Welcome to our stop on the 2018 Back to School Crew Blog Hop today!
Can ya tell the difference in the pix?
Yup- from super formal, happy to have pix made,
to "Do I HAVE to pose this year?"
SIGH.....
But that's not to say she didn't want to go blasting down the Back to School aisles for 'new stuff' for the year, although all we NEEDED was white board markers! She's bought into the idea of new items for a new year. UNTIL- I made her look at what she STILL had from last year, versus the cost of new unneeded items!
And that was where I was ever SO THANKFUL for what homeschooling has taught my child in the past 2 years!
She took a step back from the aisles and said
"Mom,maybe we should make up 2 backpacks with school supplies, and give them away at VBS this year, for kids who need them, instead. Then I can have the fun of Back to School shopping, but help someone out instead!"
Color Mom STUNNED.
Especially when she pulled out money from her savings and bought some of the supplies!
In all the years she was in a CHRISTIAN private school- she had NEVER broached that thought. She was too busy being sucked into the commercialization of the start back of school, and the orders to get NEW items for the first day. But after 2 years of homeschooling, she saw it for the waste that it was- that most items are still usable as kids in our area only had 2 MONTHS off- there was no time to use all that extra paper, binders or colors up! And she realized that there might be parents who had to buy all new uniforms because like her, the kids had GROWN since May, and there was lunch supplies, plus the back to school supplies, and they might NOT be able to afford everything on their child's list.
Did you hear the angels singing?
THAT is why we homeschool!
Everyone gets so caught up in the 'socialization' argument,
that they don't see what kids DO get taught.
By involving my daughter more in domestic chores and tasks, like shopping (aka Math skills and Critical Reasoning 101), she's learned VALUE and through exposure to kids in all walks of life (aka field days and volunteer events), she has developed a better social conscience.
She is NOT concerned about who is wearing a more expensive shoe (she only wears shoes when we leave the house, LOL), or pants (pajamas are cheap, hello!, and I'm lucky is she gets dressed before 2 pm!), or who had certain logo'd items ("Hey Mom, these cheap pencils right better than those expensive ones you bought on sale").
NOW, she is thinking of others!
And that's why I'm thankful we're back to school- those 3 weeks off were WAAAYYY too long, and got her starting to get back on that consumer wagon, from the barrage of movies, TV shows and 'peer socialization'!
There has been a heavy sigh (mine) of getting back into the routine, and seeing my daughter remember WHY she loves homeschool SO much (I really thought it would be a 3 year thing- imagine my shock when she was adamant about me teaching all the way through high school!), and watching the reigniting for LEARNING coming back on her face, and seeing the compassion and empathy she has for others settle back like a cloak around her.
What are YOU thankful for, this Back to School season?
Check out what my fellow bloggers think:
Christine @ Christine Howard
Christy @ The Simple Homemaker
Dawn @ Schoolin' Swag
Debra @ Footprints in the Butter
Diana @ Homeschool Review
Felicia @ Homeschool 4 Life
Jacquelin @ A Stable Beginning
Jeniffer @ Thou Shall Not Whine
Jennifer @ A Glimpse of Our Life
Comments
Post a Comment