Mum homeschools her kids - because of school shooting fears
A mum is homeschooling her children because she's "too scared" to put them in a conventional classroom - over school shooting fears.<br /><br />Alexia Delarosa, 30, says the "crazy" amount of attacks in the US has put her off sending Archer, three, and Arlo, one, to school.<br /><br />She started homeschooling in August 2023 and has vowed to keep them away from the public school system - at least until high school.<br /><br />There has been at least 69 school shootings in the US so far this year, as of October 28, according to CNN.<br /><br />Alexia, a homemaker, said: "So many terrible things happen at schools. It is crazy the amount of shootings we have.<br /><br />"That alone is enough to deter putting my children in an environment where that could happen.<br /><br />"It is devastating when it happens; how is it continuing to happen.<br /><br />"It could happen at any school. It's scary and I am not willing to send my children into that environment.<br /><br />"It has a lot to do with the state of the world - safety is a big factor."<br /><br />Alexia says she and husband Matthew Delarosa, a coffee shop owner, 38, were both educated in the public school system.<br /><br />They had conversations before Archer was born, and realised they wanted him to stay away from the classroom.<br /><br />Alexia decided she wanted to be a hands-on parent so now devotes her time to her family, who live in San Diego, California.<br /><br />She said: "I never felt comfortable with the idea of sending them somewhere for seven hours a day.<br /><br />"I didn't want them to be in the hands of adults and be around other kids that I didn't know - that seems scary to me.<br /><br />"We both decided that homeschooling would be the best option for us.<br /><br />"They are both pre-school age. We have started getting them into a routine for homeschooling".<br /><br />Alexia started homeschooling just two months ago.<br /><br />She said her family were sceptical at first and wondered how long it would last, but have become "supportive".<br /><br />Alexia said: "Myself and my husband both grew up in the public school system. We had a very normal upbringing.<br /><br />"Our family has been very supportive but we did get a lot of 'ok let's see how long that lasts'.<br /><br />"Here it is so normal to send your kid off to a play centre when they are two.<br /><br />"They go off with another adult as soon as they are able to."<br /><br />Alexia says she "loves" homeschooling and both her children are thriving.<br /><br />She said: "I have so much fun with it. I think a lot of it is the planning and being intentional about what you're doing.<br /><br />"The curriculum is themed weeks.<br /><br />"We did pumpkin week this week - all the activities have been based around pumpkins, taking out the seeds and thinking about what we can do with them.<br /><br />"In that, they are learning motor skills, being creative and being out in the world. <br /><br />"A lot of activities I encourage are cooking and baking in the kitchen.<br /><br />"Whatever the theme is I will come up with recipes that encourage that."<br /><br />Alexia said she plans to always homeschool her children - but her husband would be happy for them to go to high school.<br /><br />She said: "I would rather they didn't. When we get to those higher levels of education we could have a tutor come in and teach them.<br /><br />"Or there are homeschooling groups that get together. I would rather go that route."<br /><br />According to the National Center for Education Statistics in the years 2021-2022, there was a total of 327 shootings in the US.<br /><br />Of those shootings, 188 ended with casualties and 57 deaths.<br /><br />The deadliest school shooting in the US happened in April 2007, at Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia. <br /><br />23-year-old student Seung Hui Cho killed 32 students and staff in two separate attacks on campus.<br /><br />In total, 33 people died and 23 people were injured.<br /><br />HOMESCHOOLING SCHEDULE<br /><br />7am - wake up and have breakfast <br />7:30am - finished breakfast and have free playtime <br />9:30am - start homeschooling <br />12pm - have lunch <br />1:30pm - nap <br />3:30pm - wake up from nap<br />5pm - have dinner <br />6:30pm - bath<br />7:30pm - go to bed