No More Pencils, No More Books

My older kid is old enough to start preschool in the fall, as he's turning 4 next month. He's always been a bit of a high strung boy, and doesn't do well in new situations with new people. If I could create a school with all of his friends from playgroup in it, and nobody else, it'd be fine. We actually tried a school last year that allowed kids in at age 2...it worked fine at first, when I could stay with him, but he really freaked out when it was time for me to leave him there. He's never really been away from us, and his only babysitter has been his grandma. Perhaps being with him so much (we even co-slept with him, unwillingly, for 3 years) was a mistake, since he has trouble separating.

Anyway, this has led me to think about homeschooling with him. At least for preschool and kindergarten. I can't decide if it's a good idea or not. In a way, I figure these are the "grades" that I should try it out, as it's no big loss if I can't manage it (I'll admit that I lack the patience gene). I've been doing some research and there's actual curriculum you can purchase, or you can get free ideas on various homeschooling and educational websites. On the other hand, there's a lot of info suggesting that following curriculum for kids this age is a huge mistake, and you should just continue doing the normal parenting stuff (books, talks, crafts, walks, outside play).

I'm really torn about what to do. We have a nice little group of friends, so he would still have social time with them (although it'd be less, since most of them will be going to school during the day). I'd find some classes for him to try out at the community center, maybe art and/or a sport.

With my daughter, who's currently 2 1/2, I don't worry so much. She's incredibly outgoing, social and fearless. I think our big problem with her is she'll be "too social" during study time.

I have to admit that part of me likes the idea of developing their education. With the recent Texas school board idiocy regarding text books, and the Christianization of our schools, I truly worry about the bullshit my kids will hear when they start attending. Plus, both kids are very curious, and I hate how traditional schools stifle individuality (not to mention discourage dissent and questions from kids).

This parenting gig's hard.