[tri-wings] Aaron & Sandi

I'm Sorry I misspelled Jonah Ethan's name and I really do know how to spell 
"congradulations!".  I'm new to this mode of communication.  Without spell 
check I'm not perfect !!  With it I'm still not !! :) Thankfully there's not a 
spelling/grammer "look out" !! Depending on the time I may have several helpers 
nearby. Maxamilian my 2yr old trys to be the biggest !  And then yes I 
homeschool ! Shhh!  Aahhh this is the life...

You asked " what made you decide to homeschool" and if "we wanted more 
children". Homeschooling became a reality for us when our daughter Brittany 
attended a private school. She went kdg and 1/2 of 1st gr.  Her classroom had 
22 children. At conferences before Christmas break her teacher approach us with 
the possibilite of using Ritalin for her attention. "She didn't seem focused". 
Was having a hard time...etc... This classroom already had 6 children on it and 
the teacher had approached 5 more parents.  Our Brittany was a young 5 when she 
started school. Her birthday is in Aug. Soo after asking around we had 
discovered alot of neg stuff the teacher was allowing to happen. Besides having 
almost half of her classroom on Ritalin she was constatly yelling at these kids 
and belittling them. Siblings in the upper grades would hear her. My husband 
and I went to the principle several times over our concerns. Each time it was 
"just us who were having problems." To make this shorter we pulled her right 
after Christmas break. We weren't "the only ones" having problems. We were the 
only ones to ? high enough to figure it out. After we left several parents 
approached me and asked what happened. Come to find out the other parents who 
had been approached had tried Ritalin and it didn't work. It won't if you 
chemicaly  don't need it. There also in kdg was a "Girls Club" that one child 
had started. It takes one to start and the rest to follow.... This "club" was 
very mean. The girls would have to "kiss the boys", wear body glitter, and a 
host of other things that caught me as well as others off guard!!! It became 
totally out of control.  Once we found out we voiced our concerns. I was 
completely blown away. No wonder my Britt was always "sick".  I remember 
thinking 1st gr?, I thought this would happen in 4th. Not this soon. Private 
schools can become very caddy. We thought in the lower gr we were safe. We 
thought they would get a "Christ centered education" instead it became "how to 
survive 101".  Afterwards it came out this one girl had such control. The other 
girls even though they knew it was wrong went along. The teacher didn't "see 
it" happening. So we pulled her. As a result some very positive changes 
happened at the school.  Administration struggled with it for awile. Change is 
hard. When done for good reason's the rewards far outweigh the old neg. I did 
say to the principle "I've sent my child here... dressed like all the others ( 
they wore uniforms) to be treated Christ like, and what have you done? This one 
girl is running these girls! and boys! What are you going to do for the rest of 
them?"  Her mother was on the school board and her parents were our friends. I 
told the principle it was the beginning of a bad group. That's how gang's 
start!  Couldn't this group's energy be spent better? Find something more 
positive for this child to use and refine her "leadership skills?'

Shortly after this the shootings in Columbine happened. Schools began to look 
at their policies... In our old school they started a Parent Group. I was 
invited to attend and share our story. They broke up the "Club". Parents became 
more aware of what wasn't going to be tolerated. The kids were taught the tools 
needed to survive these situations, and everyone came up winning. Most 
importaint the KIDS learned NO. This young girl couldn't bully them into 
something they knew was wrong. I thought as well as the other parents we had 
taught them NO. Peer Pressure. But so early.

The Parent Group had a Social Worker as it's mediator. The Social Worker has 
extensive experience with all walks of life. She has  challenged the school to 
see outside of the box. That this behavior from parent/child could be used in 
positive ways. She has brought in speakers who have talked about how this could 
lead into a child  messing with drugs/sex etc.. and how parents can change the 
outcome.

So for our family we "fell into homeschooling". I want to keep my children from 
being desensitized from all the media etc... Their not "sheltered from the 
world" but their seeing and hearing what thier little brains can "handle".  Our 
children are learning life lessons along with academics. Their being molded in 
what our faith teaches us. Not what the world wants us to be. For our children 
home is the place to be. We live by people they see/play with other children. 
They still have heartache's. They also are keenly aware of standing up for what 
is wrong. But there still kids.....who fight,yell,disobey,don't want to do 
their chores,lessons etc.. they just are being raised in the calm waters of 
home before going out to sea. Yes they have a life perserver on! The hands of 
God.   

                  Building ___ooOOoo__ Rainbows
                       www.trisomyonline.org
                  Families Helping Families On-line

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