[Lauxa]

I want to be a good parent, but I'm feeling so indecisive as to what's best for my kids. I thought I would homeschool them, but now I have a part-time job that I enjoy and don't want to give up. I liked playing with friends in small in-home settings, so I've looked for those types of situations for daycare, but the older girl is already 5 and would be starting kindergarten next year and school-aged children don't go to daycare and play for 20 hours a week, they go to school for 35 hours a week and learn to listen to the teacher and do what they're told. And while some parts of school weren't so bad, I was just soooo bored as a kid... I felt like I was waiting for my life to begin, and that it wouldn't really start until after I finished school. And some parts WERE bad, because I was the hyperactive immature nerdy kid who got picked on all the time.

SO, I'm looking for some inspiration here. What did you like about childhood? What didn't you like? Do you feel like you were well-prepared for adulthood? What would you have wanted your childhood to be like?

I'm especially interested to see if I'll get any replies from people in less developed nations, I know you're in here!

And also... how can I get my kids involved in the process of creating their own best experience of childhood?