social interaction?, what about your time alone?, ARE YOU INSANE?"

The answer to all of these questions is this--It is what we feel is best for our family right now. Three years ago, I had the chance to work as a school nurse for LAUSD (Los Angeles Unified School District). What an eye opener that was! I worked there for a semester and one thing I became sure of is how terrible that public school district is. I would literally work 10 jobs if I have to in order to send my children to a better school. Don't get me wrong, not all the schools in LA are bad but they certainly are few. My office became the haven for teachers. They would come in and vent to me about how difficult it is to teach the children with all of the politics and bureaucracies, not to mention the food in the cafeteria they serve the children. I couldn't believe they get away with serving these children heavily fat laden foods. I also cannot fathom allowing my LJ to learn about same sex marriage or the topic of sex from other people. I truly believe that as parents, it is our job to inform our children about such topics. Leo and I will let him know about those topics as we see fit. As far as social interaction, we are so blessed to know so many couples who are also homeschooling their children and they are the happiest, well behaved and well adjusted kids I've seen. We have lots of play dates, mommy and me groups and of course our church's kids ministry that LJ's social calendar is actually busier than mine!!! As far as my sanity goes, my husband is so supportive of this decision that we made together that we truly are going to ensure I get some "me" time.

Who knows, maybe I'll do it this summer and decide it's not for us. Maybe I'll do it for just a year. One thing I'm sure of is that I want to give it a try! We're in the process of creating an area in our living room right now for LJ's school. We started buying school supplies and I'm so excited! I know it's going to take a lot of discipline, organization skills, time management and PATIENCE!

So to our friends who homeschool, if you are reading this post, please feel free to give me tips, encouragement, any helpful suggestions at all.

I'll let you all know how it goes as I get started.

Deuteronomy 11:18-25

18 Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 19 Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 20 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, 21 so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land that the Lord swore to give your forefathers, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth. 22 If you carefully observe all these commands I am giving you to follow--to love the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways and to hold fast to him-- 23 then the Lord will drive out all these nations before you, and you will dispossess nations larger and stronger than you.