Throwing in the Homeschool Towel

So I did it again! I called dear ol’hubby and begged him to send the kids to school, and I think this time I mean it. I’ve battled horrible attitudes for two and a half years and things have only gotten a little better.What sparked this, you ask? My middle boy would not take his cold medicine. After spending close to $50 on “focus” vitamins and respiratory medicine in LIQUID form because he WON’T swallow pills, he flat out refuses to swallow the yucky smelling liquid. So I flat out refused him lunch until he did. The only problem is I knew he needed food because he gets really irrational when his blood sugar drops and there’s no talking to the kid. So I offered to compromise. I said he could eat candy first to help the taste. NO deal. I asked him to come up with a solution. Still he wouldn’t budge.

He made it through a science lesson without eating, and things were fine, until he got hungry again. He started whinning, and I offered him the medicine again. More fits of whininess and that’s when I called hubby AT WORK, asking him to play principal. He couldn’t tear himself away and that’s when I said, “send him to public school.”

Well, after that I finally allowed him to eat. I really don’t think homeschooling should be a daily battle and that’s what it’s been for two and a half years. I’ve had to go to the doctor for stress related problems and as much as I would love to have the perfect homeschool (or at least a sometimes happy and peaceful homeschool where kids want to learn occassionally and are on task every once in a while and who occassionally go off on an educational tangent of further study.) But my homeschool is NOT like that and sometimes I wonder if they’d be better off in school.

They’re very smart and their test score are way above average, so that’s really not the problem. It’s the daily grind of dealing with all the behavioral stuff!!!

So I’m seriously considering enrolling them in school next semester.

But that’s what I said last year, and the year before that! Bottom line is I want what’s best for EVERYONE!! Now I just need to try and get over the guilt if I do decide to enroll them in school.

What’s your take on it? Has ANYONE ever been in my situation? Should I get over the guilt and just say at least I tried, or hang on a little bit longer?

UPDATE on the Cold Medicine incident: Hubby took one whiff of the nasty stuff and didn’t blame our son for refusing it. Oh, well! Lost that battle and his cold seems to be getting better on his own. Thanks for everyone’s wonderful comments and encouragement. We’re still praying about next year!