Off to the races... why?

It's been our first really crazy week of the Fall. There have been a lot of new classes and places to get to, and I always seem to have the most trouble in these first weeks, just because things are so new. I can't seem to get my stride. It's not until we all get used to the routines that I am able to figure out when I can sneak in a little shopping trip, get the kids to do their math between classes, or find some time for housework or cooking dinner. Until then, I just can't seem to be very efficient with my time. Add to that the fact that I am VERY slow on my feet (literally) and am still having to fit in things like physical therapy, eye appointments and what-not, and it feels a little like we are on a wheel running but not really getting anywhere yet.

It'll come together eventually, but why all this running around? We are most definitely NOT one of those self-contained homeschool families that spend a lot of time at home with the parent planing and giving lessons daily. It's not that I don't think that would be nice, but (1) my daughter starts to go stir crazy after a day at home and just doesn't seem to want to let that happen and (2) there are so many wonderful things out there to do and see. Over the past few years, I have managed to farm out some of the teaching to people who really know what they are doing, trying to save myself some trouble. Sometimes I feel I'm more a chauffer than anything else. This leads me to my next thought... "Well, geeze, aren't I just trying to re-create the wheel here?" I've sought out teachers for things like art, piano and science. I've joined co-ops where the kids get to learn with other kids some of the time. Isn't this just what school does? Didn't society come up with the "school" idea as a way to get our kids to learn with their peers from "experts"? Wouldn't it just be so much easier to send my kids to school and let those "experts" teach them without all this running around? One stop shopping, right?

Well, yes, it would definitely be easier for me in some ways. But in others, it most definitely would not be. When I think back to the problems we were having and the fact that I couldn't just leave my kids at school without being involved somehow, I know that I would be there with them anyway. It would just be much less efficient. We'd have to be doing piles of homework, fundraisers, meetings and special events. I wouldn't necessarily know or like the people my kids were with all day, and I would have a lot less control over what was being crammed into their heads. Also, there is no guarantee that they would even be with the same kids from one year to the next, so the argument about steady friends doesn't even hold for us. My kids would be exhausted and wishing they could do so many other things that we just wouldn't have time for. I think also that there is a big difference between a few hours of co-op lessons a week with people we know and like, and eight hours a day, five days a week of a school environment. Also, I am free to seek out quality teachers that fit our learning style.

It's a matter of degree. I want them to be able to learn in a group environment, but not all the time. I want to be able to change things if something isn't working out. I want to be able to spend time going places and doing things that are REAL. In this way, I can ensure that the things we do are quality activities with quality people. We've distilled the "school" activities down to only those that are really necessary and fit in so much more besides. It's amazing what can be accomplished without the bureaucracy and crowd control, and they will be so much more enriched in the end and so much more conversant with life outside of the "school" environment. They are learning with experts, but in small groups or one-on-one in a more personal way. Occasional larger classes add experience and maturity but don't swallow them up. The rest is opportunity, interest and experience. Reinventing the wheel? Maybe, but it'll be a souped-up custom model in the end.