In School

My two eldest children are in school this year for the first time ever, having been homeschooled or even un-schooled for their entire 'education' this far.

I'd been reluctant to let them go into school without being armed with some critical thinking skills and I also really enjoyed that their learning took a more real world approach.

So my eldest's first day of school ever was in high school.

And he Loves it!! He is enjoying the social aspect tremendously and the novelty of doing in-class studies is far from getting stale into his second semester.

But there is something that he's missing and I suppose it's not too different than moving to a new town and starting in a new school... He is in a place surrounded by other kids who have been forging bonds with the same people for almost a decade.

It hit him hard when he came with us to watch his little brother in the Elementary school Xmas concert (a first for him this year too. So nervous. So amazing!!) He suddenly realised while watching his brother nervously perform, that these kids were forging bonds that will be super tight by the time they get to high school...

An experience that he didn't get to do and as a result has to start from scratch in one of the harshest social environments that we know.

High school.

Now it seems like he's doing alright. Aside from being shy changing in gym class, he's made a lot of new friends and seems to be developing a varied social sphere...

But he knows now what he missed, and maybe more of what he's dealing with when meeting and friending these new people in his day to day life.

What an exciting journey.