Our Barefoot Schoolhouse.

This week we completed our first week of homeschooling....

We did it, successfully and without incident. I am pleased and exhausted. I must admit that although the thought of homeschooling was anticipated with much excitement there were moments on the brink of due date when I questioned our decision as to whether this was something I could or should be doing for our family and our children. But, thinking back now, these feelings must have come from the various remarks made over the months prior to starting from skeptic people out there. When questions such as - "aren't you afraid that you will mess up your children's lives" are continually put forward to you, it would only make sense that (even if for a fleeting moment) you should question this of yourself too. That of course now has been place so far behind me and will never be questioned again of myself or allow that of someone else.

In the end we decided that we would further G's studies via Clonard Education. It seems a more natural way for us to carry on with G who has been in the school system since Grade RR. The transition would be smoother and if at any stage there should be a need to filter back into the system he could do so with ease. There is also the nitty of registering with Education Department which each Homeschooling family is required "by-law" to do. Again, here Clonard, for us, seemed the best option as they are well known with the Education Department so the registration should be a little smoother. I will let you know how that process pans out. It is a process, so I am told. Ordering the curriculum was easy and the staff are ever so sweet and efficient. We have all in place except for one teacher's aid in English and our Atlas. So, starting our week was super easy with all or most of our books at hand. Each subject is laid out so that anyone with passion to do so can teach from both the Teacher/Parent guides and manuals for each subject and an overall one. And teach we did this week.

This week I have found our week to be erratic in time spent on each subject. I have allocate time for Math, English, Afrikaans and Subject to be completed each day as prescribed via the Education Department but I am going to go with a more child-led (Garren-led) structure - we found that we either didn't have enough time to complete a certain unit or there was just way too much time allocated to that unit for the day - and I know that we will complete what needs to be done at terms end. He feels more at ease with this too and has even commented after each mornings schooling in our Barefoot SchoolHouse that he is happy we have chosen this new path.

Eclectic Homeschooling for the win I'd say and I am feeling rather pleased with this.