My daughter would have started school today. . .

[~threemoons~]

Today would have been my dd's first day of Kindergarten. I've been planning on HSing for years, so I'm a bit surprised that I am feeling somewhat emotional today. Kind of hard to describe. . . . I imagine that most hsing parents go through this mix of emotion. I'm sure I'll be over it next week, lol

[Love_My_Babies]

I felt the same way today when I received our public school newsletter in the mail. It had all of the names of the kids in the preK and K classes with their teacher assignment and buss schedules in it. A lot of my sons friends were on the list. I will be over it next week, too!

[dotnetdiva]

Mine would have started K too!

We walked over to our neighbors house today and discovered that it was her first day of school. They would've been classmates. But in our little mountain community, I'm getting emails from lots of people this week who are homeschooling and want to get together! We have tons of Not-Back-to-School picnics to attend. I am not sad in the least not having her go to public school, I love homeschooling!

[MommaCrystal]

Our district starts on September 1st. I have a feeling I'll be feeling a bit weird that day too. My husband is taking it off from work and we are planning a day trip to celebrate!

[phathui5]

Schools here start after Labor Day. We'll be at the beach instead.

[proudmamanow]

I know exactly how you feel...I don't even like our local schools & I'm glad we're not sending her there, but it feels like we're missing out on a family milestone in a way, one that all her friends will get to participate in but not her....just a weird feeling.
We are going away the week that school starts for a family holiday though, so that will help!

[Lisa1970]

I get it every year. You will soon move on from it. I made the huge mistake last year and enrolled my children. At least that made me completely resolved this year to not send them at all.

[Red Pajama]

My boys would have started school this year, too. It does feel weird. And I do have doubts sometimes, if I'm keeping something worthwhile from them.
Perhaps I need to find out about our local homeschooling group.

[~threemoons~]

Originally Posted by proudmamanow

I know exactly how you feel...I don't even like our local schools & I'm glad we're not sending her there, but it feels like we're missing out on a family milestone in a way, one that all her friends will get to participate in but not her....just a weird feeling.
We are going away the week that school starts for a family holiday though, so that will help!

ITA

It's like I'm mourning something I don't even want to do! lol

I can't imagine the feelings I would be having right now if she were in school. I know this is the right decision. . .

[oceanbaby]

Every year I had the back to school blues. I got over it pretty soon, but I know what you're talking about. It does help to go do something fun that kids in school would never get to do - spend the day at the beach, go to the zoo, have a picnic, go to a movie, etc.

On the flip side, my previously hs'ed children have asked to go to school, so in 6 days they will be starting 4th and 1st grade, and now I am having the "end of homeschooling lifestyle" blues.

[kittie313]

Yep, the last two school years we had this feeling too. The first one it was especially hard because we lived just across the street from the school she attended the second half of that school year (they closed it at the end of her K year so now it sits empty). We would watch kids walk to and from school every morning until she started. There's a neighbor here who watched his granddaughter (we're the only young people here, everyone else is retired) and he'd walk through our yard every morning to take her to school. Now we watch the school bus drive by, and the first few days last school year it felt really strange. This year school starts next week, so I can't comment on how it feels, but I have a feeling we'll be experiencing the same anxiety, sadness, and worry this year that I did last school year that first few days of watching the bus drive by while I'm flipping pancakes or pouring cereal (or whatever we're eating that morning). It is an interesting feeling, and it takes me a few days to get over it fully. Last school year I didn't have it hardly at all on the first day because we had a "not back to school" party that we went to with a few other families, but the second day when we were here at home with no plans and watching the bus go by twice full of kids it was really bad. Hopefully this year isn't as bad.

[OkiMom]

Mine are younger but everyone starts preschool young here. Like 1 1/2-2 and my daughter is 3 1/2. My friends love to share first day of school pictures, what their kids are learning etc and I sit there like "Umm, DD1 learned how to crack eggs into a mix without shells spilling in.." I get the weirdest looks!
I guess Im a little sad that there won't be any real milestones like first bus ride to school, school pictures etc but we are trying to make up for most of it so she won't feel left out.

[quester]

I think today was the first day of school here too.

Kinda loving not having to get my sleepyheads up at the crack of dawn. Not one of my 4 is a morning person.

[LauraN]

We had such a bad kindergarten experience with my first, that the first day of school is a celebratory day for us. We have no doubt that homeschooling is the right choice for our family and we spend the day celebrating that we're able to do it.
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[Bluegoat]

I am feeling this way too, though we don't start until the week after labour day.

One of the homeschooling groups here does a camping trip to the national park the first week of school to kick off the homeschooling year.

[elizawill]

i remember the first day of kindergarten with my daughter. it was only 7am and the bus was in front of my house picking the kids up (all lined up in there uniforms). i was so glad my little girl was fast asleep in bed. i sat in my pj.'s with coffee feeling so thankful.

i have felt a little sad on occassion when i hear about field trips, lunch hour, science labs, etc.... things i hadn't been able to duplicate on the same level. but we joined a co-op least year for that very reason & now there really isn't any experience that i feel my daughter (or son) is missing out on.

i'm sure it will pass. hugs.

[elizawill]

Originally Posted by oceanbaby

On the flip side, my previously hs'ed children have asked to go to school, so in 6 days they will be starting 4th and 1st grade, and now I am having the "end of homeschooling lifestyle" blues.

Hugs. I'm sure there will be an adjustment period, but everything will work out. I know you've put a lot of energy into this decision, having read many of your posts. Sending good vibes that you all find great joy in this new chapter

[oceanbaby]

Originally Posted by elizawill

Hugs. I'm sure there will be an adjustment period, but everything will work out. I know you've put a lot of energy into this decision, having read many of your posts. Sending good vibes that you all find great joy in this new chapter

Thank you!