Crystal Ball

I'm really struggling right now with the educational options available to our kids. I'm so, so grateful to have options, but I'm really struggling with what is the best course for each of our kids. I'm settled that Collin needs to be homeschooled indefinitely. He just can not handle a large class of children and I'm not comfortable with him being in special ed forever. I feel like he is capable of so much more, but he just needs a one-on-one environment. I still have yet to figure out which curriculum will work best for us. I had a particularly trying day with him today where nothing seemed to sink in. It is difficult for me to teach him because school always came so easily for me. I know we'll find something that works though.

Alana and Dylan are another story altogether. I'm sure that Alana would really like to go to preschool and kindergarten. I'm worried that they will not be able to handle her hyperactivity though. I am willing to bet money that after a year or two we will be in the same place that Collin was -- the school pressuring us to medicate her. The main reason I'm considering sending her for at least preschool and maybe kindergarten is for her language. I'm just so ready to be able to talk to my little girl and it isn't happening yet. She seems to have regressed in language lately and can't even seem to form an "I want" sentence. I had hoped that having her siblings around would help her language, but I wonder if it is not enough. Collin has language issues of his own and Dylan is not yet three. I'm tempted to try preschool for the rest of the year to see what that does to her language.

Oh, I wish I had a crystal ball and could look into the future to see which option is best for each in the long run! I was so scared to try homeschooling, but now I am completely sold on it. I'm actually reluctant to enroll the other children, but I need to at least consider it -- if even for the short term. I'm sure we'll make some mistakes and wish we did things differently. I just hope our kids know that every decision we make is with their best interest in mind.