Home-schooling Fun?
 |
Anita Doberman is a journalist, syndicated columnist and author whose work has appeared in newspapers and magazines across the country. Her column, "Out of the Blue," reaches millions of readers each week across the United States. A sought-after speaker, she has reached new audiences through radio appearances and speaking engagements.
Born and raised in Rome, Italy, Anita left Europe for the United States to study dance at the Alvin Ailey School of Dance in Manhattan. She later attended Columbia University, where she majored in English. Following college, Anita worked as an Investment Banking Analyst for Credit Suisse First Boston.
The contrast between her big city and European background, and her present life as a military spouse and mother of five in Small Town USA provides a great platform for her observations about American life. Anita shares her life experiences with honesty, laughter and emotion. She deals with the trials and tribulations of everyday life, magnified by being a literal ocean away from her family and often just as far from her military husband.
Witty and down to earth, Anita connects with people on a very personal level. Her topics vary from practical issues on handling a house overflowing with children and pets, to universal questions like "Am I a good mother?," to emotional matters of dealing with a life in constant flux. She is currently working on a non-fiction book based on her experiences.
For more information about Anita, go to her web-site at www.anitadoberman.com
|
|
|
|
These days my routine, if I can even call it that, has drastically changed. In addition, to adjusting to my new baby (this is child No.6) I’m home-schooling the kids.
Did I just say that? I have to re-read the last sentence to make sure it’s actually happening. Oh, but wait, as I look around and notice that my house is in a permanent state of disarray I know without the shadow of a doubt that, yes, I am indeed home-schooling my offspring.
If you asked me a year ago whether I would ever home-school, I would have said never. But military living has a way of testing our ideas because everything is so unpredictable and sometimes we just have to adjust. And so this year home-schooling was the best option for our family.
I grew up in Italy where home-schooling doesn’t exist. So when I met families in the U.S. who home-schooled, I was interested and respectful but always thought, “Hey, it’s definitely not for me.” I couldn’t be a parent and teacher 24/7. That line of thinking ended when we decided that I was going to give it a try because of frequent PCS-ing, deployments, illnesses, our new baby, and my 5-year-old daughter’s 6:00 am gymnastics class.
Teaching my kids at home has been challenging and rewarding. Some days it’s a joy as I watch them learn or discover something new, or get excited about a small science experiment. Other days it seems that I’m constantly on their case to do work, or even to just clean up.
I’ve had to learn what patience really is and watch what I say. I certainly can’t blame poor language skills or bad manners on my kids’ classmates. Whether I’ll continue to home-school after this year is up in the air. I’m not opposed to public school, and sleep is a rare privilege these days when I write. But we all sacrifice something for our kids, and right now home-schooling was the right way to bring stability to my home.
Despite the fact that a part of me would really like to have more time for myself, I choose not to give up my time with my family. So, home-schooling and writing in my spare time are two things I have to balance. And, I hold my unfulfilled desires in me and embrace that I can’t have it all.
© 2008 Anita Doberman.
Back To Top
 Discuss this topic in the Spouse Forums
|
