Pros and Cons of School at a Distance

Yesterday, I found Rosie making imaginary friends. She was coloring pictures of kids and giving them names. "These are the students I hope to have, when I'm a teacher," she said. I thought about it, and it seemed to me that when I'm a teacher sounded more like if I had status in school. "What about schoolmates?" I asked. "Yes," Rosie said, "these are the students I hope I would have in my class." "If you went back to school?" I asked. "Yes, if I ever go back to school."

Naturally I am squirming. This is my fault. At this point I am doing exactly what I didn't want to do - isolate her. And it's not necessary, either, since there are so very many homeschool groups. I just have been struggling to balance the new pattern and have not stepped out to find social opportunities fast enough.

I asked Rosie if she thought she would ever want to go back to regular school, and what the good and bad parts of school were. "I miss the playground," she said. "All the kids playing at once." This surprised me, since she typically played on the edges of the playground without anyone. "And I miss my friend." This is the one friend she made, a kindergartener. I haven't tried to maintain the friendship for her because the other child is so young. "The bad parts are that I have to concentrate, and I get distracted all the time." Yes, I tell her, if you're distracted a lot, then it's hard to concentrate.

"Also I hate math." This one makes me grin - so typical a kid's comment, even from someone who was getting awards in math despite everything - but then I realize it's related to the other bad parts - being distracted and having a hard time concentrating. At home, she studies math hanging off the couch upside down, sometimes in Japanese. Which... helps her concentrate. Math is an enormous pleasure for her when approached without stress, and she does very well. I don't see the elementary school putting up with that.

Rosie's dad insists, and I still do agree, that we have done the right thing in removing her from the ultra-stressful environment of public school. What we haven't done right YET is make sure the social bases are covered, and the theraputic bases.