Changes For H3

When I started blogging again after a break this summer, I mentioned that there would be some changes coming up, and this is that post I promised.

This past winter, my husband approached me about H3's schooling. She's learned so much over the last year and is well above most 4-year-olds, academically. Her photographic memory makes it easy for her to learn and she absolutely loves school.  To say that she is a challenge is an understatement. With her love for learning comes an interesting social dynamic that we have had great difficulty learning how to work with.  Her personality as an extrovert is very different than my own, and she is high energy to boot (most in the health profession have commented on her above-average activity level and questioned a possible diagnosis of hyperactive, though I maintain that she is just a happy and bouncy child).  There is no question that homeschooling has been good for her and is something we plan to pursue in the future. 

That being said, H1 asked me to consider sending H3 into school for one year to see if some of her social difficulties would work themselves out. He felt that it would be best for her to experience a year in the school system. Most places we wouldn't consider it, but she would be in the school across the street from where he teaches, be taken to and from school by her parents, and this is a school system that still prays. Not kidding. They pray before sports games and faculty meetings, and often don't give homework on Wednesday nights because they know that the kids go to church. It's an unusual system, and I'm thankful for it! The first year my husband taught there, he was getting ready to start his first middle school basketball practice, and one of the kids spoke up, "Hey coach, aren't we going to pray?"

Anyways, after a lot of prayer and consideration, and asking counsel from close friends and family, we have decided to apply for H3 to attend school for one year. At this point, we intend to pull her out and resume homeschooling after this year. This year will also give me the opportunity to work with H4 a bit. She hasn't developed very far in making sounds, most likely because her older sister does all the talking for her! H4 is highly inquisitive and I plan on doing a form of Tot School with her this year.

School will begin for H3 on September 3rd. Since she has already passed all the information for kindergarten and is well into first grade at home, she will most likely be a bit bored in the kindergarten classroom into which she is being placed. I have purchase material to teach her outside of the regular school day. Since she will be spending her days in the classroom, my methods will be a bit more unorthodox, and I will try to document those as best as possible in case there are those who are looking for ideas on educating active children.

As we begin to navigate new waters, we would covet prayers for wisdom. I am still feeling anxious about sending my child out, but I know God is even more interested in her development than I am.

~H2