I’m Pulling My 4th Grader Out Mid-Year to Homeschool

I’m Pulling My 4th Grader Out Midyear to Homeschool

Well, the deed’s done. I’ve put educator hat back on. As moms, though, is it ever really completely off?

My oldest is in enrolled in the local high school and two others are at the elementary school. I still have two littles at home so bringing my 4th grader back home was not too much of a stretch. He personally just needed some individual attention. When people say that you have to parent each child differently, they mean it. We seem to have pairs who think / act similarly but disciplining still has to be thought out according to each child.

So, when my 4th grader started a steady decline in behavior AND academics, my husband and I thought it would be best to remove him from the system. As a former homeschooling mom, I never really wanted my children in brick and mortar school but as some of you know … mothering is HARD. I’ll admit, I put them in school because I needed a break. Actually more than a break. Although I felt bad, I saw that some of the children thrived in the public school environment. Now, I see that all don’t fit the mold.

I took my 4th grader out mid-year because this was a chance for us to bond. Even with two littles at home with him, we still have some personal time to do academics, play, explore, etc. without the usual chaos of the other children. The infant and toddler bring their own form of chaos but they give big brother a chance to show maturity and help out when needed. I’ve chosen to go with Ambleside Online, a free Charlotte Mason curriculum that is rich in literature and the arts. Dad, an engineer, handles math and science. This worked out great because I was able to start immediately instead of waiting to order books. Also, I was quite familiar with the Charlotte Mason philosophy from my previous time homeschooling. There are many out there, but I felt this one would be best suited for my son for this season of life. I’d love to follow the entire curriculum until he graduates!

Ambleside Online’s Year 4 is broken up into three terms for the year. Instead of starting with Term 2, I decided to just start with Term 1. It’s been tough keeping up with readings while the others are out of school or when Dad works from home, but I’m trying to take it easy anyways and not be so strict with scheduling. This new season in life has somewhat forced me into focusing more on “mother culture,” a Charlotte Mason term suggesting “Mothers should cultivate their souls so that in turn they may cultivate the souls of their children.” Everyday I focus on my children, but we all know we cannot pour from an empty cup. Sometimes we can get caught up with social media lives, keeping up with the Joneses, or whatever distractions that cause us to look outward instead of inward. I’m so glad to have a renewed focus that brings my family closer.

Homeschooling isn’t for everyone. I had all (then) four of my children homeschooled at once. Now I have six and only one of them is officially homeschooled. This life looks different for every family. You just have to find the right journey for yours … public school, private school, unschooling … the options seem endless. Covid-19 sparked new avenues too since returning to what used to be isn’t what some families wanted to do. Regardless, I made a choice to put mine in school then and I am so grateful to have the freedom to make a different choice now.

“Anything can teach everything and everything can teach anything, if we choose to see the connections and trust the child’s love of learning already at work.” -Julie Bogart, from The Brave Learner