We did have some moments that weren't so positive. One well-meaning relative gravely expressed her concern that our daughter wouldn't be like other kids, since she didn't watch television or go to school. I explained to her that I didn't want my daughter to be like other kids. That was the point of what we were doing! When my daughter eagerly showed her new school supplies to a little friend who was already in first grade, that friend informed her that it wasn't real school, and that she would have to go to real school if she wanted to learn anything. And one morning, as my little girl looked out the window and saw some children playing around while waiting for the school bus, she said longingly, "I wish I could join in the fun." It broke my heart.
There were many more times, however, that made me thankful for the opportunity to spend this time together: Times we spent snuggled up on the sofa reading wonderful stories that, somehow, I had missed when I was young. Times we went to the park, or the beach, or the library, while other kids were sitting in school. Our weekly ladies' Bible study, where the children (including a few other homeschooled kids) played together while the moms prayed and studied God's Word and sometimes went to lunch afterward. There were times when my child would wake up in the morning and excitedly check out her seeds that she had planted, or examine the aquarium to count the baby fish, and exclaim, "There are so many exciting things to see, I don't know what to look at first!" And as I listened to her read her first real book, Green Eggs and Ham, I knew that this was the right thing to do.
At the end of our first year, we awarded our little student a Kindergarten Diploma and brand new kitten. By then, the baby was two and we were expecting another little one. Life was good! And I started planning for the year to come.
To be continued in A Homeschool Journey, Part 9
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