Our DYS DS9 has been in an independent Quaker school for K-4th. During that time, we have watched him transform from a boy who could not get enough to a boy who does only the bare minimum, balking at anything that resembles a challenge. He has lost his spark, and it is breaking our hearts.
We kept hoping we could make something change. We could not. We have decided it is "now or never" for homeschooling, so I intend to start in September. Strange as it sounds, the hardest part of this is going to be telling my son. Although he does not have loads of friends (or even someone he calls a "best friend"), we (as a family) have enjoyed wonderfully close relationships among several of the families in his class. Also, our son really loves the idea of school and the community that goes with it, though I believe he also knows that he has never worked hard at anything in school - except perhaps learning cursive handwriting(?).
Making this even more difficult is the fact that our family is heavily invested in the school - and not just in terms of paying tuition. My husband is on the board of trustees, and I have been immersed in volunteering: parent association officer; endowment and annual fund committees; many and various event committees. When we consider all of this, along with the fact that we have been unsuccessful in advocating for our son's academic needs, we simply have to accept that they are unwilling (if not unable) to address his needs, and it is time to move on for DS's sake.
At last, this brings me to my questions/request for advice from those who may have found themselves in similar circumstances. Mostly, I am concerned about the timing of telling my DS. I suspect that even if he gets excited about the prospect of being homeschooled and all the possibilities it brings for learning, etc., he will still focus on leaving a community he loves. I worry that knowing now will upset him and cause distress through the end of the school year. However, I also think that ordering materials (yay, books!), planning workspace, and being able to work on all of this openly and with his involvement would be a great way for him to fully embrace it. Any thoughts on a kiddo who really enjoys being at school but whose attitude toward learning has deteriorated? Thanks for reading all this in any case!
