Montpelier, the home of our fourth president and Father of the Constitution, James Madison, held its first annual homeschool day on April 1, 2013.
That day also happened to be my oldest child's tenth birthday, but she is a history fanatic, much like her mother. I packed all three children up and off we headed to Orange, Va. I know, I know, you are questioning my sanity for heading out alone to an historic home with a ten, six, and two year old. If you are going to undertake a trip like this without another adult, a homeschool day provides your best chance of success. As long as your children are polite and well-behaved (which they should be the majority of the time any way), no one will mind your two year old spouting out half-discernible words during the tour. Most of the other people have already lived through it themselves or will soon.
My wish was to be there for the first tour (after all, we had a full birthday schedule ahead of us), but anyone with children will know about the best laid plans. We still did fairly well, arriving with time to tour the gallery before watching a short film and still making the third tour of the day. My oldest insisted on reading every label in the gallery and learned quite a bit. My six-year-old just wanted to look at the military drum and the lock of Madison's hair. We all discussed the walking cane that belonged to Thomas Jefferson, was bequeathed to Madison, then returned in Madison's will to Jefferson's oldest grandson, Thomas Jefferson Randolph.
The film was of an appropriate length to keep the older children's attention without running too long. It was informative without having the brow-beating political correctness that accompanies so many of these selections. There were quite a few adult chuckles in the room when the serious discussion of the importance of our nation's Constitution concluded with a photo of a president we all know would like to rip that document to shreds.
Our tour of the mansion was interesting and pleasant. My two-year-old babbled a few times, but she answered the guide with "thank yous" and "okays" as we left each room, which made our whole group laugh. Our guide was very knowledgeable and talked about various aspects of Madison's life as well as different family members. The DuPonts were also given their due credit for keeping the house from falling into complete ruin. My only suggestion would be to allow the children time to ask questions. I understand this was Montpelier's first homeschooling day, so let me tell them a fact about homeschoolers - they love to ask questions!
Once we spilled out upon the back lawn, staff had prepared all kinds of fun activities for the kids to try. There were colonial games, from the physically active hoop to the mentally challenging chess. Children could sit and read various books under the shade of a large, old tree. Many little ones enjoyed climbing the framing of the slave dwellings while their parents read the descriptions of slave life to them.
After the children tired of those options, we went to stroll through the DuPont formal gardens. Let me be honest: I had to talk the kids into this, because they were ready to hit the gift shop. They were reticent about the prospect . . . until we entered the gardens. By this point, my youngest was in the stroller because my back couldn't handle carrying her any longer after holding her for the entire house tour. When I saw the garden was terraced, I thought we would have to forgo exploring because of the stroller. Imagine my surprise when the older two were disappointed! So, little one sat in her stroller, happily eating Goldfish crackers while her siblings found "hidden" paths. I think the biggest source of excitement was the fact they got to be out from under momma's watchful eye for a few minutes. The setting was perfect: I could hear their laughter while they experienced that thrilling feeling of being on their own for a little while.
After our fun in the garden, we did manage a brief visit to the gift shop before leaving the grounds of Montpelier. All-in-all, I considered the trip to be both an academic and entertainment success. The children enjoyed the experience and were able to tell their father things they learned about Mr. Madison, his family, and our country. We will definitely be returning . . . in fact, we had such a wonderful time we plan on visiting again before the next Homeschool Day!
Any parent who seriously contemplates homeschooling and then decides to take the leap is well aware that there will be critics. I read stacks and stacks of books on the subject, compiled the information, and shared it with my husband before we decided to teach our three children at home. All of that information prepared me for an adjustment period (especially for my oldest child), a messy house, and strangers in the grocery store questioning why my children were not in school. I fully expected resistance from the county, teachers we knew, or acquaintances. What I was not prepared for was a confrontation by close family members six months into our first school year at home.
Oh, I knew one of them was reticent when we made our decision known. I tried to help by recommending books on the topic, inviting her to convention, and sharing the children's work once we started. So far, she has not examined a single book and did not attend convention. Another family member at least shows an interest in the kid's education and looks through their work with them. As for the third . . . I am not really sure were they are even getting their wild ideas about our house and home.
At first, I was truly hurt. I have poured so much of my heart and soul into this endeavor, and I did not make the decision lightly. I know that I am doing what is right for my children at this time. Does that mean we will homeschool forever? I do not know. We are taking this one year at a time, based upon what is best for our children and our family.
As I thought about my own family's reaction, I came to a very important conclusion. It is okay for them not to agree with or even like what we are doing. I have even come to the realization that I can handle them sharing their negativity with me. They are most certainly entitled to their opinion. At the end of the day, what really matters is my faith in God and that I pray for strength every day to be a good mother and help my children along a moral path. In those things, I believe I am succeeding.
I am sharing this with you because I know there are others out their facing similar battles. It may not be over homeschooling. People seem way to eager to judge our homes, our children, and our choices without really understanding how our lives are being led. The lesson I have learned is to not immediately react; rather, examine your heart, and if you truly believe your decision is helping your children, then stick to your chosen path.
It is finally official . . . we are a homeschooling family!
This definitely was not a decision that came out of thin air. In 2006, our oldest child had a horrible kindergarten experience with a teacher who was inept academically and scarring emotionally. I began my homeschooling research then, as well as visiting area schools.
I was intrigued by the possibility of teaching my own child (I already had experience as an instructor of college undergraduates.) Homeschooling was a definite consideration until we fell in love after a visit to a local private Christian school.
That school was all we could have hoped for (and more) for the first two years. As Grace began third grade, some concerns arose, but we did not immediately feel the need for change. As the year progressed, it became clear that the school was not meeting our needs, and we once again started the research process.
As soon as I revisited the idea of homeschooling, I found answers to my troubling questions. Teaching Grace myself would of course mean that I could fill in the academic gaps, but other areas were much more important. I saw the opportunity to help restore her flagging self-esteem, and I prayed for the return of my happy-go-lucky, willing-to-try-anything little girl.
The affirmation came when we told our daughter our plans for the next school year. Her smile was so big and wide that I am surprised her face did not ache! She has embraced the change with so much enthusiasm, and within a few short weeks, the sweet child I knew has reappeared.
I am not naive. I know there will be bumps in the road. After all, I will be teaching a fourth grader and a kindergartner with a busy eighteen-month-old at home. There will be days they will drive me to drink. And there will be days when they take all their frustration out on their mother/teacher. I am willing to hold on to all those times in between, when I get to witness their faces light up with excitement over a new discovery. In the end, their happiness, both through academic success and emotional encouragement, is what led our family to this adventure.
