Onderhoud met ‘n Ma : Marietjie Smit
Hoekom tuisskool jy? Daar is verskeie redes. Ons bly op 'n plaas, 30 km vanaf Clanwilliam. Koshuis is nie vir my 'n oplossing nie en heen-en-weer ry is uitmergelend. Met Kurrikulum 2005 stem ek ook nie saam nie en ek wil graag bepaal watter inligting my kinders moet leer. Verder wil ek hulle spaar van groepsdruk. En laaste maar die belangrikste - ek wil hul leer van Christus en Christelike waardes. Ons tuisskool sedert Junie 2004. Hoe oud is jou kinders? Die oudste is 'n seun, 14 en dan 2 meisiekinders, 11 en 10 jaar. Is jou man betrokke en op watter manier? Pa is die broodwinner en "skoolhoof". 'n Boer het lang ure en nie altyd tyd om aan skoolwerk aandag te gee nie. Hy laat egter sy seun baie op die plaas help ('n fantastiese leerskool!).
Gebruik jy ‘n spesifieke kurrikulum of ‘n samestelling van verskeie? Ek het aanvanklik weggetrek met Impak, maar na 'n jaar en 'n half gevoel om my eie ding te doen. Ek het toe begin om my eie leermateriaal saam te stel op 'n eenheidstudie basis (unit study). Dit was absoluut fantasties, maar het baie ure se voorbereiding van my geëis. Toe verneem ek van
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Konos - al die dinkwerk is klaar gedoen! Dit is wonderlik om daarmee te werk. Vir Wiskunde en Tale gebruik ek addissionele handboeke. Het jy spesifieke skoolure? Is elke uur in elke dag dan nie 'n leerskool nie? Wens dit was so maklik, want ek het hierdie entoesiasme om my kinders van alles te wil leer. In die praktyk het ons "skool" van na ontbyt (hang af hoe koud die wintersoggend is en hoe vroeg ons uit die vere is) tot ons klaar is so teen 16:00. Nou sal jul seker dink ek gooi die kinders dood met die baie werk! Ons doen egter in die tyd ook naaldwerk, houtwerk, rekenaarvaardigheid, tegnologie en huishoudkunde. Beoefen jou kinders enige buitemuurse aktiwiteite en in hoe ‘n mate skakel hulle in by die ander kinders daarmee? Ons doen privaat tennis saam met 'n ander tuisskoolgesin. Sosialisering is altyd ‘n kritiese punt van bespreking. Watter interaksie het jou kinders met ander kinders van hulle ouderdom? Gesonde gesinsverhoudinge is veel belangriker as om met ander portuurgroepe te meng. As jou kind binne gesins- en familieverband goed kan funksioneer, sal hy/sy nie sosialiseringsprobleme ondervind nie. Ons het egter 'n ondersteuningsgroep in die area en kom elke 2 maande bymekaar. Verder kuier die kinders met ander tuisskolers wanneer die geleentheid hom voordoen - soos met die afgelope Winter Workshop. Hulle maak baie gou nuwe maats. Watter mate van dissipline pas jy in skoolure toe en hoe verskil dit met die huislike? Plig kom voor plesier. Hulle het 'n rooster van watter skoolwerk daagliks gedoen moet word. Hoe harder hulle werk, hoe gouer is die werk afgehandel. Ek glo aan streng dissipline, maar pas maklik aan by omstandighede. Daar is geen verskil tussen skool- en huisdissipline nie. Reëls is reëls en ons werk aan karakterbouing. Jou twee meisiekinders is nog in die Laerskool en jou seun het Hoërskool begin, wat beplan jul vir na-skool? Dit is 'n tawwe vraag. Ek ondervind nie enige verskil tussen laerskool en hoërskool nie. Persoonlik heg ek geen waarde aan ons huidige Matrieksertifikaat nie. Met die huidige beleid van die Dept. van Onderwys dat 'n leerling Gr 10 tot 12 moet deurloop om sy Matriek te mag skryf, het ek 'n groot probleem. Veral t.o.v. die leerinhoud. Dinge kan egter so maklik verander en ons het nog 'n jaar grasie om 'n besluit te neem. Ek glo egter dat ons kinders moet leer om vir hulself te kan sorg/werk skep. Selfs met die beste kwalifikasie vandag is jy nie gewaarborg om enige werk te kry nie. In hoe ‘n mate affekteer tuisskool jou normale dagtake as tuisteskepper? Dankie tog vir 'n huishulp! Dit maak die las heelwat ligter. Ek besef ook dat die kinders vir 'n relatief kort tydjie kind is en dat ek die vrugte sal pluk van wat ek nou insit. Die kinders is ook gewoond daaraan om heelwat huistake te doen. Diere word versorg, kamers netjies gemaak, skottelgoedwasser gepak, tuin natmaak en nog vele meer. Bly daar na alles nog tyd oor vir jou as individu? Wat doen jy vir ontspanning in daardie tyd? Tyd vir myself is ietwat min. Soos die kinders groter word, word dit egter al makliker. Ek en my ander helfte hou Woensdagaande vir ons uit. Kinders gaan vroeg bed toe en ons kuier om die kospotte saam en gesels 'n hond uit 'n bos uit. Afhangende van in watter gemoedstemming ek is, sal ek gaan stap, in die tuin sit en droom, boek lees, 'n lekker warm bad neem, tee drink, my kamera gryp en foto's neem, met 'n vriendin oor die telefoon gesels, naaldwerk doen of in die tuin werk. En wanneer ek dorp toe gaan, neem ek my tyd en gesels met almal wat jy teekom. Ek beskou dit as my omgee-vir-mense tyd

Interview with a Mom: Chirani Meyer
Why do you homeschool? My original reason for homeschooling is different to what it is now. I first started homeschooling out of necessity, but as I saw the fruit of it, my eyes were opened to the treasures in it.The Lord showed me that home schooled children are like seedlings kept in a greenhouse, they are nurtured until they are strong enough to be planted in the world and they area able to thrive in a tough environment. Most children in our culture are like fragile little seedlings that are planted directly into the world and they take a beating from environmental elements. How old are your kids? I have 8yr old twin boys, and two daughters aged 6 and 2. Do you involve your husband and if so, how? My husband helps out when he can. He is very supportive and he so appreciates the fruit of homeschooling.
Do you follow a specific curriculum or do you make use of various? We have Konos and Math U See, and Young Explorer Series but the Lord sends the most amazing learning
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material along our path.I ask Him every morning what we should do that day ( He knows what my kids need) and we follow His lead. Do you have specific school hours? We have a routine of finishing chores after breakfast, then praying and Bible study and then we get on with school time. Do your kids participate in extramural activities and is there any interaction with other kids? Socialization of homeschooled kids is the most common question asked. How do you facilitate interaction with other kids of the same age? My children go tho Radical Christian Kids ( for grade 1-7) at our church which they LOVE, the boys play Tag rugby and my girls are about to start ballet. We have the neighbour"s little girl who plays at out house most afternoons and we make lots of play dates with other school going friends. I think my children are well socialised, they can play with babies and have good chats with grown ups. Their friends also vary in ages, they see practically anyone as potential friends. I do put the sibling relationship as priority, its so important that they are best friends with their siblings. What level of discipline do you enforce during schoolhours and how does that differ from the norm in your household? I do insist on respect for me as the teacher and I that they are quiet when I'm teaching. I also do put my foot down when they are resistant to doing their allotted tasks, but they are rewarded for perseverance and a job well done. I don't push them too hard,and they have lots of time for play. You are currently busy with Primary School. What do you plan doing for High School? We are currently busy with Primary school and I would love to carry on homeschooling till the end of High school. How does homeschool affect your normal household chores? It is a bit of a squeeze with household chores and homeschooling, but the children do help out and I have a domestic who comes in twice a week. Is there any time left for you as individual? What do you like doing in that time? I find that because I spend so much time with my children, they aren't clingy. I find that my friends with children at school are often overwhelmed by their children demanding their attention after being separated from their parents while at school. After spending the morning teaching, my children play in the afternoon and I am left to my own devices. Again my friends with children at school spend there afternoons and sometimes evenings helping with homework. I dont' think those kids get much time to play. My friends often tell me they don't have it in them to home school, but actually they do so unwittingly. They often have to pick up the slack where their kids are struggling at school, they don't realise it but sometimes the children learn more from mom during homework than they do in the class! I am so grateful that Lord has lead me in home schooling, I feel so fulfilled and I have an amazing opportunity to work with the Lord in shaping our children's character. I am also learning so much!

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