Why mainstream schooling messed up my child- part 2

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Yesterday I wrote about my son making the decision to be home schooled. We live in an area where there are no schools close to us. The nearest school is 46 km away from us. Because I stay at home, this decision fit me perfectly. I was happy to have my child at home with me.  

Because I am a teacher I started doing research about homeschooling and the options we have here in South Africa. Home schooling is quite a new trend, so there are not many options available. 

I have always had a different view about teaching, but I was honestly so brainwashed with the idea that a child had to finish school according to grades, and there was a specific curriculum to follow and complete. 

I was wrong. 

I did a lot of research specifically on the options of homeschooling according to specific curriculums but could not find a suitable curriculum suitable for my child.  Nothing wowed me. If I had the opportunity to teach him myself I wanted to do it right. 

I quit my job just before we moved and we had a few months before we had to start his schooling again. I decided that we needed a break from all the rules and regulations. This was October 2013. We have been on a break ever since.

I started working at an online school the following year and this made me even more openminded. I realized that there were more to life than school. 

At first I started to get to know my child again, and it has been a wonderful journey. My child is now learning for the first time in his life. We have been focused to improve his reading and writing this year. He is watching educational videos about topics that he enjoys! He is learning and he enjoys every minute of it. 

Every opportunity is a new learning experience. He enjoys spending time outdoors. He loves fishing and I support him in everything. 

People often ask me about his social skills. With all honesty and confidence I can say that there is absolutely NOTHING wrong with my child's social skills. He is a well balanced child. If we are inside a shop, he is the one with the calculator and the list. He often reprimands me if I want to spend money unnecessarily. Not because we can't afford something, but because he knows the value of money and he compares prices. 

He has real life experience! Where would my child get this experience other than right here at home? Does he miss sport? I don't think so. He plays gholf and interacts with enough people...

Am I depriving my child of anything? No. Definitely not. My child has an advantage because he doesn't need to go find himself when he is older... he already knows who he is. He is free...

Each of us are on our own journey in life. He just started his own journey earlier. 

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