As an example, many families in our area are choosing to send their kids to a different school, an hour away, rather than attend the public school. I always ask why and how they came to that decision and then I begin to wonder if I should be thinking about that for my kids. Sometimes I'll scold myself for wanting to "keep up with the Jones' ", but I also wonder would my kids have better opportunities at a more prestigious school? Really, does it even matter? Is the school really more prestigious? Is is just your perception because you have to pay to go there? But if it does matter and I have the means, why wouldn't I do that for my kids? See where this is going? It's kinda a no-win thought process.
So then I remember that I've been very happy with the public school thus far and that we are only talking about 6th, 3rd and 1st graders. I'm not sure any private school would make that much of a difference at that level. Maybe 6th grade, but certainly not 3rd or 1st. Why do I even worry or think about these things? I'm quite sure my parents never even had a thought about what school we were going to. We just went to the school whose town you lived in. That was it. No dilemma.
This whole debate I'm sure will be amplified as we head to high school, (which one?) and finally college! The opportunities to second guess myself will be endless!
Do you ever second guess the choices you make as a parent?
Private or public?
discuss.
4 comments:
I know the school of which you speak and would be very interested to hear the answers you get when you ask their reasons.....
For me it isn't much of an option, not sure I could afford private. I am just going to have to trust in the public school system where I went!
This is a big deal out here. The schools in the town we moved to last May vary in quality, at least based on test scores, and a lot of parents shift their kids to schools that are perceived as "better" (even though they are all public).
The neighborhood school where my kids would go for kindergarten next year is one of the ones people shift out of. My husband and I don't want to be knee-jerk yuppies who send our kids to another school for reasons that aren't our own. But since all the "good" schools are free and on a lottery system (and not too much further away than the neighborhood school) we're going to enter the lotteries and see what we get and make the decision then.
It seems really silly. But then again I did go to a private (Catholic) school through 6th grade and I feel that was a good thing.
I guess we're just going to go on feel. Which sounds like what you're doing. And I think if you and your family are happy you should keep doing what you're doing. :^)
I do second guess myself as a parent all the time but my son is 19 almost 20. I can't change anything now. I can only hope that my actions and the way I carried myself throughout his informative years was enough. He is a good boy now he has to show the world.
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