What she said was that Ryan is a bright, quick student. He normally finished his work WAY before the other students and would look for other things to do. She learned early on that she needed to give him ideas when he finished so that he didn't get into trouble, or start making trouble with those who were still working.
I know for a fact (because I have to do it too) that very often, teachers teach to the lowest aptitude in the class. Because of this, I could see in my mind being called in every week because of Ryan's behavior in Kindergarten. He'd probably start talking, or messing around, or fidgeting or something because he was done with his work and was bored!
The result? He would be punished, we'd be called in to discuss his behavior. He'd possibly be labeled as ADD/ADHD or something, which is the furthest thing from the truth. And, he would begin to hate school. All because my son happens to be smart and quick.
Ric and I didn't take the decision to home school lightly. I have PLENTY of school stuff to keep me busy with New England Tech AND Bishop Hendricken High School classes! Adding home school wasn't an easy decision! Even up to the very last minute, I was crying on the phone with my sister (who also is a homeschooler) and telling her how overwhelmed I was at the thought of doing this! My running joke lately, is "that it's only Kindergarten...so if I mess it up, he can go to school in 1st grade." I honestly don't think that, or plan to put him into first grade. I think that joking is my defense against the usual questions that come up when someone mentions home schooling. I know that I've planned all that I can plan and prayed many a time about this. So I can only hope for the best results.
Ryan (and Megan) won't get to experience the school bus, or the cafeteria, or the other kids in their class. They won't get the "traditional" socialization that so many people hold up as the only way to exist these days. *GASP!* She said it! She doesn't want her kids to be socialized the traditional way! (Yes, I said the "S" word AND YES, you read that correctly!)
Honestly, I don't want them to be traditional! I want my kids to be able to hold an intelligent conversation with peers AND adults. When was the last time you saw a high school student actually converse without texting? Or even converse with an adult? I can't tell you the number of kids I've had in my college classes who can't communicate or who don't socialize with others. I see the torment that others put upon their peers, and how isolated these kids can be. (Even though it's college, there's not a lot of change that happens over the summer when they graduate from high school!)
I'm not saying that I plan to shield my kids from all the evils that are out there, I couldn't even begin to do that. But I do plan to give my children a well-rounded education that includes learning how to live in the world around them. No, they won't be socialized in the so-called "normal" way. They'll grow up with a great sense of who they are and what they can accomplish, instead of being bullied and put down by their peers. My kids will be leaders, instead of being forced to conform and submit to the "norm".
Why be normal? (Wasn't that written on a t-shirt in the 80's or something?) What's normal about kids who are isolated and bullied to the point where they shoot up their schools? I read an excellent article about this very thing, and because it was so good, I'm going to quote it here:
I hate to be the one to break it to you, but there’s nothing “normal” about our kids. Your homeschooled child is odd compared to the schooled population because they have not experienced ongoing school-based socialization and standardization.
When you consider that the homeschooled population makes up only 3-6% of the entire school-going population, you may begin to understand just how different your kids are or will be.
Interestingly, you can even pump them full of standardized curriculum and their homeschooled experience will still be so far outside the norm, that they will always think and act differently than those who attend traditional schools.
How could it be any different? They haven’t been indoctrinated in the same way. They have not been steeped in the popular consumer culture to the degree that most schooled kids have been. They are not adult-phobic and peer-dependent.
They haven’t been grouped and sorted according to age and academic track. They haven’t been expected to know their place and stay in the “class” to which they have been assigned. They haven’t been trained to respond to the bell and do assignments without question.
They haven’t had to surrender their individuality and will to an authority figure who may not have their best interests at heart. They aren’t subjected to judgment, grading, and the bestowment of rewards and punishments without the ability to object or appeal.
They haven’t been conditioned to be passive and compliant or dependent on others to tell them what to do or how to spend their time. They are not powerless. They have the choice to remove themselves from bad situations or people and change the curriculum when it’s not relevant, interesting, useful, or meaningful. (Credit)
I know I'm getting a little high up on my soap box, and I'll step down, promise! But not before I say this...our choice to homeschool our children in no way reflects that we are better than anyone else because they choose to or have to send their kids to public/private school. We're fortunate (and VERY VERY LUCKY) that we have the ability to do this for our kids.
Additionally, I shouldn't have to explain the hours of research, study, and prayer that I've put in to this decision because someone is worried that my kids won't be "traditionally or normally" socialized. I'm not worried in the least. I have always been one to go against the flow, and because of it, I've been successful. We are teaching our kids to do the same.
They will stand out, they already do.
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