Do You Homeschool?

[Cantw8]

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

I like to laugh, Funny Boy...make me laugh

 

[low-key]

I like to laugh, Funny Boy...make me laugh

lol, you get me, mom and dad just didn't get my humor

 

[Twende]

We homeschooled our three children. They are all adults now with at least Bachelors' degrees from college. One is actually a college professor. They were all NCAA DII athletes while in college.

Homeschooling just worked for our family. We never planned to do it. It just happened and continued until they were ready for college. They were well prepared for college and did very well. They were involved in several sports and in many community volunteer programs. We stayed busy. But we had our own schedule which meant the children could travel the US and for 2 of our children, parts of the world.

It meant that the family was intact and important. When my mother fell and broke her hip and her arm, the children and I were able to travel to her and care for her for 2 months. This meant she did not have to go into a "home" for rehab. It also meant the children were exposed to her needs and the types of care she needed. It meant my mother had her grandchildren to cheer her, bring her breakfast, and in general make her recovery smoother.

Homeschooling meant that our children were socialized to what behaviors that we would expect from them. This does not mean that they were not encouraged to be children and play. In fact it meant the opposite. For example our girls enjoyed collecting and playing with American Girls dolls for years well beyond their non-home schooled peers. I believe that play is a very important way to learn and that studying subjects that interest you is more effective way of learning. Our children learned through hands on experiences.

I am so pleased that we made the choice to home school our children. They are amazing adults and the world is a better place because of them. And most importantly, home schooling meant we could spend so much more time in Disney World!

 

[bethy]

We homeschooled our three children. They are all adults now with at least Bachelors' degrees from college. One is actually a college professor. They were all NCAA DII athletes while in college.

Homeschooling just worked for our family. We never planned to do it. It just happened and continued until they were ready for college. They were well prepared for college and did very well. They were involved in several sports and in many community volunteer programs. We stayed busy. But we had our own schedule which meant the children could travel the US and for 2 of our children, parts of the world.

It meant that the family was intact and important. When my mother fell and broke her hip and her arm, the children and I were able to travel to her and care for her for 2 months. This meant she did not have to go into a "home" for rehab. It also meant the children were exposed to her needs and the types of care she needed. It meant my mother had her grandchildren to cheer her, bring her breakfast, and in general make her recovery smoother.

Homeschooling meant that our children were socialized to what behaviors that we would expect from them. This does not mean that they were not encouraged to be children and play. In fact it meant the opposite. For example our girls enjoyed collecting and playing with American Girls dolls for years well beyond their non-home schooled peers. I believe that play is a very important way to learn and that studying subjects that interest you is more effective way of learning. Our children learned through hands on experiences.

I am so pleased that we made the choice to home school our children. They are amazing adults and the world is a better place because of them. And most importantly, home schooling meant we could spend so much more time in Disney World!

Love this reply! Sometimes I wish I could homeschool all three of my children because then we could embrace it more as an entire lifestyle. My second child really, really enjoys her public school and so I couldn't take her out of it. (but it's nice to know there are other options if it ever starts going poorly for her.)

One way I've seen people criticize homeschooling is they wonder if I'm sheltering my oldest DD too much from the "real world." I'm sure that can happen with some homeschooling situations. But are you kidding me??? My DD NEEDED to get out of the closed, limited, narrow environment of public school and OUT into the REAL "real world". She's out in the "real world" way more than her friends who are in public school. The above posters' example of the grandkids caring for their grandmother is just one such example.

Plus my DD spends 15-20 hours per week in competitive team sports and there is no way she personally could do that while in public school.

So one big reason we do it is to align her time commitments to her individual developmental needs and priorities as a child/adolescent. There are only 24 hours in the day. She also now gets enough sleep, finally which is GOLD.

 

[Sabeking]

We homeschooled our three children. They are all adults now with at least Bachelors' degrees from college. One is actually a college professor. They were all NCAA DII athletes while in college.

Homeschooling just worked for our family. We never planned to do it. It just happened and continued until they were ready for college. They were well prepared for college and did very well. They were involved in several sports and in many community volunteer programs. We stayed busy. But we had our own schedule which meant the children could travel the US and for 2 of our children, parts of the world.

It meant that the family was intact and important. When my mother fell and broke her hip and her arm, the children and I were able to travel to her and care for her for 2 months. This meant she did not have to go into a "home" for rehab. It also meant the children were exposed to her needs and the types of care she needed. It meant my mother had her grandchildren to cheer her, bring her breakfast, and in general make her recovery smoother.

Homeschooling meant that our children were socialized to what behaviors that we would expect from them. This does not mean that they were not encouraged to be children and play. In fact it meant the opposite. For example our girls enjoyed collecting and playing with American Girls dolls for years well beyond their non-home schooled peers. I believe that play is a very important way to learn and that studying subjects that interest you is more effective way of learning. Our children learned through hands on experiences.

I am so pleased that we made the choice to home school our children. They are amazing adults and the world is a better place because of them. And most importantly, home schooling meant we could spend so much more time in Disney World!

We had a similar experience. My mom passed away on November 29th this year. My DD's were able to help care for her with me at times based on their schedules. My girls said they were truly grateful for the time spent with grandma and I believe it has shaped who they are today. My girls were also into American Girl dolls way longer than others. They had a very full social schedule and my oldest feels more freedom being homeschooled. She takes college classes in eleventh grade. She meets her homeschooled peers for coffee and study sessions. She loves it!!! My other DD wanted to go back to school which was fine. Every kid is so different!

 

[bcbmommy]

We're in our 3rd year of homeschooling. I pulled my kids out of public school when they were in 5th, 9th, and 10th grades. We also have a preschooler, who will never attend public school. We graduated my oldest daughter last year, and she just started her 2nd semester at college (technically she's a sophomore, thanks to dual credits). We love it. I would say the hardest thing for us has been watching our kids' friends do things that our kids don't get to do (Prom, school sports, etc.). But that isn't enough to make us go back to that. We use a wide variety of curriculum, but My Father's World is our spine.

 

[bsblady01]

I feel like my kids would miss out on a lot of stuff. I don't think I could teach three different grades at once. Kids need to be around kids their own age that is what school is for to learn from other people and to enjoy being in clubs and on teams. I give you guys credit if you are doing it.

 

[bsblady01]

We're in our 3rd year of homeschooling. I pulled my kids out of public school when they were in 5th, 9th, and 10th grades. We also have a preschooler, who will never attend public school. We graduated my oldest daughter last year, and she just started her 2nd semester at college (technically she's a sophomore, thanks to dual credits). We love it. I would say the hardest thing for us has been watching our kids' friends do things that our kids don't get to do (Prom, school sports, etc.). But that isn't enough to make us go back to that. We use a wide variety of curriculum, but My Father's World is our spine.

what happened that you pulled them out of public school

 

[bethy]

I feel like my kids would miss out on a lot of stuff. I don't think I could teach three different grades at once. Kids need to be around kids their own age that is what school is for to learn from other people and to enjoy being in clubs and on teams. I give you guys credit if you are doing it.

You know, that might be true for your OWN kids absolutely. But I find it very disheartening when people make sweeping statements about what ALL kids need or should be doing.

My highschooler spends more time in sports, clubs, a job and volunteering than many of her peers because she has way more available time than they do.

 

[bcbmommy]

what happened that you pulled them out of public school

Basically, the general decline in public school. Most of all, however, homeschooling is something that my husband and I have felt called to do for a few years now.
In regard to your comment about kids needing to be around other kids, let me ask you this. At what other time in life are we around people of the exact same age & similar socioeconomic status every day, confined to 4 walls? It isn't natural.

 

[Planogirl]

Basically, the general decline in public school. Most of all, however, homeschooling is something that my husband and I have felt called to do for a few years now.
In regard to your comment about kids needing to be around other kids, let me ask you this. At what other time in life are we around people of the exact same age & similar socioeconomic status every day, confined to 4 walls? It isn't natural.

I am every day at work. OK, not the same age but we are all similar enough to where it doesn't matter. Kids are different.

 

[bsblady01]

Basically, the general decline in public school. Most of all, however, homeschooling is something that my husband and I have felt called to do for a few years now.
In regard to your comment about kids needing to be around other kids, let me ask you this. At what other time in life are we around people of the exact same age & similar socioeconomic status every day, confined to 4 walls? It isn't natural.

we are around people at work. Do you not work. I think kids need to be in school. I think I would go nuts if I had to be home all day long and with my kids 24/7

 

[bsblady01]

I am every day at work. OK, not the same age but we are all similar enough to where it doesn't matter. Kids are different.

I agree

 

[bsblady01]

You know, that might be true for your OWN kids absolutely. But I find it very disheartening when people make sweeping statements about what ALL kids need or should be doing.

My highschooler spends more time in sports, clubs, a job and volunteering than many of her peers because she has way more available time than they do.

does she feel like she is missing out on prom and a big graduation

 

[bcbmommy]

we are around people at work. Do you not work. I think kids need to be in school. I think I would go nuts if I had to be home all day long and with my kids 24/7

Lol. I haven't "worked" outside the home since my children were born. Thankfully, I'm blessed enough to have a husband who provides a very generous living. We're all different, and that's okay! . This mama loves having her children around as much as possible. They're pretty amazing!

 

[bcbmommy]

does she feel like she is missing out on prom and a big graduation

Normally, people who homeschool for a long period of time see those events for what they are.... Just a day. For what it's worth though, my daughter had an amazing graduation party! Way more grand and exciting than any graduation party I've ever been to!

 

[bethy]

does she feel like she is missing out on prom and a big graduation

No! Actually she's been to high school dances as someone's date. She knows lots of kids and many of them do go to public or private schools that have dances.

The graduation ceremony - I don't think she really cares but honestly just that and high school dances are not a big enough trade off to for her to change her entire chosen lifestyle and to get a worse education than she is right now. Notice I am referring only to my daughter. I know that different kids need different things - they are individuals. I totally respect that the traditional schooling experience works great for many, many, many kids. My other daughter is one of those kids.

Again, I take issue with a statement from someone who has never even met me or my daughter and they feel they know what's best for her.

But this is a discussion board and that's the way it goes sometimes.

 

[Planogirl]

Lol. I haven't "worked" outside the home since my children were born. Thankfully, I'm blessed enough to have a husband who provides a very generous living. We're all different, and that's okay! . This mama loves having her children around as much as possible. They're pretty amazing!

That is super IMO. My son is amazing too but he's a different kind of kid and what we did works for him and us. We all should do simply what works best for our families in my opinion.

 

[scrhsa]

I feel like my kids would miss out on a lot of stuff. I don't think I could teach three different grades at once. Kids need to be around kids their own age that is what school is for to learn from other people and to enjoy being in clubs and on teams. I give you guys credit if you are doing it.

Funny this: when I started back in 2001 one of the things the homeschool community was emphasizing was NOT being stuck with kids their own age The emphasis was on giving the kids a well-rounded peer group. The reasoning was because in real life/adulthood you are rarely surrounded by people in your own age group.

Teaching three different grades really wasn't all that hard. It got a little difficult when they all happened to need help at the same time but you figured out how to spread out each subject depending on what the other was learning.

Once we moved where we are now, my girls did miss out on a bit of activities because we are so rural. But they missed out on a lot of those when they went to the VERY small catholic school too. But there was NO way I was going to put them in the local middle school. Everyone in this community complains about our middle school. Even the cops!

 

[DawnM]

Yes. We have homeschooled for 10 years.

Now my oldest has started dual enrollment at the local community college and my middle son is in a charter high school. My youngest is still homeschooled.

Just keep researching. You may find that over time you change curriculum choices to better suit your kids, or that you find local groups of HSers to hang out with that you enjoy, or even coop classes.

Our HSing journey was a bit long and involved since I have a child with some learning disabilities and special needs. We had to adapt for him. The PS was not meeting his needs.

There is a HS thread on the Family forum on the DIS.