Prove It!

Any parent knows that if a child says that he/she wants a piece of candy, you will be hard-pressed to get them to admit that they didn't really want candy, but instead wanted a juicy piece of grapefruit. But, that's exactly what I tried to do to Alex just a week ago (ok 9 days, but whatever!).

When Alex asked me to consider homeschooling him next year, he literally pulled the rug out from underneath me. You see, I had plans for next year; both Morgann & Alex would be at school Monday through Friday, from 8:15AM to 4PM (which includes a bus ride), and Ian would begin preschool on Tuesday & Thursday. This would leave me 2 glorious days all to myself, and I was going to relish each and every second. Me, all by myself, with no diapers to change, lunches to fix, or fights to stop. These were my plans and I was determined that I would have my ME time, at all costs!

But, the more I tried to walk away from his request, the more I have found myself buried in homeschooling websites, curriculums and, yes, school supplies! I have been focused on just one thing...helping my son to finish his 2nd grade year with the best scores he can possibly get, just so that we can get to the summer and begin preparing to...wait for it....homeschool for 3rd grade!

What a difference a week can make!

Just 10 days ago, I was relishing the thought of having 2 glorious days, all to myself, with no children to deal with. And now I cannot wait to begin studying the 3rd grade - again! I have become a mommy possessed - and we all know what a danger she can be! Everything I do leads me to wonder if this or that might be a good way to teach Alex this lesson or that lesson. I have spent 4 sleepless nights, tossing & turning while visions of textbooks, world maps, and planning charts dance through my head. I have found myself at ever turn talking about the newest homeschool website I found, or the coolest chore chart site ever! I think Michael might be ready to wring my neck. Even now, while sitting in bed with my laptop on my lap (imagine that, ha!), this is the only thing I can blog about. It has literally consumed me to the point of making me crazy - and very, very tired!

Is this what happens when God finally gets through to you???

Nope, this is.

During my initial "Is this the right move?" period, I had sent an email to my MOPS group inquiring as to whether there might be any MOPS moms that had any experience with homeschooling - either currently or in the past. I was floored by all of the response - mostly from moms that had only considered it and were passing along their research and websites to me, but I did get a few mommies that had actually shouldered the responsibility of teaching their own children at one time or another. But it was one email in particular that really grabbed my attention. It was from a former member of our group that I have never met. It just so happens that she is a teacher for a local, nearby school district. Of course, she had many concerns about homeschooling children, primarily because all of her experience dealt with kiddos that had been homeschooled, but then returned to public school, only to be lagging behind in almost every area of their education. Yes, it was her email that caught my attention. This is my biggest fear...that I not teach my son well enough to return to school in a year or 2 on-level or even ahead of his peers. So, why did this one email catch my attention?

It was because over the course of emailing back & forth regarding the "Why am I thinking about homeschooling?" issue that she offered me some logical and useful suggestions. If Alex is asking to be homeschooled because "being by himself allows him to work undistracted", then why not just ask his teacher to remove the distractions? Why not ask her to give him some private space of his own? Why not? Well, because it hadn't crossed my mind, that's why not!

And you know what? That's exactly what I did yesterday morning. Alex had spent the better part of his weekend and Monday night studying for a math test. We were both worried because he's really struggled through this last 6 weeks, and this test would determine whether he passed or failed his final 6 weeks in this subject. It was crucial that he do well. So, knowing the distraction issues he has dealt with throughout the past year, I decided to simply ask his teacher to help him succeed. "What a novel concept", I thought! And, so I asked. I asked her to move him to a quieter area where he could focus on nothing else but his test. And, she did!

When he came home with a huge smile on his face, I knew good news was coming. Not only did my child, the one that struggles to complete 3 math problems in 25 minutes, finish his test. He finished FIRST. And he passed with an 85!!! This was huge news and we could do nothing else but hug, smile and high-five each other. So, guess what I did. I asked her to do the same thing for his Social Studies test today. He passed with a 100, and was again the first to complete his work.

You know what this proves? My child needs a little piece of quiet where he can focus and study and do well. And, yes, this proves that the school can accommodate this special request without much fanfare. But, you know what else this proves? It proves that my child knew exactly what he needed to succeed. And no matter how much talking I did to the contrary, he was right!

So, you ask, "Why not send him to school with the understanding that his teacher send him off to a quieter area during tests?"

My answer is simple. I don't want Alex to feel singled out every time there is a test. And, for that matter, the problem doesn't lie in the fact that the concentration issues only exist during tests. It's a daily struggle for him. I don't want him to be sent away to a solitary place so that he can succeed. I want to encourage him to focus & learn because HE CAN. Because he is smarter than a whip and can do anything he puts his mind to. And, I want to be there, by his side for at least a year, to teach him what it means to study and focus. I want to hold his hand as he learns new studying techniques. I want him to gain critical skills that he isn't getting from the school, but that I know God will equip me to teach.

I want to prove to him that he can do all things, through Christ, who strengthens him! (Phil. 4:13) - thanks mom :)