We did it! We survived the first week of school and all the changes that come with changing schools. While there were definitely some hiccups and tears along the way, for the most part it was joyful. Throughout the week I had a few observations...
1. We got to see how resilient our daughter is. She wanted this change. She wrote a thoughtful 4 page letter detailing every reason and then waited patiently for our response. This was serious business. I'm sure she had a picture of perfection in her mind. But when the picture in her mind and the reality of middle school didn't quite match up what we witnessed was her character. She is thoughtful, determined, smart, and funny...and she used all of those qualities to make the rest of her week successful.
2. We've done all we can to equip her for this. Well, not specifically this, but something of this nature. A time when she would want to explore new things. So hooray for equipping her well, but I'd be remiss if I didn't acknowledge that it's really hard to let go. I mean, I love this kid! I genuinely enjoy the amount of time we naturally get to spend together. I'm sure before long we'll fall into a new routine and it'll be much easier, but until then I'm cutting myself some slack and giving myself permission to miss her.
3. While we've made the switch from cyber school to public school, I'm grateful for the time we spent homeschooling/cyber schooling. It gave me such incredible insight into my children's personalities and learning styles. I firmly believe in school choice and I think families can find success both in the traditional school system and outside it. It's not a competition between the two options, but rather what works best for your family. We can each make different decisions on schooling and BOTH achieve success. gasp. It's true. After 15 years of countless conversations and explaining myself to others, I've arrived at the notion that there is no one right answer to schooling. I'm just grateful I had a choice.
