Homeschooling Thoughts, the middle years

Today would have been Cash’s first day of middle school had we stayed in the public school system. Part of these things are bittersweet; it feels like a right of passage that he’s missing out on, and I am huge on traditions and rituals and all of the sappy feelings that go with them. 

Instead, I have a day filled with an unusual amount of meetings (6) working from home. Frustrating because I was also trying to work on some things to make today feel special. 

I went online to Google “first day of middle school” to see if any other awesome homeschool mamas had any great ideas, and uh...I stumbled upon dozens of articles aimed at parents whose kids were starting public middle school, and everyone was terrified: 

• Picking out the perfect outfit (and hairstyle)

• Eating the proper breakfast, packing (or not) the proper lunch

• Making sure you have every school supply you need (and they are all organized)

• Create a routine, be sure you know the path to each class

• Homework is now your job

• Friends make or break your experience

• Parents need to keep a close eye out for behavior changes

It sounds exhausting. 

Meanwhile, over here...I woke up and fed the animals. I wrote for a bit (hi!) while drinking a fun-flavored coffee I picked up yesterday. In a few, I’ll put Reggi in his crate, have a few meetings, and then fix Cash a lovely brunch of his favorite foods. He’ll wake up, eat, and is tasked with learning one new thing, anything he chooses today, and exercising Reggi. 

No one cares what he’s wearing. If his friends are busy, it won’t ruin his day. We didn’t have to buy any new stuff. 

I think we’ve made the right decision.