Qualified?

Before I was married, I never thought I would homeschool.  My sister, who is seven years older then me, was homeschooling her children from the get go.  I never really talked to her about it, and figured the main reason she was doing it was because her husband wanted his family homeschooled because he had been.

Whenever I talked to anyone about it I would say "My sister homeschools, BUT she has her degree in Elementary Education, and has her kids in lots of extra curricular activities, so I'm sure they'll be fine."

I don't have a degree in Elementary Education (although I did take one Elementary Education class in college...loved it too, but I graduated a year or two earlier with my fine arts degree then I would have if I had done elementary ed).  Nor do I put my kids into TONS of extra curricular activities  (I do believe in going out of my way to be social though.)  By my own standards, I am not qualified.

I went to my mom's house this past week, and she brought out all my old school things for me to reminisce over.  I found a lot of my things from first grade.  I looked at the date and thought "there's no way Maxwell could write like this in three months!"  I thought "Would Maxwell do better scholastically in public school?"  Well, maybe right now he would, but in the long run?  Hummmm

I have felt unqualified off and on for the past few months.  But I know one thing I am qualified in: my knowledge of who my children are and what they need individually.  And an overworked, underpaid public school teacher who is trying her/his best with twenty other children in their class would not have this qualification.  So I guess I do have an advantage.  Subsequently my children have an advantage.

For instance, I know that Maxwell needs a group of boys that are his age and older to learn with and to have as examples, and so I am doing a boy's science club with the homeschool boys around me next school year.

I know that Hyrum is probably going to be behind in some of his schooling.  He has already been diagnosed as "Speech and Language Delayed" which means large groups frustrate him and it might mean that reading will come slowly as well.  I know that this next year he needs one on one time with me for preschool where there's a lot of repetition and not getting frustrated that he doesn't know something I've taught him 1,000 times.

I know that Daniel will be quick to learn.  I'm already planning on having Hyrum and Daniel on the same level soon.  Teaching them together, Hyrum a little late, and Daniel a little early.

So am I qualified or not?  I don't know, but I do know that I've seen success in home school families where moms have not been "qualified" by society's standards.   I guess time will tell, but I'm willing to try.