Wanting To Share.

It's 2009 already and I have made some changes for myself and my family. One of things I have done is started my 4th child's homeschooling. Mid-year? Yes. I have seen so many changes in my son I just don't approve of. I believe in diversity and socializing within the public domain but I don't care for the altering personality confusion. My 5 year old is one of the sweetest kids you'll ever come across and ever since he started in the public education system, we have become exhausted. Please don't think I'm knocking the public system because I'm not. I have raised my 3 oldest children in public schools. My oldest graduated Salutatorian. But then kindergarten was part time and was about socializing through play and learning the basics. Now your child have to know all the basics when entering or they'll be labeled as this or that.

Let me share a little with you on my choice to homeschool.
My son has been in public schooling since he was 3. I noticed the lack in words used to communicate with everyone. I sought help with this. I placed him in an early intervention program (part time & small class size) to help with his speech delay and to have interaction with peers his age. It was scary for me at first and I believe he felt it, so I got over it for his sake. He did so well, I sent him that summer. As the new school year drew near, I was offered a new school for him that was part time & closer to my home or send him to the school he was attending with the same teacher but full time (changed to Headstart). I chose the same school with the same teacher of course. Well it was a difficult transition for a moment because the class size was over double the year before. Less attention from his teachers- that was expected. But near the Christmas holiday the teacher we once knew was training another to take her place and this left the entire class in melt down for a moment. But she still came in now and then to make sure the transition is working out. I felt my son and his classmates were guinea pigs while the school tried something new. Besides a few melt downs like any 3-4 year olds would have, there weren't any other problems. He had good reports. My son at that time, already knew how to say his numbers to 100 and recognize them to 40, he knew all his colors, shapes including pentagon/octagon/hexagon, abc's (lower & capital), sounds of letters, recognize and write basic words such as bat, dog, the, and, run, & so on. So when sitting in class, where most of the students only sung abc's and just learning to recognize them, I believe my son grew bored doing this over and over (his attention went elsewhere) and didn't know how to express this to the teacher in words. So they did some evaluating and labeled him slightly Autistic.

~Before I go on, my daughter who graduated second in her class, had a speech delay till 4. But was never labeled or went to a special program or went to preschool for that matter. My second child had a speech delay til 5 and had a hard time in public schools and he was labeled ADHD, I believe he was wrongly labeled and misunderstood by teachers who weren't familiar with or trained to help kids with special needs. As he became older, he begged me not to send him to school. I didn't know anything about homeschooling til he was 16- now 18. No one gave me this option. My third child- too had a speech delay til 3 almost 4. He was much more determined than the others when it came to school. He says, to this day, he has moments of emotional despair but he enjoys going to see his friends. So... as far as my youngest son's speech goes, I should have waited before sending him to a school who labels children for their weaknesses they'll eventually outgrow and allow their strengths to deteriorate.~

Well, at the end of the school year I agreed to have him attend an Autistic Support class for the coming year for kindergarten. What a wrong decision on my part. Now mind you, his language is pretty much up to par by this time (in my opinion). So once he started kindergarten it's like they probed and searched for something else. I took him to his pediatrician and yeah before they noticed the speech delay but this time nothing. We discussed everything and were there for 2 hours getting checked out. The doctor and my son had a long & interesting conversation, he bounced & jumped & played, his eye sight- 20/20, his hearing - normal, and weight to height a bit over average but normal for him seeing he was a big baby. He didn't feel no need to make a referral at the time.
All of a sudden within 2 months, he's having toilet issues, behavioral issues, and he seemed emotionally distraught when he returned home. He would be driven home by one of the teachers for one reason or another... sick to 'he' wanted to come home. I always asked my kids what they eat for breakfast or lunch, and he would tell me he "can't eat breakfast at school". Why not? I asked the head teacher and it seems to me that a particular teacher has had problems with my child. So he was made to sit in the classroom away from his peers every morning. I began giving him breakfast to eat on the way to school so he won't go without. How does a child go from- One Of Our Favorites -to that. Whenever the head teacher was out, I just knew it, because he would come home without a hat on with his coat wide open when it's 30°F or pouring down raining or his attitude would be raw, one day agitated with tears or he's quiet much of the evening.
What I can't understand is why a grown educated specialized teacher can have such a problem with any child knowing the nature of the situation she chose to work in.
To lessen my complaining, I will shorten this post with the last day he attended class for the Christmas vacation, let's just say he came home with a new change of pants and undies. We went to do what we always do after school and change into sweats & tshirt. What did I see... crap smeared all in the undies they gave him to put on and along his butt side. When I asked him who helped him change (while showing him the clothes) he tried to shy away from me. I felt so humiliated for him.

Not worth it, it's not worth leaving such a sensitive matter so early in the hands of anyone else - emotions run too deep. And any service we need will be from a referral through my child's pediatrician. If he comes to me when he's older and ask to attend school again, I will definite consider it.

So if you have the option to homeschool - take a good look at your child & ask is she or he worth keeping home to learn especially in this day and age? I KNOW they are!