Homeschooling? (Read 1986 times)

runjanerun


    Does anyone home school?  When do you train?

     

    Not that I would let training make my decision for me, but since I'm considering every other aspect, I was urged to consider that one as well.

     

    My  husband supports me but is concerned that homeschooling and normal house/mom stuff would take away so much time that maintaining my "self" as it were. 

     

    I am a former teacher and coach, current (and will remain, regardless) stay at home mom and am considering homeschooling now that my oldest is getting to that age.  

     

    (If you are a secular home school family and are willing I have about a million other questions as well if you're willing to message.)

    Teresadfp


    One day at a time

      Good luck!  I have several friends who homeschooled, and their kids did  well.  It was VERY challenging, though. Are you considering homeschooling your kids all through high school?  Several of my friends said it got too hard once the students reached 8th grade or so.  The kids went back into public schools, which was a big shock!  I know a few kids who struggled with that transition, so it's something to think about.

      runjanerun


        Wanted to add, I'm not doing it yet.  I know that to allow time to interact and to expose to areas outside my own areas of expertise, there will be a lot of activities, but I don't know if my kids would be able to be in activities at the same time -and if I am supposed to stay or leave, so if it's as simple as that, still please respond Smile

        runjanerun


          Good luck!  I have several friends who homeschooled, and their kids did  well.  It was VERY challenging, though. Are you considering homeschooling your kids all through high school?  Several of my friends said it got too hard once the students reached 8th grade or so.  The kids went back into public schools, which was a big shock!  I know a few kids who struggled with that transition, so it's something to think about.

           

          That is the current plan, however it could always change depending on kids desires/needs, etc.  I was a high school biology teacher and I'm fairly comfortable with the other curricula, though I also know there are a lot of co ops for older kids because it is fairly common in this area.  My oldest is 4, and could start next year or the year after (is on the cut off cusp)  - about time I finalize my decision on how to begin Smile


          A Saucy Wench

            Wanted to add, I'm not doing it yet.  I know that to allow time to interact and to expose to areas outside my own areas of expertise, there will be a lot of activities, but I don't know if my kids would be able to be in activities at the same time -and if I am supposed to stay or leave, so if it's as simple as that, still please respond Smile

             a lot of it depends on where you live and how strong and prevalent the homeschooling community is.

             

            There is a LOT of homeschooling here so most of the activity studios have special homeschool classes available (swimming, dance, karate) although once you get above a certain level then you have to go into the afterschool classes.  There are also homeschooling social networks here but they are almost exclusively linked with fundamentalist churches.  (About 70% of homeschoolers  are so for religious reasons which kind of leaves the other kids out in the cold for most social activities aimed at homeschooling)

             

             

            Once your kids get older you can also do hybrid homeschooling.  The school district hates it and will try to fight you on it and tell you you cant but in most states you can legally "partially homeschool" and take your kids to regular school for specific subjects that are harder to teach at home.  (science  laboratory, sport teams etc.)   Our school district has caved to the pressure and has first and last period with  the classes most desired by homeschoolers

            I have become Death, the destroyer of electronic gadgets

             

            "When I got too tired to run anymore I just pretended I wasnt tired and kept running anyway" - dd, age 7


            Non ducor, duco.

              The beauty of homeschooling is that your life is your own. Train when you want. Train in the morning. Train at midnight. Train at 3pm. With older kids you can set them on a project and step out for a bit. The thing you will find is that you will not SCHOOL in a traditional sense. What I mean by that is that you probably (I hope) not sit at a table or desk for 8 hours and lecture. Your day is very fluid. Or at least mine is. 

              L Train


                Train when you want. Train in the morning. Train at midnight. Train at 3pm.

                 

                I approve of this.

                 


                  Double IPA Please!

                    The beauty of homeschooling is that your life is your own. Train when you want. Train in the morning. Train at midnight. Train at 3pm. With older kids you can set them on a project and step out for a bit. The thing you will find is that you will not SCHOOL in a traditional sense. What I mean by that is that you probably (I hope) not sit at a table or desk for 8 hours and lecture. Your day is very fluid. Or at least mine is. 

                     You homeschool? I did not know that. PM me at FB at some juncture, this has been a passing thought in my mind from time to time.

                    Interested in looking good and feeling great? Check out my website at www.marykay.com/dyerger

                    Shipping is always free with me!! :-)

                    MrH


                      I approve of this.

                       

                      You know it would lead to injury at your age.

                      The process is the goal.

                      Men heap together the mistakes of their lives, and create a monster they call Destiny.

                        I can give the perspective of the homeschooled.

                         

                        My mom homeschooled  the three of us k-12. We all took a few classes at the local community college during highschool - which helped the transition to college. But for the most part my mom had us do everything at home. For example, I took calculus in 11th grade at home, then I took it again at the college level in 12th grade - just to make sure I learned it. Same with bio. Chemistry and physics were a little harder for me in college because I didn't have time to do them twice during high school. I loved it because it gave me flexibility to learn at my own pace. I didn't like it because we didn't have a whole ton of friends and couldn't play sports. We compensated by becoming inseparable as siblings, and we did other sports that didn't require a team. You can also do crazy things like pack up a van and take a month to drive to every national park in the US - very educational. Smile

                         

                        We have all done relatively well - my brother is finishing his masters in engineering, i'm in medical school, and my sister is an officer in the army and is considering becoming a veterinarian when she gets out. We are all extremely independent, stubborn, opinionated and almost TOO sociable.

                         

                        And lastly - my mom swears if she had to do it over again she'd send us all to boarding school. Big grin

                          Don't be afraid to reach to those 'dirty' fundamentalist christian groups.  There is a wealth of knowledge and experience there.  In addition, they really don't bite people and they love to share with folks about what works and doesn't work.

                           

                          Our group used to go skiing every year...it was just a safe group to be in...there wasn't any conversion activities.  What you find in those groups is a very 'g' rated experience and very kind and thoughtful people.

                           

                          we homeschooled a brilliant (IQ 155) asbergers kid all the way through high school as well as two foreign adopted kids, and a the fourth kid who is a National Merit finalist and we think we did it better than it could have been done with public school interference help.  All of them can hold a conversation with folks outside of their age group and are well adjusted socially.  We here from many adults whom the kids have interacted with regarding their maturity and responsibility and they also remark how they don't see that in the majority of the other kids they meet.

                           

                          It is just a schooling choice that parents should be actively making instead of passively going along with maintstream...no matter which way you choose to go.


                          Hey, nice marmot!

                             We here from many adults whom the kids have interacted with regarding their maturity and responsibility and they also remark how they don't see that in the majority of the other kids they meet.

                             

                             

                             

                            Do you think this additional maturity and responsibility is a result of homeschooling?  If so, what is it about homeschooling that yields a more mature and responsible child?  (I find this subject interesting.  After all, go back in time and any schooling you got before University was probably homeschooling.)  Growing up, I only knew a few kids who were homeschooled and they didn't seem any more or less mature or responsible than any of the kids attending public or private school.  But, I'll freely admit that the very few I knew was certainly not a representative sample.

                             

                             

                            To the OP, you mentioned that your husband was concerned about your schedule.  Are you concerned?  As a former teacher, I'd think you would know better than most the level of effort required to effectively teach something.  In any event, if you prioritize, you'll probably find enough hours in the day.  Best of luck!

                            Ben

                             

                            "The world is my country, science is my religion."-- Christiaan Huygens

                            Lane


                              We here from many adults whom the kids have interacted with regarding their maturity and responsibility and they also remark how they don't see that in the majority of the other kids they meet.

                               

                              Warning:  Friendly mocking ahead (emphasis in above post is mine).

                               

                              This made my day in a post about how well the poster did teaching his children.

                               

                              No offense intended.  I can see that you did a good job with your kids, it just made me smile.

                              xor


                                Don't be afraid to reach to those 'dirty' fundamentalist christian groups.  There is a wealth of knowledge and experience there.  In addition, they really don't bite people and they love to share with folks about what works and doesn't work.

                                 

                                 

                                I'm interested in why you brought up the word "dirty".  I certainly didn't get that out of the post I think you are responding to (ennay's?) but I could be wrong.