Mothers Think about TheirWork
tlrc tlrotrght of leaving rrrv clril<lr-en lor. larqc slabs of't.irne, :rltorrt tlrc: c()st, an(l altorrt tlrc rvlrole iclr::r of'strr<lyirrg ilc('( )u ll ti I I g, r rar-kct i rr_T, irr r rl rrrar rirta(-
'l'uo ktnglime ltornescltooling mothers relkct on uhat tlrc years ltaac giuen them and describe their transition, to a rlifferent hind of uorking tife.
rnerrl. Irr a wav, I I'ccl I'r,e lrarl arr MIIA in this alrr:aclv for qrrite a long tinte! But on tlre otlrer hancl, rvhy shorrlcl I get this opportuuity and nor take it? Ry horneschooling, anr I living tlrrough
r
r
rny children,
not completed a university clegree
Deciding to Get a
ancl
rnany of m1' classmates had, <tr rvere in
Business Degree
tlre pro<ess ol-doing ir. So, what to do? I couldn't possibly (Austra,lia) lleirne uritc.s : JuAnne return to medicine, where I'cl started ollt, because I was never strited to it in Susannah's piece in CIWS #101, the first place. I clirln't fisrrr-c I corrl<l about college and work clecisior-rs, clo an education degree (irnagine how ends, 'Adults who want to be l-relofirl I'd argue with the lecturers and the to the children otrght not to thinl only other training teachers, siven how I of the children. We need to look feel about schools?). I'm interested in closely at ourselves as well." That really science btrt what worrld I clo with a hit the spot for me, Iinding nre as ir degree irr it - work in a lab? Wotrld did on the horns of a dilemma about tlrey have rne doing anything btrt lne as a person and a homeschool operating a rnachine? mother. I corrlcln't ignclre the problertr. For a number of reasons, inclrrcling (perhaps) because I arn corning up When I rnentiolte(l rny prcclicarnel)t t() zrnother horneschooler, Ire encour.to age 40 and (perhaps) because rny ased me to apply for :t busincss oldest, Gregory, has undertaken s()nre <lcgree. I arn qrrite intcrestcrl iu rrrartrniversity-level strrcly trnits this year, keting, because I I'rave a little cxperiand even maybe because I helped ence doing it both for honreschooling organize a hventy-year reunion for rny and for our cornpany. As I prepare high school class, I have done a lot of docurnen ts zrbout horneschooling rethinking aborrt nty own eclucation, somewhat regularly, I thought, lvhy and about education in general, this year. not give it a go? I srrltrnittecl these documents, some references, the AusWhile organizing this reunion, I tralian I'Iorneschool.forrrnals I had firund that nearly all rny fernale prrl>lishecl, :rrrcl the clctailed prosrallr classmates and the male classmates' of.study that I had cornpiled aborrt thc wives worked lull tirne, and rnany lrircl work the chilclren corrrplete<l in l9!)2-3 rrniversity <legrees. Ftrrtherntor-e, rnost (abotrt 200 spreacl out paecs of of them hacl trncler-4 year olds (rnv olclest is l4). Neeclles, t,, .ny, o.,, .,f QrrarkXpress docrrrncnt rvith plrotos, eraphics, :rnd plenty ofjar.eon). As a 200 I felt the oclrl rv()rnan out. Still, I restrlt, I rvzrs accepted for a ol"le-year shotrld be usecl to that. So rnanv of mv '
classlnates rrodcle<l sauely,, "Wc
kntw
you'd trrrn out diffcrent!" I know that this is the real world, and I rlo live irr
it, but really, GWS, homeschooling support groups, ancl well-tr-ained farnily ancl friends ltad eff'ectively shielded rne l-or s()t))e tinle uow withorrt nry realizing it. So, clespite being a confident person, competent at homeschooling and taking a snrall role nrrrnirrg a compally with my husband, in rnany ways I startecl to fecl 38 and kind of inadequate, especially giverr tl.rat I l.racl
t2
gradrrate clipl<>rna in rnanageurcnt,
which, if conrpleted srrccessfully, worrltl nrcan dir-ect entry into arr IVIIA program. I was surprisecl ancl clclightecl ar"rcl would e ncorlrage anyone to consicler rrsing their homeschooling
clocurlentation
as a basis
for
srrr.lr an
application. Things are nor as sirnple irs I hacl hoped, however. Certainly the acceptance wasjust the boost I needed to restore my confidence in rnyself ancl my potentional, btrt norv I arn leeline qtrite wastelrrl and arnbivalent about (]n<rryrn-c
zrs it werc? In many ways I aclrnir-e others anrl myself {br being diff'ercltr. I hon)e-
schot>I, am irrto alternative rneclicine, organic f<rocl, and hornebirths, atrd I :rlways loved the way.fohn IIolt saicl his schooling rvasn't relevarrt. NonctlreIess, being difl'erent c:rn be painlirl. Ocr'(ainly wlrr.rr you'r.c krrr:e-<lcr'1t in brcastfeedirrg ancl dizrper-s you c:rn ign<tre the stanrlarcls (rlegrees, titles) that rnost pco;tle nleilsrlre thernseh'es by, llrrt r.vhen lots of pcople yotr really aclrnire and enjoy conve rsins with qtrestion yotrr choices, it's tirne for
soul-search irrg.
I arn quite arvare tlrut rny chilclrerr have a perfcctly manrclrxrs life contpzu'crl to tht: one I hacl as a clril<1. 'I'lrcv enjoy a sreat deal o[ fi'cerlorn, thcy experience lnr.rtual respect, they are lovctl ancl clrr:rislrecl, tlrcy arc c()rnl)ctent, self-rnotivated, and happy, tlrev can crrrl up zrncl read a book pretty well ar.rytime they like, tlrel' 21-s involved in a hrrge ntrtnber of activities that they love, they are prrrstring :rcademic studies at a hish level. I also realize that I have becorrre very wcll-erlrrc:rtccl as part of this hornesclroolirru process - no( in tornts o{'a ltiece of paper brrt in ternts of'f lrc reality of dealing rvith Iirrrr inrlivi<luals who lr:ant very <li{Icre rrtlr,, have skills :rnd spercialties in incrediltly clifl'erent nreas :rncl ncccl to flrrrl r.csorrrccs lcr f'ced those skills. I call n()rv use il rnicr<lsr:ope anrl iclen ti f v rnyriacl sl irles frorn a histology text. I Irave lracl to learl nrolc arrrl rnore colnplex litr:r.a-
ture (thanks to Rebecca,
13. and to
sonre inspiration [i'<,rrn Ke ndall I Iailc1,,
arrtlrrrr of 7-he l)ay I Becante a,n Aulodidact). I have learned spreadslrcers and IllM cornrnands and rnanagernent tlreory. I have lrarl to learn to rearl rnusic, and fast, too - when my s()n Stepher-r is playing a five-page l}arrok piece irt one rninute and 40 seconrls and 1'ou're the official pap;e-trlrlter, you'cl ltetter knorv where you are up to
Wrlrtou'r Sr;rro<l.rNr; #104 . Alnrr.,/M,rt l99Ir