One friend of mine has five kids. Her kids are in public school. Her 3-year-old twins are in Headstart. She is very organized when it comes to school issues. Each child has a cubby, each child is color coded (pink back pack, pink dishes, etc) each child has their own responsibilities, etc. She is very involved in her kids schooling, education, discipline, and still she has time to spend with them, help with homework and her family is functional as well. Although I would never be able to do it, she couldn't homeschool either. We see our differences and marvel at how we function differently in different situations. If I had to do the public school thing, I'd have a nervous breakdown about 1 week into the experience.

The other night I went to her house and I watched (and helped) as she loaded each backpack with paper, folders, pencils, glue, crayons, colored pencils, wipes, tissue and a plethora of other things. She meticulously labeled each item with the child's name and marked off each item she finished labeling. We talked about "school clothes". Most schools have gone to uniforms. The ones here just have the dress code still. Each of her kids have a new pair of school shoes, new outfits, new back packs... all the new stuff for a new school year. I am amazed at how she can handle it all. And I know the financial burden of starting school is high.

I noted how different we are, yet we are in the parenthood for the same reasons and agree on a lot of the things about it. But in the morning her children will wake before dawn, dress, eat, get on a bus and go to school. She handles it well. I'd be a nervous wreck. Not because I have skirt strings wrapped around my children’s necks, but because of our lifestyle. Of course, if all her kids were homeschooled, she'd go crazy and have herself committed. If I had to deal with all the hassle of a government schedule, I'd go crazy and have myself committed.

I can't see getting up at 6:30 am... period. I need my sleep. My kids would malfunction going to bed at 8pm. They stay up with me on nights I am off. We're usually up until 11 pm or later. Plus, I work 65 miles from here and at times we stay at my mother in laws house to ease the trauma of gas prices ($2.54 a gallon here). We stay for 2-4 days at a time. We leave town often for fairs and trips. Soon dh will be in San Diego and we'll be traveling there too. I can sleep when I can, we can go when we want, I spend time with my kids when I am off and hubby sees them when he is home. It works for us and we can homeschool at any hour we need, any day, any month. I buy shoes when we need them, clothes when we need them, buy our books when we need them. I can stretch my budget this way while she prefers to plan for the beginning of the school year, buy everything all at once and be done with it, only replacing what needs replacing or buying what comes up and planning for it.

When the whole discussion of homeschool vs. public school comes up and people start bashing public school, I have to remind myself of my friend and her five children. What works for my family and me doesn't always work for someone else. While public schools work for some, it won't for others. And then I think a little further. It's not just the public schools. The parents that are involved, like my friend, are what makes it work. The parents that are involved are what make it happen for that family. The same as homeschooling. It works when the parents are involved. It still amazes me that the two lifestyles work so well in the different families but would fall apart if reversed.

I am still happy we homeschool and I wouldn't want it any other way. I love the freedom I have, but then too, I am not one who handles schedules too well :) I love the relaxed homeschool style we have. My kids would not flourish in public school (BTDT- brought them home) and her kids would not flourish if homeschooled. It still amazes me... and all 7 kids are pretty well behaved. I think we've both done great jobs at raising our kids in different environments and still we are able to see our differences and support each other without making the other feel awful for their decision.

Why can't we all be like that? After all, we're all reaching for the same goal... good, well-rounded kids.

Stepping off the soapbox now.