We accepted an invitation to the local magnet
school, which we considered back then to be ultra-
prestigious. We now refer to it as the Robot Factory.
;e Smith family: David and Kimberly with
their sons Denver and Solomon
kids this young, so he ended up attending gi;ed classes for older students. ;is,
in itself, posed all sorts of problems. ;e
kind of worldly garbage my 7-year-old
child learned that year would make most
adults blush. I was furious over the loss of
innocence that occurred that year.
So, we came to a realization: the pub-
lic school system was broken, at least in
Florida. Boys aren’t wired to “do school”
the way society wants them to do school.
My amazing, bright, and creative children
were being forced to sit at a desk for hours,
not speak, give the textbook answer, and
read low-interest stories from a bland cur-
riculum. At the end of the school year in
2009, both boys came to my husband and
me and begged to be homeschooled. ;ey
had had it. We had all had it. It was time to
take a di;erent path.
Kimberly Smith lives in Florida with
her husband, David, her two sons, two
black dogs, one surviving guinea pig, and
six glamorous chickens. When she isn’t
homeschooling, she enjoys facilitating the
Sweet Potato Book Club, watching British
movies, and drinking ca;einated things.
You’re invited to visit her blog, ;e
Well-Rounded Mind (www.wellrounded
mind.blogspot.com).
I love that homeschooling has allowed us to salvage thirty-;ve extra hours a
week with our kids, reading quality literature side by side, doing community
service projects together, and teaching them according to their learning style.
www.; eHomeschoolMagazine.com
