Home School

We don't make beds here.
Unless company is coming, of course.  Or occasionally when we change the sheets and decide to do crisp corners and actually place the decorative throw pillows on the bed for a couple of hours before climbing in and rumpling it all up again.
I realize this makes me a Bad Mother in some circles.  And I worried about it for years. (Not enough to actually make the bed every morning, but enough to keep it a secret!) But recently I've been reading about intentionality and creativity, and I've discovered my parenting flaw isn't a flaw at all.
I am a Mother, but I am also a First Grade Teacher in a public school.  Monday through Friday I manage 20 or so 6 year olds - getting them to read, write, compute, think, play, eat, clean up, walk in lines, take turns, and lose teeth.  And that's not counting Party days and Assemblies (or the enormous amount of time spent on bathroom issues).  I study the Common Core (or whichever set of Rules de Jour happen to be imposed on me at the moment) and try to make sure my little minds are pushed and stretched to their full potential.  After all, school is for learning.  But I also make sure we carve out time to talk, move, explore, fight, make up, draw, cry, and laugh.  After all, school is for learning.
When it came to my own children's education, we pretty much did it the traditional way.  My kids went to preschools with trained teachers who guided their development with play and creative activities.
They went to a private elementary school with an accelerated academic curriculum that stressed traditional Christian values and morals.
They went to public Middle schools where they were subjected to standardized testing, bad behavior, and the smells that come with almost-adult bodies being managed by still-childish brains.
And they went to a public High school where they both had to have their Dad for a math teacher.
They were in after school clubs.  They played sports.  They got good grades.  They made friends and had boyfriends/girlfriends.  They went to Prom.
But as my children are launching into the Real World, I am seeing the importance of Home School.
Being successful in the Real World is about much more than having A's on your transcript.  It's about living on your own, getting along with roommates, paying bills, building relationships, finding/keeping a job, obeying traffic laws, having fun, making decisions, solving problems, resolving your past, and dreaming about your future.  No one rings a bell to tell you it's time to move in a straight line to the next phase of your life.  No one tells you what page to turn to in your Book of Life.  You have to know yourself and others and figure stuff out on your own.
So while I'm glad public school taught them to read, write, and compute, I'm also thankful for what they learned at Home.
Things like, "Go to bed when you're tired." "Its important to eat vegetables." "You don't have to like your siblings, but you do have to figure out how to resolve conflict with them." "If you spend all your allowance now, you won't have any for next week." "Not every family looks and acts like ours, but that doesn't mean they are doing it wrong" "Exploring new music, books, art, movies, is a worthwhile way to spend time and money" "Serving dinner off the stove is ok if it means you have time to sit at the table and eat and mama has less dishes to do"  and  "If it comes down to a choice between making the bed and spending time with someone you love, leave the bed unmade."
Because, no matter where you were educated, we are all Home Schooled.