Ep 16 | Private School v. Public School

Picking a school for your kiddos is a stressful process. And for us, it was a bit crazy – but we’ve settled into a great now.  Elinor wanted to share her thoughts on what is a better fit for her.

Disclaimer: Elinor wanted to talk about public school vs private school.  She is sharing her experience here.  We are not trying to tell anyone what to do.

Sami: Which is better for you, private or public?

Elinor: Private, because the class sizes are smaller.  Last year I had 10 kids in my class and this year we don’t know yet.  Two years ago I had 8.  I know we’ll have 7 for sure.

Sami: Why do you like smaller class sizes.

Elinor: Because then there isn’t one group of friends and another group of friends and people feel left out or don’t like each other as much.

Sami: So there aren’t as many cliques.  Cliques are groups of people that hang out together.  Like jocks or theatre kids.  They hang with their group and not with anyone else.

So you like a small school because people are almost forced to hang out with each other.  And maybe you’re friends with someone you wouldn’t otherwise have hung out with in public school.

Sami: Your school doesn’t have a lot of after school activities or sports right now.  Are you ok with that?

Elinor: Yep.  Theatre all-day every day.  I don’t want to play sports.

See ya family, I’m moving to New York and going to Broadway.

Sami: What about public school didn’t work for you.

Elinor: It was too easy.  My school now is harder.  Homework was super easy and it took me like 5 minutes.

Sami: Now you’re in 5th grade, is this the year you start getting real homework?

Elinor: I’ve had homework since 3rd grade.

(make sure you listen around the 3:45 mark for the burn 🤦‍♀️)

Sami: Did you like the lunchroom at public school or do you like that you get to eat in your classroom?

Elinor: Yea it’s way calmer in my classroom.  All the boys eat in one corner and the girls in one corner.  We eat quietly and talk and then go out to recess.

But now there’s a new rule that we have to go to recess before we eat lunch (she’s not happy about it)!!!

Sami: Are there any subjects you got to do at public school you don’t get to do now that you miss?  Or is there stuff you get to do now that you like that you didn’t do in public school?

Elinor: We did science once.  It was the best day ever.  I love science but I don’t get to do lab stuff till middle school.

I didn’t get to do handwork in public school.

Movement is like PE except if I get tagged I don’t have to do 50,000 pushups.  It was so weird.

Sami: If a kid is unhappy at the school they’re at, should they talk to their parents? How should they talk to their parents?  A lot of times kids say they don’t like school and parents just say deal with it.  How do they know if the kid is really unhappy at their school or they just don’t like school?

Elinor: Do you like this school or do you not like school?  If they say they like the school then leave them.

But if they say they are unhappy at their school then have a bigger conversation.

I like private school better but some people might like public school better.  If your kid comes home and he/she says, “I don’t like school.”  Tell them, “Do you just not like school or is it this school?”

I hated school there, but I still love school because I’m weird.  Not many kids like school, but I do and that’s why I’m weird.  So put your child in a school where they like to go to school.

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