Homeschooling
The 'h" word conjures up images of perfectly organised mothers with minimum 5 children (all under the age of 5) who are perfectly well behaved and guaranteed reading Shakespeare (and understanding it) by the age of 7. We aren't like that at all. I'm a mum of two boys - 4 years old and 1 year old. We aren't organised in the least - I seem to get into it with such gusto for about 3 days and then need the next 4 to recover. This really isn't setting a good example for my children. If I'm going to teach, I'm going to have to do it with at least SOME sort of routine - at the very least have our meals and morning and afternoon snack time at about the same time everyday.
Why did I decide to homeschool? Honestly, the reasons are many and some of them are actually quite selfish. I don't like the idea of him going to school to be influenced by things that we don't believe in - Christmas, Easter, Tooth fairy. He is such an impressionable boy and while it isn't that I don't have faith in him or my ability to teach him right from wrong - I just believe he would benefit from staying with me for a few more years before he is exposed to school life. I didn't want him to have to decide whether he was going to be the cool kid/the naughty kid/ the bully/ the victim/ the nerd. I see the cliques forming in his day care and the children are all under 5! I just want him to be HIM, and to be comfortable and confident enough to know he doesn't have to fit into any of the stereotypes.
It isn't that I am unhappy about the Islamic schools in my city, either. MashaAllah, they are doing very well and apparently very good literacy scores and whatnot. After visiting the school to enquire about preschool, there seemed to be very little benefit when compared to the state schools. Sure, he will be around Muslim children but the exposure to Islam (eg. salah, Arabic) is negligible. He's better off at home with me and then at our local masjid's madressah.
I get to spend more time with him, too. I can only see this as a benefit for both of us. I do get annoyed with him sometimes, just as he gets annoyed with me. InshaAllah it will help both of us learn to deal with conflict and increase our sabr.
I don't want any regrets with this later on. If I don't try it, I'm forever going to be wondering. I do not know if I will be doing this forever. At least for this preschool year it will be a "trial run." I figure I can't really stuff up preschool, right? If we are having fun and he seems to be learning at the same time, grades 1, 2, 3, 4 here we come!
So we begin this little homeschooling journey - who knows where it will lead us but I pray we end up in a place where my son is happy, confident and pious.
Why did I decide to homeschool? Honestly, the reasons are many and some of them are actually quite selfish. I don't like the idea of him going to school to be influenced by things that we don't believe in - Christmas, Easter, Tooth fairy. He is such an impressionable boy and while it isn't that I don't have faith in him or my ability to teach him right from wrong - I just believe he would benefit from staying with me for a few more years before he is exposed to school life. I didn't want him to have to decide whether he was going to be the cool kid/the naughty kid/ the bully/ the victim/ the nerd. I see the cliques forming in his day care and the children are all under 5! I just want him to be HIM, and to be comfortable and confident enough to know he doesn't have to fit into any of the stereotypes.
It isn't that I am unhappy about the Islamic schools in my city, either. MashaAllah, they are doing very well and apparently very good literacy scores and whatnot. After visiting the school to enquire about preschool, there seemed to be very little benefit when compared to the state schools. Sure, he will be around Muslim children but the exposure to Islam (eg. salah, Arabic) is negligible. He's better off at home with me and then at our local masjid's madressah.
I get to spend more time with him, too. I can only see this as a benefit for both of us. I do get annoyed with him sometimes, just as he gets annoyed with me. InshaAllah it will help both of us learn to deal with conflict and increase our sabr.
I don't want any regrets with this later on. If I don't try it, I'm forever going to be wondering. I do not know if I will be doing this forever. At least for this preschool year it will be a "trial run." I figure I can't really stuff up preschool, right? If we are having fun and he seems to be learning at the same time, grades 1, 2, 3, 4 here we come!
So we begin this little homeschooling journey - who knows where it will lead us but I pray we end up in a place where my son is happy, confident and pious.
posted by Tasmiya at 10:36 PM
1 Comments:
Salamu Alaikum Sister
I am kind of at the same place you were at when you initially wrote this blog. Its so neat to read about others that think the same way :) I don't know if I will actually do it, though, my son is 4, daughter is 2 and baby girl is 2 months. I am starting to think perhaps wait until the baby is a bit older.
I got the impression that your son was already attending daycare, just like mine. Did he enjoy it? Mine attends 2 days a week and loves it. Its a major reason I am thinking perhaps I shouldn't take him out of the mainstream school route and follow the route taken by most moms from my background (Egyptian Muslim) here in Canada, and that is extra teaching after school. And yet something about homeschooling and being the only point of reference for him really appeals to me. AM CONFUSED!
Anyway, I really like your blog, will continue to read.
Wa salam
http://biltawfik.blogspot.com/
Raising the Omar Generation (my blog on raising Muslims who are strong in faith and personality)
http://hijabwannabe.blogspot.com/
Hijab Wannabe (my other blog)
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