The Freedom You'd Have If You Sent Your Kids To School By Barbara Frank

You homeschool your kids? You must be a saint. Thinkof the freedom you'd have if you sent your kids to school. You'd be free to get up at 6 am to drag them out oftheir warm beds, so they can get ready to go out into the cold to wait for the bus.You'd be free to mediate the fighting over thebathroom ("No fair! I have to leave first! Make her get out!"). You'd be free......to make sure each one takes the right lunch. ...to figure out who left their lunch on the counter. ...to send the right permission slips with the right child. ...to make sure each one has the right books in theright backpack. And if there's no bus for your neighborhood, you'd befree to drive the kids to school, along with someone's else's kids, if you carpool.... Which would leave you free to sit in their drivewayhonking the horn, shivering and waiting, while your kids fight in the back seat because no one wants to sit next to the kid you're waiting for. Of course, if you sent your kids to school, now yourreal freedom would begin, because once the kids are actually in the schoolbuilding, you'd be free to do what you wanted for an entire six hours: To clean the whole house all on your own, with no helpfrom the kids. To watch "Regis and Kelly" or "The View" (didn't youlove the time the ladies on "The View" interviewed that famous actor, and to impress them he pulled off their shoes and juggled them? What a great show....).To go shopping, though you can't buy the kids clothesunless they're with, because you don't know what's "in", and they can'twear anything to school that's not "in". But still, you'd have the freedom to do what you want,uninterrupted. .... Except, of course, for when the phone rings, and youanswer it in case it's the school nurse calling to say one of your kidsgot sick at school....(but of course it's a siding salesperson) . Or when you need to run back to school at 11 ambecause you're one of the Volunteer Computer Moms (at a school which is already costing you $3000 a year in property taxes), or you're a Field Trip Chaperone, or a Library Mom, ora Room Mom, or an Art Mom, or a Lunchroom Mom. But still, you'd have freedom for a little while,until it's time to meet the bus or pick up the kids. Then you'd have to make them all sit down and dohomework (even though you feel like a meanie because they just spent all day at school), And listen to them fight because they're overtired andcranky, And comfort the one who's crying because "I stilldon't get what I'm supposed to do!", and you're not much help because you don't seethe point of the assignment, either, And rush them through dinner, because it's almost timeto take one to soccer practice, and another to gymnastics, or to Scouts, or to dance class. And by the time you drop off the last one, the firstone will be ready to be picked up, and so you retrace your route, and then head home, where everyone collapses... . For a few minutes, but then it's time to make themfinish the unfinished homework, and take their baths, and lay out theclothes for tomorrow, and get to bed on time, so they won't give you so muchtrouble about waking them up at 6 am and dragging them out of their warm beds, so they can get ready to go out intothe cold to wait for the bus...... Homeschool your kids? You must be a saint. Think of the freedom you'd have if you sent your kids to school.