Today is another co-op day. Before co-op there is a fire safety program, then lunch, then co-op; a very full day, I would say. I recently offered to homeschool the children that I care for, thinking it would be easier all the way around, for the parents and myself. They thought about it for a few days but came to the conclusion that they really want their kids to be with their peers. I am fine with that, I had started to wonder about schooling all of them and how tired would I be, but the funny thing is that the kids are in Montessori. That means they are with kids of various ages, just like homeschool. This week the kids went to art class at the university, attended a county council meeting for 4-H, had their 4-H, and now today's program and co-op. My children are not lacking being with their peers! One mother I was talking with recently put it this way, "When we started homeschooling last year, people asked me about socialization. My kids get more socialization now than they did when they were in school. They always had too much homework to socialize before." Homework. Even the first grader that I care for is having homework and the parents are having trouble keeping up. I really don't remember having homework until high school. I never gave homework as a professional teacher. I guess the corporate world has leaked into school: work all day and then take some home to work all night. Where is the rest and joy of life?