The first day of school... for them

School started this week.

Well, at least for everybody else it did. We just finished our fifth week of 2nd grade.

However, this year Asher has a few friends who attend regular, non-homeschool school. In Bermuda, all of Asher's playmates were homeschooled. He knew school existed, but that was about it. We did school at home, and so did his closest friends.

This year, however, we are living in a new country and a new house. Our neighbors - two little boys Asher plays with almost every day - go to public school.


On Tuesday morning, the first day of school for kids around here, Asher stumbled downstairs, barely awake and still in his pajamas. About five minutes later, we watched the school bus pull up to our neighbor's house. Asher's two little friends climbed onto the bus and were gone.

"What time do you think they had to wake up today?" Asher asked, rubbing his eyes sleepily.

"Early," I answered.

Later, around lunchtime, Asher finished the last of his schoolwork for the day. We had skipped an entire math lesson because Asher immediately grasped the concept and was able to understand and complete the problems I gave him without any extra instruction. Because he's not in a classroom full of students of different abilities and strengths, we are able to move at his individual pace, whether it's fast or slow.

"When will my friends be home from school?" he asked, taking a bite of his sandwich.

"Not for another three hours," I answered.

"Oh," said Asher. "Wow - that's a long time to do school."

And still later, just before suppertime, Asher rode his bike in the driveway and looked longingly at his friends' house next door. He was silently willing them outside.

"Why aren't they riding their bikes?" he asked.

"They might be doing homework," I said.

"Homework? You mean they have to do school after they come home from school?" he asked skeptically. Then, shaking his head he said, "That's crazy!"

Funnily enough, having friends who go to "regular" school has actually made Asher appreciate homeschool more. I always wondered if this would have the opposite effect, and he would instead long to get on the yellow school bus and go to school with his neighbor-friends.

Nope. He asked me if he would "have to" go to regular school one day. I told him as long as he wanted to homeschool, we would homeschool.

He sighed dramatically and said, "Oh good."