Homeschooling for now: WHY we Pulled our Kids from School

As parents, we loved the care, friendship, exposure and formation our children were receiving from their school. (You can read all about why we loved school HERE)  Here are some reasons we decided to pull our kids from school and are homeschooling for now.

The Morning Rush

Every morning, I would hopefully wake up in time to rush my kids out the door, nag them to death until they pee, brush, eat, change, and comb their hair all while I pack L’s lunch and (if we were running late) breakfast to go. Sometimes there were extra school things to remember (the laundry for the classroom, groceries, a check, a costume to pack, forms to send in…etc) As a very sanguine person these things often slipped my mind until the morning we needed them! All morning I was running around until we made it to school. 

Drop Off

When we got to school, L would happily run inside, E however, (at age 3) would cry and hide and go all jelly and then stiff (the way toddlers do) – anything she could do to stay with me. I would send her in anyway and hope for the best. I kept thinking she would adjust, and while it got better over time there wasn’t one day that she willingly, whole heartedly wanted to go to school. 

Constantly on the Go

By the time I got home it would be 9 am. I had a little over 2 hours at home to clean the kitchen, do the laundry or catch up with loved ones. But when R was born that time was mostly spent feeding, burping, changing, and putting a newborn to sleep. At 11:20 I would have to pick up And then it was time to pick up E.

I would pick up E and be home by 12. We would eat lunch, play together, and take care of R together. By 2:20 it was time to pick up L. We would pick him up and head back on my 3rd trip home!

All together I spent 1-1.5 hours just driving to and from school. 

Something Missing

Another reason we wanted to consider homeschooling for now was the feeling that something wasn’t right.

E (age 3): When I would pick up E in the mornings, she would step into the car, happy to see me, holding a work she completed that she was very proud of, or maybe a vase of flowers she arranged for me. I would hug her, kiss her and ask, “How was your day?”. “Not good.” she would say most of the time. At times, it was because someone was standing in her way. Other times, someone was already working with the material she wanted to use. Sometimes she just missed me. I could sense her choleric but introverted nature was having a hard time when things left her control and she couldn’t express herself. (You can read more about the four temperaments HERE )

L (age 5): When I would pick up L, I could immediately tell he was different- he was far from calm. As soon as all friends were gone he would crash. I’m an extrovert too and I get this feeling after my friends leave me as well. But, this was something else! I could tell he didn’t take care of his body very well. Suddenly he would be starving, or have to use the bathroom, or too tired to even get out of the car. He would cry at the drop of a hat. “Dysregulated” was the word that came to mind. It would take about an hour and a half of moping about at home for him to come back to himself.

By then it would be after 4 pm and the neighborhood children were out to play. L would run out too, we would drag him back in time for dinner, bath, and sleep. As I took him to sleep, I realized that we, as parents, barely spent more than 30 mins of quality time with our son that day. 

Time Together

We weren’t there to guide him to take care of his body before playing, or to just give him that parent’s care that children need until a certain age. We didn’t get to guide him through any difficult situations. I would sometimes think to myself – he’s a busy, social boy – he doesn’t need me. But then I would see him at the end of the day and know I was wrong. It’s true, he is a busy, social boy. But, he’s still learning what his body, mind and soul need.

I would see a great difference in him when we were together more over the weekends. When we had time for one on one conversations, a close hug, a tickle fight or a game together, he was kinder, gentler, more calm and receptive. The best version of himself would shine throughout the day. 

I began to have this strong feeling in my heart – my children need me. They need more time with me for now, while they are still little and learning to thrive in this world. But how? We began to discern the option of homeschooling for now. (Read more HERE )