There's No Place Like Home

We've begun watching a couple of neighbor boys after school several days a week. It is with great anticipation that we wait for the school bus to come around the corner each afternoon. We throw the door open and welcome them with open arms, offer them a snack and a place to rest. I realized this week that since we homeschool, my children and I are missing out on this joyful return each day. They are not away from home for eight hours with lots of other people around.  They are not confined to a desk or a line or a bus seat. A homemade snack, a hug and a "how was your day" is something that these neighbor boys look forward to each day and that my children take for granted.

Junebug and I were recently talking about the difference between "house" and "home". To her they were the same thing. I tried to explain the difference to her. A house is a generic term for a place to live, but home is familiar and specific. I told her that home is a safe place to which you retreat at the end of the day.  Home is where all your favorite things are. Home is warm and comforting. She looked at me blankly. Apparently, she does not have enough experience with being out in the world to understand this yet. Home is the place where my children do nearly everything!  It is just the place they always are...where we all are...together.

So they may miss out on this "welcome home" ritual every day, but that's okay with me.  One of the reasons we homeschool is that we don't want to separate life from learning. We are always learning and don't have to go to a special place to do it. We homeschool because it is real and challenging, without competition and pressure.  We homeschool because we can take breaks when we need to, sleep late when we need to, and not force ourselves to be on someone else's schedule. We homeschool for the freedom and the joy it brings our lives.  We have time to pursue our own interests, be creative, and play! We homeschool because it is good for our children and our family.

While I write this my older children are at their first day of homeschool choir co-op classes for the year. They attend this class once a week and carpool with another family, so I can stay home while Lovey naps. The house is quiet and smells of freshly baked cookies. As much as we enjoy being together most of the time, some time apart is good, too. I look forward to greeting them upon their return and hearing with all their exuberance and cheerfulness of their "day".  Perhaps we are not missing out on much after all.