Home Education.

Jay and I read an article a couple of years ago, right when we were in the depths of Jelly's school anxiety, about the Danish education system. I'm sure you're all well aware (as it featured heavily in the media at the time), but if not, here's an overview: in Denmark, children do not begin mainstream education until the age of 7, before then focussing on learning through play. The academic results of Danish 11 year-olds are consistently higher than that of British 11 year-olds, and the children are generally more well-adjusted and emotionally mature. In short - to me, it seems like those precious few years of structure are, well, pointless really. We wished in that moment that we'd had the information before sending Jelly in to mainstream education. Would her anxiety issues have remained the same? Would she feel 'scarred' by school like she did in that moment? Would learning have been a different experience for her, a whole new childhood, if we had stopped her entering school until the age of seven?

Enter Moo. We didn't have Moo when we read that article, and we didn't know we'd ever have him. But now his second birthday is looming and the thought of registering him with nurseries (I should have done it by now) and schools is popping into my head. I just don't feel comfortable. Jay and I will graduate university when Moo is four years old, which means that we could potentially be in the ideal situation by the time he is five for me to spend that time with him and educate him at home. It will probably be for two years (Jelly's school is a junior school, which begins at year 3, and I love it's nurturing and encouraging atmosphere - I'd be really happy for him to go there when he turns 7) but who knows? Maybe it will be for us. Maybe we'll "homeschool all the way". Maybe we won't. Maybe he'll end up going to school from foundation year and love every day of it. These are all ideas.

There are the pros. The cons: I am not patient, so how will I cope? I need to learn to drive so we have freedom and don't go stir crazy, and so that I can take him to places and groups where he can socialise. Will Jelly see it as unfair that she had to go through that traumatic school experience and he gets to stay at home with his Mum, the one thing she always asked for and was always told was impossible? Is it unfair? Am I equipped? Will Moo and I spend too much time together and find it difficult to get along? 

Like I said, these are all ideas. I'd love some recommendations of blogs and books which talk about homeschooling. I've already joined my local home education Facebook group and they all seem lovely and welcoming, so I already have a good feeling about this. I'm more than on board, Jay is on board, now I just need to get the background info and check I'm really doing what's best for my son.