Although there are some good things about attending the magnet school Christion's been at since Kindergarten, we are REALLY considering the home school option.
From the outside, most people would probably say that Christion is doing fine. He appears content & enjoys some of the activities at school, like... Recess, P.E., his elective Gym Class, and of course he also says he enjoys Summer Vacation as well! Anyone see a pattern here??
Funny Thing is... he scores LOW in the physical fitness section of the Report Cards- EVERYTIME- simply because we are late to school regularly!! This stems from our late night hours and slow-to-move morning schedule. I can't say that I'm willing to change that about ourselves & yet it doesn't make it any easier on Christion to have his teachers and other staff members frowning on him for it.
Which leads me to the topic of self-esteem & feeling accomplished. Why is it that the view of our children is sooo much dependent on the image we, as parents, send attached to them. If I am troubled by earlier mornings- he carries the "tardy label". If I choose to not enforce sending his homework back into school- he carries the label "irresponsible" with him. The list could go on & on, but I'll stop there & share that Christion has expressed to us that he's not very good at anything at school and his head hangs down, eyes to the ground, too often.
Sure, I could say that Christion is getting a pretty good education for a public school and his experiences there will not devestate his future, but is middle of the line acceptable? Not for me and the future I'm raising. I want a higher bar set. Not by the hardened enforcement of "rules and regulations", but by the love and compassion that helps each of us grow and flourish into the BEST individuals that we can be. Christion has unfortunately learned a lot about rudeness, how critical people and peers can treat one another and has seen too many stern faces and not enough smiles. Though the world is full of this nonsense & it is not completely avoidable, I would not like to push him off the ledge into the shark tank just yet. I'd rather teach him how to swim with the dolphins and select to enjoy the company of peace and companionship in life while teaching him how to avoid the piranhas of this world.
As an adult, I have to consciously avoid "poisonous playmates" and "crazymakers" and this is a valuable and realistic thing to teach our children too. I choose not to be around "energy vampires" and have found it way more enlightening in my thirties, than the "combatant","defensive", and"coping" techniques my parents once taught me in grade school in order to deal with "bullies" and their "ugly" comments. Call me protective, but I feel more obligation to sharing a better life skill to my children than what I once struggled to apply to life.
The down side to all of this is that I waited sooo long. At this point, Christion is already part of a community. I suppose we all have shifted to other communities throughout the course of our lives and found the "change" refreshing at the least. Perhaps it will benefit him having seen multiple perspectives. I can't say that I will leave the choice entirely up to him, as children do not have all of the wisdom & life experience from which to make all of the "big" choices- especially at 8, but I will respect his views and attempt to meet the needs he may feel that he would miss from continuing his education in the magnet school.
Sound like I already have my mind made up.... well if I were to "keep it real" I would have to say that I am definately "leaning toward a very different educational experience" for my child.
From the outside, most people would probably say that Christion is doing fine. He appears content & enjoys some of the activities at school, like... Recess, P.E., his elective Gym Class, and of course he also says he enjoys Summer Vacation as well! Anyone see a pattern here??
Funny Thing is... he scores LOW in the physical fitness section of the Report Cards- EVERYTIME- simply because we are late to school regularly!! This stems from our late night hours and slow-to-move morning schedule. I can't say that I'm willing to change that about ourselves & yet it doesn't make it any easier on Christion to have his teachers and other staff members frowning on him for it.
Which leads me to the topic of self-esteem & feeling accomplished. Why is it that the view of our children is sooo much dependent on the image we, as parents, send attached to them. If I am troubled by earlier mornings- he carries the "tardy label". If I choose to not enforce sending his homework back into school- he carries the label "irresponsible" with him. The list could go on & on, but I'll stop there & share that Christion has expressed to us that he's not very good at anything at school and his head hangs down, eyes to the ground, too often.
Sure, I could say that Christion is getting a pretty good education for a public school and his experiences there will not devestate his future, but is middle of the line acceptable? Not for me and the future I'm raising. I want a higher bar set. Not by the hardened enforcement of "rules and regulations", but by the love and compassion that helps each of us grow and flourish into the BEST individuals that we can be. Christion has unfortunately learned a lot about rudeness, how critical people and peers can treat one another and has seen too many stern faces and not enough smiles. Though the world is full of this nonsense & it is not completely avoidable, I would not like to push him off the ledge into the shark tank just yet. I'd rather teach him how to swim with the dolphins and select to enjoy the company of peace and companionship in life while teaching him how to avoid the piranhas of this world.As an adult, I have to consciously avoid "poisonous playmates" and "crazymakers" and this is a valuable and realistic thing to teach our children too. I choose not to be around "energy vampires" and have found it way more enlightening in my thirties, than the "combatant","defensive", and"coping" techniques my parents once taught me in grade school in order to deal with "bullies" and their "ugly" comments. Call me protective, but I feel more obligation to sharing a better life skill to my children than what I once struggled to apply to life.
The down side to all of this is that I waited sooo long. At this point, Christion is already part of a community. I suppose we all have shifted to other communities throughout the course of our lives and found the "change" refreshing at the least. Perhaps it will benefit him having seen multiple perspectives. I can't say that I will leave the choice entirely up to him, as children do not have all of the wisdom & life experience from which to make all of the "big" choices- especially at 8, but I will respect his views and attempt to meet the needs he may feel that he would miss from continuing his education in the magnet school.
Sound like I already have my mind made up.... well if I were to "keep it real" I would have to say that I am definately "leaning toward a very different educational experience" for my child.
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I am looking for a very rich, diverse, fun and stimulating experience
in this thing we call "life"- not just a thing we call "school".
As a strong believer in "life-long learning", I want my children to know that the entire world and beyond is a place of "learning" and it doesn't just happen at a place called "school". Sounds like we are fast approaching a new chapter.
Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to school we go.... do do do do do do do do, hi ho, hi ho, hi ho, hi ho!
