Home Schooling: Year One

I've promised I wouldn't write anything about education unless I could make it into a comedy routine.

It's either laugh or cry, right?!

Maths sucks even if we use the Horse Land catalogue to learn about percentages~

Home schooling Ryan this past year hasn't always been a joke though. In December, 2012, about eight weeks into it, I had an autistic meltdown at the Asperger's Centre and was informally diagnosed with ASD. During Ryan's assessment interview. I bawled my eyes out while she held on to Ian. Way to make it about me, ay?!

In March we had such clashes over maths – the unfairness of having to do it, for instance – that I had to drive her to her dad's place of business for the day to remove the temptation to physically beat her. Really.

I did NOT put that into yearly report for the Home School Education authorities.

„Have not had urge to beat daughter since March, 2013.“

"Who me?"  Dressed at Gabriella Montez, from High School Musical, for Halloween.

Although it is a HUGE achievement and one most parents will relate to, I am not sure it is one I want on our government record.

I did drop her off at the neighbour's house sometime last term, barefoot and in her pyjamas, and make her walk back home. I just needed her out of the house for five minutes. The goal had been to drive her to the end of the road to give her something to think about on the way home but then she didn't have her water bottle, or her shoes, or clothes, and the neighbour IS a police officer and I thought it might be frowned upon.

Said neighbour is also a mother and thought it was a fantastic idea.

But mostly things have been good and I have a happy, well-adjusted teenage girl where a year ago I had a frustrated, depressed and misunderstood child.

Quirky but happy with Meka and Opa last month

This is good since I don't have much to threaten her with anymore. The horse is in the backyard and we are paying to feed it so it has to get ridden. We don't have a second story to throw her down. She's too smart to get in the car with me when I am angry at her. And I've tried the „well I'm sending back to school“ trick twice now. The first time, at Kurwongbah, they were so nice to us I just figured it really wasn't fair to enrol her when I wasn't expecting it to help.

And the second time, last week, at Narangba Valley State High School, well....

You really have to laugh and let it go.

You have to laugh.

And laugh and laugh.

And home school.