Home School Is Not Just For Weird Religious Kids Anymore

I was watching an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer the other day - (one of my the kids' guilty pleasures) and Buffy was talking to her mom about not attending a private school but the possibility of doing home school... Buffy's comment to her mom was "Home school is not just for weird religious kids anymore"... I thought that was funny because my oldest will be home-schooled this Spring and because I am a Christian - I thought some may think (like I used to) that I was using home-school as a way to protect my kids from the real world.... and that is not true.... I am using home school to help my kid to obtain her long term goals...

My daughter is a dreamer... and is easily bored much like I was at her age.. She loses focus and goes off into la la land and before she knows it - class is over and she missed what the assignment was... When she needs that little "extra" help - there are over 30 other kids trying to get the teacher's attention too.... It is difficult to stay on task when there are several things going on around you... It's difficult to do the right thing at times when others are doing the wrong thing and you want to "fit" in... It's difficult juggling several notebooks, class books, notes, and other important things and making it to class in the allotted time frame... and keeping everything organized - I might as well tell my kid to hike to the moon.... Sometimes - no matter how many times you have asked your kid to stay on task... get organized...study.... get good grades... don't forget your homework... don't be late.. - it just doesn't work... It's not that she doesn't want to... she does... It's something she is having difficulty doing and the stress to do it right and keep up - is drastically taking it's toll on her.....

I know I am not smart enough to teach her the things she needs to learn and I am not going to try... She has been accepted into a very good on-line school that is accepted by all the California and nationwide universities... The school offers AP and Honors courses... The difference is that she will have more one on one help.... She will have a counselor that will meet up with her every week... Everything is done via on-line and independent study... No more worrying about making it to school on time... No more 7 hour school days and 3-4 hours a night homework.. The time will always be productive... no more wasted time in classes where the teacher actually teaches for about twenty (20) minutes of the class time... Many times the teacher won't have a plan and will show a movie to pass the time... seriously....

The main question I get from others is "What about Social Skills?" and my question is "What about them?" She has been in a class environment since the age of 2... She is almost 15... If something isn't working... then you need to find something that does.... I will not allow my kid to be a hermit... She will be busy... Doing things that bring her joy.... She loves tennis - she will have more time to play now and will also continue to compete.... She loves kids... She will be an active volunteer in our church's Sports program - over 2000 children go through our sports programs every year... She will hang out with her friends... She will go to dances... She will do what every teenage girl does..

There are many many things that she can do now and obtain a great education with less stress... Like Buffy so eloquently said, "Home school is not just for weird religious kids any more"