Homeschool of One

When Poly went off to high school, I was feeling rather forlorn about what was left of our homeschool. What would it be like to have only one child to teach? Would we be facing complete silence instead of lively discussions, now that my talkative child is gone? Could we still manage our worship time and singing? How does one transition from teaching at the older child's level (and having the younger child join in) to teaching directly at the younger child's level? I felt like we were getting off of a motorboat and re-packing to set off on a two-man raft. It would be very quiet, very slow, and very lonely.

The first day that happened, it did feel strange and surreal. During our Bible time, we felt Poly's absence acutely. There were no comments, no interruptions, no answers to questions. Chee-Chee, who generally relied on his brother to do the talking, kept to his reserved and passive self.

As time went on, however, we both got used to a new routine. And I began to like this homeschool of one. I feel more relaxed now that I only need to focus on one person's learning needs. When Chee-Chee sits next to me to read, I can wrap my arm around him, and we take as long as we need. When I address him and no one else, Chee-Chee begins to respond. Whereas in the past, he was always afraid of saying things wrong, he now feels safe to give his opinions and answers without an older brother's censure. Gradually, my little guy, whose favorite animal has always been the tortoise, is poking his head out of his shell. These days I love our one-on-one discussions about all kinds of issues. I am constantly surprised by his keen observations and analytical formulations. Smart, motivated, and compliant, he is a joy to teach.

Without other distractions, I am able to think clearly and to beef up Chee-Chee's curriculum, and he has risen to the challenge. In the past years, sadly, I had been short-changing his education. Being too aware of his older brother's strengths and Chee's learning disabilities, I had for too long held off giving challenging work to Chee in order to protect him from frustrations. Recently we began on the IEW writing program, and after only a couple of weeks, I am astounded by how well he can write, given the right stimuli.

Changes can be scary. This year is all about changes for us. In fact, it was as if our homeschool went through a tornado. Not only have we been blown all the way across the Pacific Ocean, severed from our support system and friends, and stripped off all the niceties of a nourishing homeschooling environment, we had to down-size as well. We had to let Poly go, setting him free to learn in a new way. However, it was all for the best. Now I know it was the right thing to do. For Poly and Chee, it was the best thing that could have happened for them both.