A San Diego mother of two decided to homeschool her children because she is “too scared” to put them in a conventional classroom for fear of shootings.
Alexia Delarosa, 30, says the “crazy” number of attacks in the US has put her off sending three-year-old Archer and one-year-old Arlo to school.
She began homeschooling both children in August 2023 and pledged to keep them out of the public school system — at least until they reached high school.
There have been approximately 69 school shootings in the United States this year, as of October 28, according to CNN.
Alexia Delarosa, a 30-year-old mother of two in San Diego, is too filled with “fear” to send her young children to school – and has chosen to homeschool them instead.
Alexia shares two sons, Archer, three, and Arlo, one, with her husband, cafe owner Matthew Delarosa, 38.
Alexia, a housewife, said: “There are so many terrible things happening in schools. It’s crazy how many shootings we have.
“That alone is enough of a deterrent to putting my children in an environment where this could happen.
“It’s devastating when it happens; how does this keep happening?
“This could happen at any school. It’s scary and I don’t want to send my children into that environment.
“It has a lot to do with the state of the world: security is a big factor.”
Alexia says she and her husband Matthew Delarosa, a 38-year-old cafe owner, were both educated in the public school system.
They had conversations before Archer was born and realized they wanted him to stay out of the classroom.
Alexia also decided she wanted to be a working mother and says she now devotes all her time to her family.
Alexia claims to be fulfilled by household chores, although she also spends a lot of time promoting herself on social media – having amassed almost 230,000 followers on Instagram.
Of a traditional school environment, Alexia said, “It’s scary and I don’t want to send my kids into that environment.”
She also seems to find enough time to promote what she presents as a perfect 1950s domestic lifestyle on social media, with almost 230,000 followers on Instagram.
“I always wanted a more traditional model for my family. I loved the idea of “1950s-style family life, where the wife stays home to take care of her husband and kids, and the husband goes to work full time,” Alexia previously said about her state of mind.
The lifestyle she happily embraces is exactly in line with the #tradwife – short for “traditional wife” – trend on social media.
However, of her children attending a “traditional” school, she is adamant that she “never felt comfortable with the idea of sending them somewhere for seven hours a day.”
“I didn’t want them to be in the hands of adults and around other kids I didn’t know – that scares me.”
“We both decided that homeschooling would be the best option for us.
“They are both preschool age. We started getting them into a homeschooling routine.
Alexia, who started homeschooling just two months ago, said her family was skeptical at first and wondered how long it would last, but they became “supportive.”
Following the homeschooling schedule she established, her children wake up at 7 a.m. and eat the breakfast she prepared for them shortly after.
Alexia begins to lead her two sons during two and a half hour lessons, from 9:30 a.m. to noon.
Alexia said, “My husband and I both grew up in the public school system. We had a very normal upbringing.
“Our family has been very supportive, but we’ve gotten a lot of, ‘Okay, let’s see how long this lasts,'” she admitted.
“Here, it’s so normal to send your child to a playground when he is two years old.
“They leave with another adult as soon as they can.”
Alexia added that she “loves” homeschooling and that both of her children are thriving.
“I’m having so much fun with this. I think a lot of it comes down to planning and being intentional about what you do.
“The program is made up of thematic weeks.
“We had Pumpkin Week this week. All the activities were based around pumpkins, removing the seeds and thinking about what we could do with them.
“In this they learn motor skills, are creative and discover the world.”
“A lot of activities I encourage are cooking and baking.
“Whatever the theme, I will come up with recipes that encourage that. »
Alexia said she “loves” homeschooling: “I have so much fun with it. I think a lot of it comes down to planning and being intentional about what you do.
The homeschooling schedule she established calls for her children to wake up at 7 a.m. and feed them breakfast.
At 9 a.m., homeschooling begins – and ends two and a half hours later, at noon, for lunch time.
Nap time is scheduled from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. before dinner at 5 p.m. followed by bath time at 6:30 p.m.
Finally, bedtime is at 7:30 p.m.
Alexia said she always planned to homeschool her children, but her husband would be happy for them to go to high school.
She said: “I would prefer if they didn’t do it. When we reach these higher levels of education, we could bring in a tutor and teach them.
“Or there are homeschooling groups that come together. I would prefer to go this route.
According to CNN, 24 of the 69 school shootings this year took place on college campuses.
The other 45 were on the grounds of primary, middle and high schools.
