There’s a lot of chatter around me about the pitfalls of public schooling, and I have friends who are all in on home-schooling their children. Meanwhile, as I savor my Diet Coke, I can’t help but feel like I’m missing the boat.
This morning, with my partner, Jake, having worked the night shift, I was left to manage the kids’ morning routine solo. It went something like this: “Ava, put your shoes on! Ava, did you comb your hair? Wait, did you just wipe your nose and then style your bangs? You’re 10; why am I putting your shoes on? Noah, finish your toast! No, you can’t have six oranges for a snack today—remember that one you didn’t eat yesterday? That’s a recipe for disaster. Noah, go grab your library books. Where did I say to put them? They were right there, next to your fish tank! They’re gone? How is that fish still alive?”
Then, I’d glance at the clock and mutter something under my breath before the inevitable panic of being late kicks in. I go from calm mom to a drill sergeant in record time.
As I pull out of the driveway, I realize I’ve left a cup of water on the roof of the car. My neighbor kindly gestures, trying to let me know, but I pretend not to see him and speed off.
In the carpool line, I find myself yelling, “KIDS! GET OUT NOW! YOU’RE GOING TO BE LATE!” As Noah struggles with the heavy door, I’m stuck yelling at him from the driver’s seat. Maybe I just made a case for home-schooling right there.
By the time we’re through, Noah is in tears, and Ava manages to help him escape the door’s clutches. “MOM! I HAAAAAATE THIS VAN DOOR!”
As I zoom down the carpool lane, I catch a glimpse of one of my favorite teachers. She’s smiling, but I can almost see her silently vowing to never end up like me. Great.
Once home, I tackle the next challenge of the day: changing my three-year-old daughter, Mia, out of her dirty diaper.
Then there’s my sister-in-law, who is the epitome of perfection. She home-schools her kids in a house that looks like it belongs in a magazine. Meanwhile, my life feels like a chaotic sitcom.
For a long time, I felt guilty for not home-schooling my kids until I finally realized: it’s just not the right fit for us right now. Plus, I just discovered from a friend that “alot” is actually two words. Would you really trust me with your kids?
I have a four-year degree in education from a small college in Iowa, but I promise you that it covered all the essentials: painting, lots of back-patting, and a fair share of Judy Blume books. I got into teaching because I genuinely care about kids and love being around them.
I do teach my children important life lessons—like how to unload the dishwasher and that conditioner isn’t shampoo. I teach them social skills, like how to make friends without smelling like trash or gossiping. It’s not always about math equations or spelling; it’s about the little things that matter in life.
So, I’m letting go of the guilt over not home-schooling. For now, I’m leaving the teaching to the professionals while I work on perfecting my own skills in “Getting the Kids to School.”
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In summary, while home-schooling might work for some, I’ve learned that my strengths lie elsewhere, and that’s perfectly fine.