Another 20 Days to Celebrate

We home-educate through a public charter school. We've been with this educational option for a few years now. Every twenty days, we meet with, what they title; an educational specialist. The children provide work samples from every subject and I provide a list of all the work they have done, topics that have been covered and skills learned, for that learning period, to be added to their 'learning record'or 'portfolio'.

Today was our twenty day meeting. I used to get extremely stressed by these meetings. It started 3 years ago when I was finishing my own education and the Mr and I separated. We developed a pattern of anxiety before the meetings.

The meetings never went as bad as we all imagined and once they were over, we would feel so relieved. The next year, I was finished with school but the pattern of anxiety was still there. I intentionally worked very hard to undue the stress we had associated with these monthly meetings.

It took all of that year after I graduated for us trust each other again. For them to trust that I was going to keep my cool. For me to trust that they were and would be, responsible for their own work and samples. For all of us to trust that everything was going to be ok.

Since that time of reestablishing our sense of peace, we've had a few changes, triggering the anxiety again. I work outside the house now, as well as from home. No matter what though, the meetings still seem to go very well and we leave feeling positive.

We have annual passes to Knotts Berry Farm which include a a meal plan. I had a couple client cancellations and didn't have to go into work so I took my ktbunch to Knott's and 'çelebrated' another successful meeting.

Even after 16 years of home-educating, I am still figuring things out and don't have it all together. It's more challenging now in some ways, but I am proud of what we have all accomplished and over come together, as a family. I love these kids and I love home-educating!