Home schooling is not as popular in South Africa as it is in other countries. With the economic crunch we all face most households barely just make it with double incomes, let alone have the option of one parent staying home to raise the kids and home school them. For the sake of everyones sanity it is not a bad thing at all. Personally I feel my kids and I are better off with them going to school than them learning at my hand.
Thus far my eldest two kids have been top students and I thank their brilliant educators for a job well done. Along with their natural ability and the teachers efforts, I am not ignorant enough to think that I don’t have to contribute to their learning. I assist and teach what I know and what I don’t know, I Google. I firmly believe that parents have to play an active role in the kids lives albeit education or playing. Bragging rights have to be earned and I make sure of it every year. Seeing my kids on the stage accepting awards never gets old. Though we work hard towards it, I always make sure my kids do their best with the knowledge that I love them no matter how many awards they receive. Life is not always about winning, it’s completing the race that matters.
I’ve done Grade R thrice in my life (once for me and twice for my kids at school) and am about to embark on it for the fourth time in 2015. In the meantime I am spending time with my 5yo and teaching her what I can while I’m at home. It’s my attempt at home schooling and boy this is a challenge. Thank goodness I still remember the phonetic alphabet or else this will be a lost cause. When she’s in learning mode I am Teacher-Mommy and when she’s not I am the Ignored-Mommy. I’ll have you know that whether the mood strikes at 7am or 3pm on any given day including weekends this mommy has to be ready to teach.
Did I mention there are some brilliant educational programmes on tv? We watched one episode of Bubble Guppies and they actually explained to kids how to behave in a classroom environment. This is exactly why we have those days when she tries to explain something to me and when I don’t get it she tells me (and I quote) “It’s ok mommy I don’t expect you to understand. I watch too much tv and it’s not like you’re a real teacher. You’re only Teacher-Mommy.”
Well Teacher mommy has fake exams to plan as well as get fake awards printed and a class party to plan. I hope I manage to get this right so I can least get ‘fake’ satisfaction when the school year ends.
Surviving Jonkersville 