And then there were two....

About three weeks ago, I saw Ashley reading an email from Megan.

(We do occasionally talk around here, but why bother when there is email! :) )

I saw this sentence Megan had written:

I HATE SCHOOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hmmm.

I started to talk to Megan about what made her write that. She told me how uncomfortable she was at school. A lot of it was boring to her, and she didn't like the cleanliness of the bathrooms or the cafeteria. (Funny, coming from my messy child.)

It's December, time for the annual I Don't Like School Anymore campaign from Megan. Every year she goes back to school excited, and by December she is hating life and we drag our way through the rest of the year. She has expectations of learning and fun in September, and by the time she has been told she just has to plod along like everyone else in material she already knows, she loses her passion for learning.

We approach her teacher each year about this, and we make no progress. Megan reluctantly attends the rest of the year because that is what she has to do.

I did approach her teacher about this, yet again. Typical answers: This is what school is, and we can't change it. She has to do phonics, even though she hates it because it is so easy. Yes, she has to do the afternoon 2nd grade math, even though she goes to third grade for math each morning.

As a wise friend of ours told us, the schools are willing to teach to a certain level, but not beyond.

It's hard to say she still has to go to school, since her sister got pulled out. So I now have both girls home for school. It makes my life easier in a lot of respects, since I am no longer bound by a school calendar or hours. It makes it harder, too, since I am now planning lessons for two children.

Soon after I withdrew Megan from school, I asked her how long she had wanted to homeschool.

"For years."