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Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Family Pressures

Since announcing my decision to home school, I have had a few family members voice their concerns.  One has even alluded to the notion that they know what is best for my children, perhaps better than me.  Me.  The one that gave birth to these three. Me.  The one who has raised them.  Me.  The one who has held them when they cried and cheered them on when they competed.  Me.  The one who taught them to talk, to walk, to feed themselves.  The one who taught them sign language when they were infants, who taught them how to count, and recite their ABC'S.  The one who taught them their colors and shapes and encouraged them to read by reading with them.  Me.  The one who taught them to share and has dried their tears when they have been hurt or had a rough day.  Me. The one who sat up with my oldest when he couldn't sleep because he was so stressed over school and told the middle boy that I would be proud of him no matter what, and to just do his best and not worry about the rest when the teachers at public school had him stressed about STAAR tests.  Me.
Not them.
I hope that people can accept that I am going to do what I feel is best for my child, and this is no reflection of those around me.  It is just where I feel God has guided my family.
It occurred to me today that I have always gone against the grain, so to speak, when it has come to how I raise my children.  We did co-sleeping rather than make them cry it out in a crib in a separate room.  We did extended breastfeeding, and endured unending comments of how they were never going to become independent.  "What happens when they go to school? Are they still going to be nursing?"  Let me just say, they did transition to their own beds and rooms by the time they were 18 months to 2 years old.  They nursed for just as long.  I taught them sign language when they were infants. They were subsequently able to tell me when they wanted to nurse or when they were all done before they were 1.  They had a full vocal vocabulary by the time they were two.  I didn't let them watch anything that wasn't age appropriate and educational for the longest time, something I feel I need to get back into with them, as I have slacked off since moving closer to family.  All of these things I have done with and for my children, and I have been ridiculed by family.  Yet, my children consistently get high grades in school, are wonderful boys who love one another, are polite, mostly well behaved, children.  They are coming into their own and I am enjoying their personalities blossom.  My children have done more than just fine with me as their parent.  That's not going to change.  Thank you for your concern, but please let me do job.

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