Is it too late?

As a homeschooling mom I have often struggled with the best way to educate my children. Taking on the education of another person is an awesome responsibility.

What if they end up not being able to do math? What if they can't read? What if they hate to read? What if they don't care about history - my personal favorite subject. What if...? What if... What if...?

As it turns out, I have one who struggled (and still does sometimes) with reading, but is fascinated by history. I have one who couldn't spell to save his life, but math comes easily to. Another one who is a natural speller and grammarian, but sometimes can't remember that 6x6=36.

All of this on an "eclectic classical" education.

What if I said to hell with it and put their education into their hands? After all, they are 13, 14 and 16. What if I had done it earlier?

After 13 years of schooling, what do you remember? If you remember much, is it because it was something you were interested in, or was it because you were forced to learn it?

I can tell you what I learned in school. I learned that kids can be cruel and adults can be more so. That how much money you have is more important than the type of person you are... and almost as important as how you look. That I was forced to spend the bulk of my time with people who didn't like me, and I sure as hell didn't like. That if you are just a tiny bit different you will have a miserable existence while stuck in those four walls.

Recently, I asked my children what they remember of their education. Not much, it turns out. Frankly, I don't know if I can take responsibility for what they do know.

The speller/grammarian/math midget? From the time he was 7-12, he used to take a college robotics textbook we picked up at a book sale to bed with him every night. The boy could probably build a robot in his sleep.

The non-speller math whiz? He can fix anything from dinner to a car. He is an amazing cook that loves to experiment with food, and is my go-to guy whenever anything needs fixed.

The struggling reader history nut? He is my history channel watching buddy who loves people. He would read Archeology Magazine or Smithsonian Magazine with the puzzle ladies just as soon as he would read hop on pop to a four year old. He makes friend easily and never has an unkind word to say about anyone (unless it is his brothers.)

I have some pretty big indications of being over stressed in my life right now. At some point, I may disclose, but for right now let me just say that things need to change, and change fast. I don't know how much more school related stress I can take, and I sure as hell don't want to ruin any little bit of curiosity and eagerness for learning that my boys may have left. If I haven't killed it all already, that is.

So what I am asking you, dear readers - yes, all three of you - is how bad would it be to switch to a child led/unschooling way of life this late in the ball game? Is it too late to let them take the reins and themselves down their own educational road? If it isn't too late, how do I even begin? How do I stop myself from jumping in and trying to take over? How do I fix what I may have broken? Is it ok that two of my kids don't want to go to College? (Never mind the fact that neither Marty nor I graduated from any kind of post secondary education and seem to be doing fine. What about them??)How do I stop them from "majoring in XBox'? Is it ok to stop them? Is it so wrong if my kids decide to be auto mechanics, carpenters or plumbers and live happily ever after? Does it matter than we have the worst library in the history of libraries (but access to ILL)?

Help.