from pee on the carpet to Education (a giant leap)

So, let's move from potty training (still slow and no sucess to report) to education. For those of you who don't know, the more children I have had, the more my thoughts on education have changed. Each child and each school is SO DIFFERENT. We decided that we would prayerfully consider each child, each year. This year, I have one in public school, two in private school and one whom I am homeschooling. So, you cannot say that I am an education snob. LOL I love them all and they each have their pros and cons.

Which leads me to - what makes the decision for YOU? Email me if you have time. I really would love to hear. I find the whole process of choosing a school very emotional since it is dealing with whom I love most - my little (and not so little) ones.

Here are my current frustrations:
1) with homeschooling - It is hard. damn hard. But, it is also wonderful. When we are on, we are cranking. I have laid on the sofa and read beautiful literature with my son. We have spent tons of time together. Oh, wait, I was going to talk about frustrations - must focus! Which is a frustration with homeschooling - staying focused. Jeffrey and I both love to have a good time, and we are easily distracted. We stay up too late at night, and I don't force him to get up in the mornings. The lack of other kids to hang out with can be tough (more for me - not him) because he would hang with me all day. I have a love/hate relationship with lesson plans. I love them because they keep us on track and hate them because I have to take time to do them. I always have this sense that we could be doing MORE - doing it BETTER (and we probably could). There is a high level of what I call "mommy guilt." So that is my frustration with homeschooling.

2) Public School. I LOVE public school. They have welcomed Andrew with open arms and have been fantastic. Again, leave it to me to be positive first. It is a skill, I assure you. What is frustrating to me is that WHY can't there be Jesus, the Bible and religion in public school? Ok, so intellectulally I know WHY, but I still hate it. It is frustrating to me that because Andrew has Down Syndrome, he does not currently have a place in private school! The services at public school are FREE, well, paid by my tax dollars, but still do not require an additional out-pouring of cash.

3) Private School. I love private school because they do teach the Bible, pray with the kids, have chapel, etc. etc. There is Jesus during the day - and He is welcome at school and is at the center of Christmas and Easter. The parents are more "like us" in their belief system. My frustration is that private schools can and do exclude (at their own discresion) those who do not meet its "criteria." I have heard the arguement of funding, staffing, blah blah blah, but if the desire to educate the whole family was truly there, a way could be made.

Consider this...School A - this school will gladly welcome ANY child - regardless of disability or ability. A team meets with the parents and supports are put in place for the child to be educated, cared for, and dare I say, loved. Then there is school B. "B" has an admisison program and process, and B excludes those that they do not want to spend their time and money to educate.

IF I asked you which school sounds more like the one that Christ would be at the center of - which one would YOU answer?

And, that, my friends, is my current frustration.