Thinking out loud...trying to figure out next year

[mindygz]

So both of my school age kids have been doing a "charter school partnership program," for lack of a better explanatory phrase. My ds7 goes on Fridays to participate in elective classes. It has been fun for him overall and a nice break for me to have him gone, though it often just becomes errand day with my dd9 and ds3, though dd9 does have her piano lessons on that day and we usually get some lesson(s) done and have done a few fun projects, though not as many as I thought we would...I overestimated my energy level for those types of things.

 

DD9 has done independent study kind of stuff for her program, which really just amounts to us getting $$ for curriculum, which is AWESOME! She does have to do the end of the year testing, but I figure that is a good trial run for future testing, as there doesn't seem to be a way to not take tests and still get to college.

 

I have dd9 on the wait list for the program that ds7 has been doing, but I am wondering if I don't just want to have them both doing the program that dd9 has been doing, instead. The downside of not doing the Options Day would be: no "free day" for me; maybe less fun for kids.

 

The upside: the other program gives us more $$ for materials/classes; don't have to get everybody out of the house one morning a week (and we will have a new baby in the fall, so this is a BIG consideration); have more time to get lessons done during the week (right now it is usually a 4 day school week).

 

Hm, even spelling it out I really can't decide. If dd9 doesn't get into the Options Day program, then I know I don't want to send ds7, as it is too much running around for one kid. But if she does get in, I'm torn.

 

Any thoughts on my life that you care to enlighten me with? :tongue_smilie::001_huh:

[meggie]

Well, the only reason I send Pigby one day a week at the charter school is for socialization. Does your son enjoy it? Does he want to go back? Does your daughter want to go or does she like what she's doing now? Do they have other socialization opportunities without it? Does that even matter to you or them?

 

Every week we drive my husband 15 minutes north and drop him off at work then drive 35 minutes south and drop Pigby off and then we have to go pick them up. The $$ we get from the school probably does not even cover the gas we are spending for it. But it's the best opportunity I can give him right now for playing with other kids.

 

I would go ahead and keep your options open. You can always pull them if you want, but it would be hard to put them back in if there's no room.

[mindygz]

Thanks for your input. They both have other socialization opportunity (boys club and girls club 2x/month). My daughter is interested mostly because her twin cousins are also there, but there isn't any guarantee that they'd be scheduled on the same day. She is pretty content with what she has going on now, I think, and I likely will put her in dance or musical theater class next year so that will be one more "thing". My son has liked it well enough, though he seems like he is feeling kind of "done" with it. I'll have to ask him some more about his thoughts. Last time we brought it up it seemed he could either take it or leave it, though every time I pick him up he seems to have had a fun day.

 

You are right, there isn't any reason to shut doors now. I just wish the Options Day program would hurry up and get back to me so I could know if that is even on the table!