A BIG Announcement

The past few weeks, Goober has started having some difficulty at school. First, it was a "friend" of his (he's such a sweet kid, everyone's his friend even if they don't deserve that title) who is teasing him in a non-friendly way. Then it was his grades, which are suffering because he is so bored and has just lost interest in waiting for everyone else to catch up to him. He is very bright and masters things pretty quickly, something a lot of people just don't do. The final straw was the sudden sadness and envy in wishing he could be home learning with Bub and I. He was actually making himself physically ill because of his regret of not getting to homeschool. Now, that final reason alone was not enough for me to decide he should homeschool, but combining that with all the other things, I decided it was time to have a discussion.


Goober and I talked very heavily over the upsides and downs of staying at home. In the end, he said he wants to try because he wants to see what learning at his own pace would be like. He's a math whiz, so he is really looking forward to the-sky's-the-limit math problems.After weighing pros and cons (both his and mine), thinking, prayerful consideration, and many, many discussions, we've decided to give it a go. There are only 2 1/2 months left of 4th grade, so we figure now's a great time to try. If it isn't working out, we'll spend from now until August making sure he's ready for 5th grade and he'll start back in the fall. If it is working, then we'll stick it out for 5th grade and beyond.

Goob is a very social child, so socialization will be heavy on the agenda for him. We will attend many field trips, group trips, and small group "play dates" so he gets lots of interaction with children and adults of all ages. He will miss his friends, but knows that he will make new ones and with children who are like him in many ways, not just in age. His close friend at church is a homeschoolers, so he is looking forward to spending lots of time with him. The only reservation Hubs and I have is this issue, so I will make sure it's got resolution. I would never do anything to make my children's lives more difficult, so part of doing what's right here is making sure he gets to see lots of people. As for the rest of it, that will be a breeze with my little smarty.


We are fully aware that this will not be without strife and is a huge sacrifice for each of us to make, but we know that the right decision for now is to give it a whirl. We are not looking for anyone to back us up, we know we've made the right choice, but we would hope that you will keep any negative opinions about this to yourself. I am more than willing to answer questions, but not willing to argue or to be convinced to change my mind. We will be using a fantastic curriculum and I have no doubt that Goob will blossom educationally from this choice. We are both thrilled and excited to get started.

Beginning in one week, I will be homeschooling mama of two. I am excited, scared, thrilled, nervous, and oh-so thankful we are getting this opportunity. I can't wait to get started!