Do You Homeschool?

[mjaclyn]

Hi everyone! My family and I live in NY and are considering different schooling options for our two children. I'd like to do some research about homeschooling and would love some advice. I think I would like to check out some programs that offer online and traditional courses, is accredited, and has a staff of teachers to answer questions should they arise. I'm looking into Middle and High School mostly - possibly 5th Grade at the earliest. What programs have you used? What is it like to homeschool? I've met kids from one end of the spectrum to the other - kids who have had a great homeschool education, are well adjusted, and social, but also kids who at 19 are still struggling even to get a GED. I'd love some tips from parents who have experience! Thanks so much!

 

[PollyannaMom]

I'm curious, too. I debated homeschooling when DS was younger, but in the end determined that my teaching style and his learning style were just not a good match. I still second-guess that sometimes, though.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Hi everyone! My family and I live in NY and are considering different schooling options for our two children. I'd like to do some research about homeschooling and would love some advice. I think I would like to check out some programs that offer online and traditional courses, is accredited, and has a staff of teachers to answer questions should they arise. I'm looking into Middle and High School mostly - possibly 5th Grade at the earliest. What programs have you used? What is it like to homeschool? I've met kids from one end of the spectrum to the other - kids who have had a great homeschool education, are well adjusted, and social, but also kids who at 19 are still struggling even to get a GED. I'd love some tips from parents who have experience! Thanks so much!

You need to find a "homeschool community". I think that makes an impact on the quality of life of the kids.

My SIL homeschools. She graduates the kids early.

In the end, it may depend on the kids. Some kids love it and some hate it. My kids would have rather have forks stuck in their eyes than have been homeschooled by me, lol.

 

[scrhsa]

I homeschooled for about 6 yrs. 3 girls all 3 yrs apart. Youngest was 3 when we started. I stopped when they reached middle school( we enrolled them in the local Catholic school where I ended up working too). I loved every minute of it. I started with Konos, which is a complete unit study(everything revolves around the subject you are studying). I liked it but I wanted a bit more structure for my girls. I tried different programs. All of which were Catholic. Seton was by far the best. Fabulous program. Homeschooling helped with us because my husband was in the Coast Guard and my girls were able to spend a great amount of time with him when he wasn't under weigh. Having a good homeschool group close by is a giant plus. We live in a rural area so the last couple of yrs hschooling was a bit difficult because of no group close by. It took 45 minutes to get to the closest group and our workload really didn't leave room for regular meet ups. My girls have done great academically transitioning into highschool and beyond and my nieces went to Clemson and were both on the Dean's List. They used Seton as well. My friends girls have also done great getting accepted to all the colleges they applied for and one is attempting to get into Annapolis.

I agree with the spectrum. I think alot of that has to do with the basic personality of the kids too. I've come across some crazy hschooling families. From complete off the gird types to your basic school at home let's get a thorough work load types.

Organization skills are a plus as well Though I'm not very organized in my daily life, I was with all our school stuff. And let me tell you how much I DID NOT dread Mondays. Mondays were actually my favorite part of the week! Field trips and traveling were great!! We could school as we traveled or wait till we got back and doubled up. We even schooled during the summer some times to catch up or get a bit ahead.

My girls did have a bit of the "why did you have to homeschool us, you ruined us" spiel. But that was early teen yrs and they didn't know very many of the other kids at school. Most of the kids around here had known each other since kindergarten...or were even related to each other. But now that they are older they definitely appreciate it. It really has given them a different world view. I think it helped them become the types of girls that don't follow the crowd. It helped them form an opinion and respect for who they were as individuals. They were able to express themselves with out all the horror of school friends making fun of them.

Good luck with your research!

 

[StirlingSilver83]

I'm always on the fence about homeschooling...My son has ASD, but hes high functioning so he's in a regular class in his elementary school. He gets a long pretty well, but he had a lot of issues transitioning in kindergarten and 1st grade. He has some quirks that we are trying to work with. Right now he's in 3rd grade and he's starting to feel out of place bc of those little quirks bc the kids in his class are being mean to him. I've looked into private schools and you might as well sign your life away with those. Its heartbreaking as a parent to see him go through this but I am constantly in contact with the school and the child study team. Anyways we have thrown back and forth the topic of home school but the pediatrician wants the social aspect of a regular school...its really a catch 22.

 

[OceanAnnie]

I only homeschooled for a short time out of necessity. I second Seton. We loved it. It was a life saver for us. I loved the structure. Loved that they are accredited, have really good materials and tests which are online and paper (you can choose to do one or the other or a combo of both), and they keep track of it all on their database. You can view it at any time. It took the worry out of showing progress. The only thing we found for the grade we taught was it was a little light on science, but we supplemented that.

I also second finding homeschool groups and resources. There are so many online. Look into yahoo groups for homeschool groups to join in your area. That would be a great start. Lots of families are in these groups. They share access to classes, events, clubs, and field trips for homeschoolers. You would have to join the groups to view them, but if you say you are looking for resources and are considering homeschooling that shouldn't be a problem. You will get e-mails from the groups. If you do join any groups, I highly recommend you get the consolidated (weekly) e-mails. Otherwise you will be inundated.

** Seton does work with students that have special needs.

 

[littlejimmy]

no

 

[BigAlsGal]

I don't. I've thought about it because I can't stand the ridged school schedule, early mornings, having to vacation when the whole country does, but really school is good for my kids. I like knowing my kids are in a safe environment where they can have life experiences without me right by their side. I like that they have a life outside home and family. I want that for them.

If I were going to for some reason, maybe if there was an issue with the school or students or something I think I would choose an online program like K-12. I don't trust my abilities to help my children understand the material. Heck I don't understand a lot of stuff. I'd hate to feel I made them dumb. Lol.

 

[MommaoffherRocker]

I have been homeschooling for 3 years and now am debating on putting my kids into school. Homeschooling is great they learn a lot. I have them involved in extra activities like art classes, zoo school at the local zoo etc. my hang up is I just want to be mom I don't have to be constantly on them to do their work. I know it sounds selfish but I think it is straining our relationship. I pulled my oldest out of public school because I felt they were failing him but we are in a new area now. We use Christian programs I loved Sonlight. I also recently used monarch which is all online. You might want to look to see if the local school system does virtual school. If they do you can get all the materials for "free" and you will have a big support team. In Florida the virtual schools have their own principles, counslers, and teachers that are there to help. I also hate schedules and that is one of my reasons against putting mine into school. I believe you can learn things from traveling and family time that you can't in school.

 

[ToTLaugher]

I would highly recommend contacting a local homeschool group and ask to talk to some moms who are homeschooling kids in the range you are thinking about teaching. One on one conversations makes such a difference! We have women who are considering homeschooling at our meetings all the time and everyone is happy to help.

I have homeschooled since my oldest was in 1st grade. She is now a college graduate. I have another child in college and one more at home. I did most of the teaching myself. I can't really offer much information about online all in one programs. Check out your local homeschool convention, there you can talk with vendors from various programs and ask questions.

 

[bethy]

I homeschool my oldest. It's something I never dreamed I'd do but has literally saved her life. I do mean literally.

For me it has also been liberating and empowering to learn that there is no one right way to do things in this world.

I do all the teaching myself and am not involved in a Co Op. My DD is 14 and will be starting college at age 16. There is no doubt in my mind that she is going to end up with a better education because we homeschooled.

My middle daughter is in public school and LOVES it so far. My youngest starts K next year and we will see where that takes us.

There are all kinds of people who homeschool for all kinds of different reasons. Don't base your decision too much on what you have seen others do because everyone's path is so unique to them.

 

[Sabeking]

I home schooled for a bit. My DD's attended Classical Conversations one day a week with a teacher/tutor and then completed their work the rest of the week at home. Each class consists of up to I think 12 students. My freshman went into Catholic school this year and my junior left CC this past fall and began dual enrollment at the local community college. She will graduate next May with 36 college credits. There are tons of programs you just need to try and get connected to your homeschool community if they have one. Good luck!

 

[Goofy_Disney_Dad]

Nope, never did.

 

[PollyannaMom]

I can't stand the ridged school schedule, early mornings, having to vacation when the whole country does

Those are some of things that bother me as well, along with some recent rumors of drugs at school. But...

my hang up is I just want to be mom I don't have to be constantly on them to do their work. I know it sounds selfish but I think it is straining our relationship

this worried me as well. I don't want the now occasional homework battle to become our whole day! (To top that off, I'm an introvert and DS is an extrovert. - Being together all day every day might be too much for me and not enough for him.)

 

[scrhsa]

Those are some of things that bother me as well, along with some recent rumors of drugs at school. But...



this worried me as well. I don't want the now occasional homework battle to become our whole day! (To top that off, I'm an introvert and DS is an extrovert. - Being together all day every day might be too much for me and not enough for him.)

It became SO much easier when I started homeschooling. Homework was SUCH a battle. Once you become the teacher and you don't have the battle of "but my teacher said I had to do it this way" and the time constraints are taken away, it becomes totally different. You also get so much more accomplished because you don't have any of the wasted time in school---everyone line up for the bathroom---wait til the whole class is quiet---everyone line up and walk to the cafeteria etc. We had set times for each subject but we could push that back if say Math was difficult and we needed extra time on that.

 

[superme80]

We do. It has been a growing experience. My oldest is in 1st grade, so right now it is easy. He and his preschool aged brother go to co-op classes one day a week. We honestly take it one day at a time. It can be challenging with behavior, especially when his younger brothers get to play and he has work to do. But we try and get his work done first thing in the morning. He has been able to dedicate a lot of his time to drawing, which he loves. He is a great reader. His younger brothers have picked up on so much. My youngest actually know some of his numbers! We will see what happens as they get closer to jr high or high school.

 

[dja14]

We do, for 12 years, 3 kids, oldest graduates in May Our oldest went to K (wonderful) and until November of 1st (nightmare) We are not anti public school or anything but it didn't work for him and it really has been the best for the other two as well. Autism and other learning disabilities make it easier (slow down when needed, speed up when you can,etc) and harder (it's all on me or someone we hire-which is still on me) I have 4 1/2 years left and would do it again, even with mistakes I have made. Kids are fine, socialized, etc I know families on both ends of the spectrum in any problem homeschool kids are said to have.

It is not easy. It's time consuming and a lot of work. I know people who say "Oh our kids just love to learn and they just do all their stuff, I never say a word, etc. They are so advanced, graduated 4 years early, etc" It is just like public school, some kids are easy and some not and some are advanced, some work hard and some (like one of mine) are lazy and you have to stay on them every minute. Most kids (even my 'lazy' one) are average -that's what that word means LOL As the teacher you have to choose and buy curriculum, grade it, teach it (or at least help with it) and make sure they are meeting requirements and you are following all your state laws. I feel great stress that i am doing a good job (it's not like I can blame that teacher at the school if they fail) My house is usually a mess.

It is made easier (I think) with a good curriculum and good support system. If your spouse is not on board I don't know how you could do it, I really rely on mine. I also have some close friends who homeschool. We do not have a co-op but I wish we did, it would have been easier for some classes. I also use an umbrella school that I report all our curriculum choices, grades and attendance to, and they check it all for meeting requirements. I do that too, but I feel backed up and checked on.

Good Luck on your decision!

 

[FlightlessDuck]

The Disney for Families board includes a Homeschool thread, because apparently "homeschooling" is somehow related to families going to Disney...

As for us, no. We both work. Nothing wrong with our public school district. Well... nothing wrong enough to compel one of us to quit their job and homeschool.

 

[low-key]

I would of hated to be home schooled because I would not have other kids in the room to laugh at my jokes as I interrupted the teacher,ahhh them were the days

 

[Cantw8]

You need to find a "homeschool community". I think that makes an impact on the quality of life of the kids.

My SIL homeschools. She graduates the kids early.

In the end, it may depend on the kids. Some kids love it and some hate it. My kids would have rather have forks stuck in their eyes than have been homeschooled by me, lol.

That could be your first Home-EC lesson....Don't stick forks in your eyes