I’ve started this blog post a dozen different ways and I’m still unsure which words are the right ones to share.
We have decided to bring our oldest son back home to finish his last 2 years of high school.
It was a hard decision to make – sending him to public school during his 9th grade year. After 10 years of homeschooling, I just couldn’t force him to complete assignments. The bickering and lecturing became daily routine and I was exhausted. We believed being in a full time school setting where ‘mom’ wasn’t also ‘teacher’ would cause him to be more accountable to do the work and want to succeed. We had already tried part time 2day/week schools. Public school was our last option.
We were very happy he finished his 9th grade year with A’s and B’s, so we assumed, even with the negative influence, public school was a wise decision. Negative influence: foul language (High schoolers use potty talk – even to teachers), explicit rap songs during lunch, social media pressure like Streaks on Snapchat, pornography being shown/shared in classrooms and at lunch, the inappropriate displays of affection in the hallway (beyond kissing), and the classroom teasing of ‘White Privilege’, ‘Virgin’, etc.
We had such high hopes for 10th grade. Honors classes, art talent budding, and tennis team accountability. I kept saying, “10th grade is going to be different”. I couldn’t imagine how right I would be. Boy was it different. It was worse!
I believe the Lord has a plan for my son. Although we feel like we’re not on it … God does allow bumps and detours. I trust the God who reclaims. The God of Second Chances. And I stand by the young man who is trying to figure it all out.
We’ll just be doing the school portion back at home so he can 1. Actually learn something 2. Sleep in – not constantly tired and grouchy and 3. Decide who he wants to become not have some random kids tell him.