Getting it ALL together.

     It's that time of year.  It is the time of year I dread every school year.  It is winter break.  Yes, there is the excitement of holidays and presents.  There is also a tremendous flip side.  The weather is usually cold and bleak.  Often it is raining, snowing, sleeting or just too cold to play outside. 
     We have indoor activities.  The Nintendo Wii has kept me from losing my mind many cold bleak days. I try to keep them active. 
     I am grateful that my children are playing on basketball teams.  That gives us about 2 hours of PE credit each week.  Combining that and the Wii Sports, we are able to get our PE hours logged each week. 
      I was asked about a common "myth" about virtual school.  Someone had told this person that there is only about three hours of schoolwork each day. 
     Unfortunately, some see this as a perk.  Children learn very quickly when they are younger.  They really are sponges absorbing all that is around them.  It would be an incredible waste to only educate for three hours per day.
     Having said that, if your child is only using three to four hours per day do complete lessons and is staying on track, it may be time for a parent-teacher conference.  Sometimes the solution will be to work ahead in lessons.  Sometimes you will be permitted to count other activities toward attendance.  Either way, it is important to not only log attendance accurately so that the program is not jeopardized for all, but to engage children appropriately. 
     I will be honest with you.  I do not allow a lot of completely idle time.  Even during school breaks, I plan activities to motivate my children to learn more about life, science, math, art and many other subjects.  Life is meant to be a learning experience and in my opinion, watching others experience life on TV is simply not good enough.
     Be careful when considering a virtual education for your own family.  Be especially careful about taking advice about shortcuts.  The lessons your child is learning today will be the building blocks of lessons of the future.  Math is a perfect example of this.  How easy will multiplying fractions be for the child who has a good grasp of their multiplication tables?  How hard will it be for the child who "skimmed" that unit?  The more they learn now, the easier high school and college will be for them.
      I like to keep this in mind for my children.   I can remember my 10th grade English teacher asking me to write a novel.   That same year, my Biology teacher expected me to write a research paper.  Yes, I struggled that year, but later, in college, I was able to complete writing assignments quickly and often helped other students who were struggling to create an essay.  I am reminded that if I make my children really work now, they will feel much more secure and confident later.
      Ahhh.. so I am done with my speech today.  This was not meant to be easy.  There are things we can do to make it more interesting.  There are things we can add to make it more fun, but it is very important to remember our goals.  Your goals may be very different than mine. 
      My goal is to do my best to not eliminate any future choices for my children.  It is an awesome responsibility, but it is worth it.