Question of the Week
MiriamI can't tell you the number of people who have asked me if, now that the girls have spent time away from me at camp, I'm ready to send them to school.
Simple answer? No.
More detailed answer? I don't homeschool because I can't bear to have them away from me. I homeschool because I believe that I can provide a better education that they can receive in a school setting. I homeschool because I believe I can provide a better Torah education than any of the local day schools.
The girls' time at camp has given all of us time away from each other so we can relax. We can let the tension of trying to get stuff done while trying to play go. It also lets me see things the girls respond to that I might not have thought of. An added benefit is the schedule.
I have a difficult time sticking to a routine, though I do better with one. Going to camp, the girls have to wake, dress and eat by 8:30. They have a schedule at camp for tefillah, snacks, crafts, play, etc. Going forward, I'll be adapting this routine into our daily schedule. The rhythm they are used to at camp will flow into the rhythm of our homeschool day.
So no, I'm not quitting homeschooling now that the girls have been at camp. In fact, I'm more committed to homeschooling than ever.
Reader Comments (2)
Good for you! Sounds like you're taking the best of camp and using it to make your homeschool even more perfect. :-)))
I see camp as a harmless way of letting Naomi Rivka sample the kind of routine her friends have every day - and which she thinks she craves. She gets to see that she's learning and doing the same things as other kids her age - as if there was any doubt - and the benefit of all the time in the world to unwind & relax, which those other kids don't get, during our regular "school year."
Of course, camp is designed to be more fun than school, so it's not an entirely accurate sample, but with the schedule and shlepping and packing lunches and exhaustion, it's pretty close!
They are well aware camp isn't school. I mentioned something about "starting school" and Thing 2 freaked out. LOL