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Our Kids Are Not Going Back To School

Sometimes Our Time Is Not God’s Time

For over a year now I have been contemplating home-schooling. I have so many reasons for this which I will get too in another post. In November 2019 we decided that 2020 will be the kids last and final year in school.

God has such an amazing sense of humour. Every time I think I have everything figured out, He comes and changes my time line. This has happened so many times in my life. I don’t even know why I still bother with time lines and planning. I should know by now when God says go, that’s when I will go.

The Decision

Our second term went well given the circumstances the world is facing right now. Our school was absolutely amazing during the whole switch to remote schooling. We still felt like we were in a safe place. I won’t lie, it wasn’t always easy. Yes all the communication wasn’t always perfect. The kids in our school are definitely on schedule when it comes to where we are with our school work. The school nor Covid 19 has nothing to do with my decision to home-school. It did however affect when I wanted to start.

An uneasy feeling rested inside my soul. “What if” popped into my head all the time. What will happen if we have no choice, or if I am not ready to send them back. A very difficult decision had to be made. Where to start? First I started praying. I did research, phoned home-schooling friends, weighed the pros and the cons and had the conversations with my husband and the kids. There was no longer a full year to prepare. Not only for myself, but also our mindsets, our home, our environment and our hearts.

Final Notice

Sending the mail, our final notice was sent. We decided to switch to home-schooling now, in the midst of everything instead of at the beginning of 2021. I am so glad I did. Only one day later we received a notice from school. Two of my four kids would have to go back to school in the first week of June. Imagine the relief I felt in my heart when I read the letter.

But Why?

Many people have asked me why? Honestly even I asked me why? But I know the decision I made is the right one for myself and for my kids.

Good Memories

• We want the kids to remember school the way it was. A place where they played, laughed, hugged, touched and learned. No matter who tells me what, it won’t be that.

I Am Not Ready

• I am not ready to send my kids back out there. When they closed the school, cases in South Africa was less than fifty. You can’t even compare the numbers right now.

Winter

• They will return in the heart of winter. After being warm and protected from everything out there, not just Covid 19. They probably will get sick and that might just cause a different kind of panic in me.

Why Disrupt Them Again?

• The kids are use to being at home now and we have a really good thing going. Why disrupt that if it is exactly what I was planning in six months anyway?

School Will Not Be The Same

• Sending them back to school now doesn’t feel right. It will be new environment they won’t recognise. No matter what anyone tells me, it will not be the same will just be a new adjustment. A temporary adjustment, one I feel in our case is completely unnecessary.

Mixed Emotions

• If I decided to send them back to school, they would have to readjust again in six months. This will just confuse them. Give them mixed emotions. It could even cause insecurities.

They Have Each Other

• Having four kids with completely different schedules won’t work for me. Two in school and two at home would totally influence the way the two at home will learn every day. They still need to continue with their remote schooling.

They Want To Be Home

• My kids don’t want to go back. I sat them down and asked them what they want. They were already on board with home-schooling, and they knew this was their last year.

No Attachments

• As amazing as Curro is, my kids are not sad. They were heart broken a year ago when they said good-bye to their previous school before we moved. This is not hard for them. They have only been in Curro for three terms. They are not attached yet.

Letting Go

• Kids grow to love their teachers. My kids have had some incredible teachers in their life. They always have to say good-bye at the end of each year anyway. They know this. As sad as Luke is to say his good-bye’s to his teacher, he knows it wasn’t forever.

These are my reasons for making this decision now. These are the reasons why we will not be going back to school. Something my heart told me long before Covid 19. I believe my decision is of best for my children and their new way of life.

Moving Forward

I realise I am very blessed to be able to make this decision, especially now. I have a choice to not send them back while everything is still so uncertain.

We are a big family and for that part I am thankful. The kids always have someone to play with. The way they have grown together over the past two months just confirms that this is definitely for us.

Exciting Adventure

Now that I have made up my mind we can look ahead and move forward. We still need to complete this term, but we are excited about our new adventure together.