Little sis graduates...will my kiddos?

My baby sister graduated high school today. Well, I guess she's really not a baby.

I found myself getting all teary-eyed during her commencement. Lord knows I didn't get weepy at my own high school graduation (or college!). I was so happy to get the flying fuck out of there, I didn't even want to attend my own graduation(s).

And yet, for a split second anyway, I found myself questioning if the decision J and I have made at this point in our lives, to home school Miss H and baby B, is the right one. By depriving them of a high school graduation (and a kindergarten one), would we somehow be doing some kind of irreparable damage to them?

As I said, it was only a split second of questioning, because I was quickly and easily able to remind myself that the damage of putting them in the school system far outweighed the damage of them never wearing a cap and gown and being handed a piece of paper in front of a few hundred people. At least in my opinion.

I think school is definitely a "to each their own" thing. And beliefs constantly change. A year ago I would not have even considered the possibility of considering homeschooling, now I have a hard time considering any type of school system, whether it be public or private.

Much like different parenting methods work for different families, I realize that different schooling works for different families. It's not a "one shoe fits all". Which is one of the reasons I really hate the public school system, as well a many private schools. They all teach all the children the same things, at the same speed, and the same way. And that doesn't make sense to me. Kids are different. They learn in many different ways. That should be realized and expanded upon. But it isn't.

I also really dislike that children spend 7 hours at school (sometimes more!) with only 2 thirty minute breaks (sometimes less!) and are expected to sit still and not speak and do what they are told and most especially, never question anything. I don't want a robotic sheeple of a child. I want a strong individual who is free to play and explore and question everything often.(I'm not saying that all children who are put through the public school system are sheeple, obviously they are not. But that doesn't mean that many of them are not either.)

I guess I'm just realizing that allowing my children to learn at their own pace, on their own terms, in a manner that is best for them is the better option for us. And if that means I won't get to take photos of them at a cute kindergarten graduation, or even a teary high school graduation, then that's okay. I'll still get to hear all about them from my friends and their kids, and I'll probably even get to attend some too! And that will be awesome. But, unless things change, which really, can always happen, those are just some things my kids won't experience. But they will have a bunch of different, great (and I'm sure not-so-great) experiences that kids who are "attending" school won't have. So it all evens out, right?

I hope so.