So, this post is going to be a bit of a vent. Not a bash of the mainstream school system - after all, I may be a part of it someday. But right now, I am feeling a bit frustrated, yet wondering at the same time if I am overreacting.
Right before spring break, Hunter's teacher sent home a note stating that they were going to begin working on a project entitled "A Decade of My Life." They were supposed to bring in pictures from their lives, birth to present, and a list of some important events that have occurred in their lives.
For obvious reasons, this project was more of a challenge for us than for other families. But getting the pictures together and having few positive events for him to share was not the main issue for me.
I am a scrap-booker. I am organized (when it comes to the important stuff). I am also the kind of mom who wants to make sure that her kids always have keepsakes and records of their childhoods, both for themselves and for posterity. Put all of these together, and I believe it is MY job to do this project with my child. MY job to gather pictures with him, talk about them, be there for him when he wants to talk about the significant events that have occurred in his life. It is MY right and MY privilege and MY joy to spend the time putting together scrapbooks for him. And I do NOT appreciate the school taking that away from me.
Granted, their intention was not to take anything away from parents. Their intention was to do "something fun as a class." And for probably 7 out of every 10 of those kids, this will be their first scrapbook of any kind. But that is not my fault and not my problem, and I don't believe it is the school's place to take something so personal and make it into a group project.
This doesn't even touch on the feelings I have about my son being adopted. These feelings are solely based on the fact that I don't believe it is right for his school to take on themselves this type of a task. The fact that this is going to be even more difficult for him as an adoptee is a completely separate issue that even further supports my feelings that this type of project should be done at home with the parent(s).
A lot of things throughout this year have further strengthened my desire to homeschool my children. I was homeschooled as a child and allowed to choose if and when to be mainstreamed, as were my brothers, and I still see the HUGE benefits of homeschooling over mainstream education; and so I have always wanted to at least consider homeschooling for my own children. But this project - on the heels of the sex ed unit, I might add - has just added fuel to the fire and may be the straw that has broken the camel's back.
I take my kids out of the sex ed unit. Anything they need to know on that, I'll teach them at home.
ReplyDeleteFor the most part, my kids have had good experiences in the public school system. Up until middle school, I've been allowed to choose who their teachers are and have specifically chosen those who I know are Christians.
I don't like how they make a big deal out of Halloween and hate that they care more about self esteem than spelling, but I'm a hands on parent and do my best to pick up where they lack and choose my battles.
Melissa
I carefully reviewed the "Growth and Human Development" (their words) unit before it began. At this level, it was more of a health class than a sex ed class, and I made sure that none of the topics I was concerned about would be addressed during the classes. The school was good about making the actual sex-related topics "Ask your parents about this" subjects and did not discuss them in the class. Otherwise, I would have pulled him out of the unit. However, it got me thinking about when he gets into higher grades and researching the subject and I ended up at our state legislature on the matter. I was NOT pleased with where the government is going on it. Then this happened, and I'm just feeling more and more strongly that I can better educate him at home both academically and concerning values. I'm a hands-on parent too, but I'm probably more emotional than you when it comes to the battles :).
ReplyDeleteI also feel that God has given me a gift by providing for our family in such a way that I can stay home with the kids, and by preparing my husband's heart and mind to be extremely supportive of the idea of homeschooling. The more I pray about it and open my eyes to the events surrounding our family, the more I feel God is leading us to homeschool. BUT, more prayer to come prior to the final decision! :)