Back in the Game Part B

It is often a challenge for me to reconcile the school experiences I had as a child (some almost 30 years ago - YIKES!!) with what my children have experienced in school.  Granted, I attended most of my schooling pre No Child Left Behind travesty, in a country with a stronger economic outlook in a middle and upper class community.  MEAP was not prepared and studied for, and barely recognized as a blip on the radar.  Kindergarten was half day and still had naptime.  We had Art AND Music And Gym and Science.   They weren't electives that occur once every four weeks.  The lunch aides were friends moms who volunteered, and knew your parents.  You didn't back talk teachers - ever.  Internet sources weren't recognized as valid and I think we went to a petting zoo with real dinosaurs...anyways...

So this year I enrolled my children in public school.  They wanted friends and I needed to breathe.  Full day kindergarten with no rest time is a challenge, but not insurmountable.  One field trip a year is not ideal but tolerable, along with the rotating schedule of GAMS (gym, art, music, science) which is not a cute acronym and does not make it any less annoying.  I knew we could supplement, because I am well trained and have paid a lot of money to learn how to make every experience a teaching experience...

Then Snickers came home having wet his pants at school because the teacher ignored his hand and had told the students they couldn't go to the bathroom in their classroom without asking first.

He then came home with black eyes from boys at school who persistently bullied him, including on the bus.  On various occasions he was punched, thrown to the ground and kicked, dragged to the rock wall on the play equipment and thrown off, as well as other more minor things. He refused to eat his lunch at school, bringing it home where he could eat in peace, until Sunshine stepped in and gave up her recess to sit with him and watch him eat. He woke up every day begging to be homeschooled and terrified of the mean boys.  Meetings with the principal and school counselor resulted in us being told that "kids will be kids"  Sunshine figured out who the boys older cousins were, made friends with them, and informed them about the situation.  The older cousins handled it.  Mostly.

Sunshine has been spit on, tripped purposely, punched repeatedly.  She is picked on for still enjoying playing with Barbies, and liking American Girl movies.  She is 10.  She is laughed at for not wearing make up, shorter skirts, and tight clothes.  She has been bullied about not knowing what porn or rape was.  Most of this she attempted to hide from us, because she truly enjoys school.

Then Starlet came home with a black eye, bruised and puffy.  The hesitation was over, and the battle line drawn.

Tomorrow I withdrawal my children from public school and begin the homeschooling adventure again.

I have learned something about it from our adventures with it over the last 9 years.  I know what mistakes that should not be repeated again but probably will be.  I know that I need to work on follow through and not just have good intentions.  But I also know that I will fight to preserve my children as children.  That I will fight to ensure they have a quality education that is balanced. That I will not allow children who are reacting to their environment and responding how they have been taught is appropriate to hurt or instill fear in my children. 

So here we go again on our own....