Homeschool Chat

[3princesses+aprince]

I'm very excited, I just signed up for a co-op through our homeschool group. The meeting was next week, but I will be working so the leader of our group just gave me all of the info and is mailing out the forms. So far there are about 30 kids that will be participating and she expects some more to sign up. There will be 4 different classes throughout the day that the kids will be participating in and the first 45 minutes they are having a music teacher come in and teach the kids Patriotic songs and in December they are going to put on a little chorus. That will be fun. We'll meet every friday from October 2nd to December 11th and then again from March to May!!!! I'm getting excited, as this will be our first yr homeschooling. I'm glad that there is going to be a lot going on. Besides the co-op our HS group offers plenty of activities throughout the month as well. just wanted to share.

 

[antree]

How do you find out about home school offering? I live in South Jersey and I just don't know where to look. This is the 3rd yr I will be homeschooling my 7 yr. old We will be starting 2nd grade. My DH is just getting concerned he wants my son to interact with more boys his own age. No boys around us. My son does want to learn he is interested in everything, but he is finding our work boring. We do Horizon and most days we just do the books to get through it. I want to give him more options. We still do story time but he is older then the kids there so we take books and sit at the Cafe and read to each other, he enjoys that, but that is only once a week. I would love to find field trips with other kids and art classes. We did soccer but that's over to fall. Any suggestions would be Great. Thanks.

Maria

 

[chicagoshannon]

How do you find out about home school offering? I live in South Jersey and I just don't know where to look. This is the 3rd yr I will be homeschooling my 7 yr. old We will be starting 2nd grade. My DH is just getting concerned he wants my son to interact with more boys his own age. No boys around us. My son does want to learn he is interested in everything, but he is finding our work boring. We do Horizon and most days we just do the books to get through it. I want to give him more options. We still do story time but he is older then the kids there so we take books and sit at the Cafe and read to each other, he enjoys that, but that is only once a week. I would love to find field trips with other kids and art classes. We did soccer but that's over to fall. Any suggestions would be Great. Thanks.

Maria

I'm having a not so easy time with it as well. I was able to find 1 group on www.groups.yahoo.com

Other then that have you asked the library about other homeschool groups? Mine had a sign up sheet for notifications.

 

[LadyShea]

My DH is just getting concerned he wants my son to interact with more boys his own age. No boys around us.

Do you have a YMCA? Our local Y offers so many programs it's amazing. Everything from art to sports. Also, the two cities we live between have swim teams (not associated with the schools) and the rec centers have various offerings.

What about your church, are there enough kids around his age to form some kind of youth activity group?

 

[Corinne Johnson]

I'm looking for some advice from you experienced homeschoolers. What is it like homeschooling while pregnant and with a newborn? I just recently found out I'm expecting my second child Due Feb 11, 2010. I am currently homeschooling DD who is 9 and doing grade 5 work. I'm considering the possibility of changing curriculum to A&O SOS so my daughter could have more independence and free me up to focus on the baby. Any advice would be great.

As a mom of six, it's been my experience that whatever curriculum you choose, the best thing for older siblings is learning to nurture new life.

 

[Corinne Johnson]

My wife and I are attending our first homeschool book sale at our library this coming Monday. I wanted to get opinions on what a good price would be for used curriculum. Our daughters are pre-k and we are considering My fathers World and maybe Math U See Me. Anything else you would recommend looking for or comparing?

Thanks,

We like Bob Jones University Press, but I add a lot of hodge-podge stuff. I think I would be called an eclectic unschooler with classical tendencies, and I have complete k-8 BJUP sets of every subj. Then, I wrote my own curriculum anyway. Weird, I know.
To more directly answer your question; we wrote down the retail prices of the products we were interested in (from websites/catalogs). Then, we checked ebay & amazon. We usually pay about 10% of the original retail. But, I am willing to buy and use older editions, and I will mix pieces from different sources. Currently (midJune), there are a lot of people offering their used curr. on Ebay ~ great deals to be had. Ex: I just bought Grade 6 Heritage Studies (ST, TE and WB) for $6.20 (including shipping)

 

[okwMomOf4]

Antree -

I tried to post some links to websites, but since I have less than 10 previous posts it would not let me.

Just do a google search for "New Jersey homeschool".

Enochnj and homeschooling both have a lot of groups listed by region/county.

 

[3princesses+aprince]

Antree, that is how I found my homeschool group. By googling. Google homeschool groups in your area and see if anything comes up. I know I have heard of people not having any in there areas, so that is a possibility. If you don't , just keep signing him up for programs that come along. Anything going on at the library, sports, art classes, etc.... Good Luck with the search

 

[antree]

Antree, that is how I found my homeschool group. By googling. Google homeschool groups in your area and see if anything comes up. I know I have heard of people not having any in there areas, so that is a possibility. If you don't , just keep signing him up for programs that come along. Anything going on at the library, sports, art classes, etc.... Good Luck with the search

Thank You, I did try the search and nothing seems to be close to us. There seems to be a few different group types. I am going through them and hopefully find one that fits us and is close enough to us. I searched the library and they do have summer activity I am going to get involved in and see where that leads.
Thank You for the help.

 

[3princesses+aprince]

Thank You, I did try the search and nothing seems to be close to us. There seems to be a few different group types. I am going through them and hopefully find one that fits us and is close enough to us. I searched the library and they do have summer activity I am going to get involved in and see where that leads.
Thank You for the help.

You're welcome! I'm new to Homeschooling and got a lot of my advice here as well. I hope you find something good. Who knows, you could meet other HSing families through some of the library programs. Good Luck!!!!

 

[herodrx1]

I need some help. We have just started to homeschool our two kids (13 & 9). Both of our kids are "above average" and have done well in public school but have not been challenged.

The advice I need is with our 13y/o son. He has a horrible attitude about his work. He isn't putting any effort into his work and is sloppy and lazy about everything he does. He has not done this with traditional school and I know he would never talk back to a teacher like he does us. How do you keep your kids focused or teach them pride in their work? So far relaxing and going with the flow isn't working and neither is taking away EVERYTHING outside of "school".

Thanks in advance for the help.

 

[Disney Mommy 3]

That's hard!!! I have kids the same age (13,just turned 10, and 6). so I know what you are going through! My older son is the only one that ever really gives me any trouble. He went to christian & then public school for K, 1, and 2. He does have days where he is not into it at all---and I have told him the same thing:"U wouldn't talk to a regular school teacher like that! DON'T do it to me!". First off-make sure your hubby is there to back you up!! Keep up with what he says/does and have your husband call in from work, or maybe surprise him by coming in during school time one day. If he knows there is someone besides you, he may try a little harder to be respectful.

I think some of it(Just a tiny part) is their age----Lord knows the hormones and changes that run through a teenage mind/body!!! Do you think that could be some of it? Some times i just have to send my son to his room, or out for a run to get him focused. Also, I have to make sure he IS challenged enough--my boys are also well above 'grade level' so lots of their work is from a grade or 2 above their age. This has really worked out well. Challenge is a good thing! Not too hard, but certainly engaging.

How long have you been hsing? Maybe they just needed some down time from ps. If not maybe he needs some encouragement/incentive. Four days a week and a 3 day weekend...An extra hour with a game he enjoys....take off early one day if they are participating and behaving and go out for lunch or a movie!! Make him see that they have advantages that ps kids don't get!! My kids are mostly finished with school by lunch--then we go do things while the other kids are in school. That way we can enjoy things like an empty theatre!! Or shopping for needed tennis shoes without a crowd of people. Their favorite thing is to go spend the remainded of the day with their daddy at work! On days when he can, he takes one, two, or all three of them and I get a much needed break!!!

Do they like to read? I am a big pusher for good literature. They should have their own library card and be taken often. We usually do the summer reading program at the library, then continue it for the rest of the summer at home. Every so many books gets you a bigger and better reward. Great books are a way to fill empty time....if they are finished with school/chores and still you have attitude problems, send him to read for so much time, or so many pages. They must be able to narrate or dictate to you what they read. It really helps in all areas-grammar, concentration, comprehension. But don't only do it for when he is acting wrong-make it part of your daily activities, but more time added for if he isn't behaving.Or an extra book for that. He just needs more of something to do! It could even be housework for you, or cooking...anything to keep him from being idle. And the longer the rotten attitude, the harder and longer the chore! If the attitude continues, you and your husband will have to decide where to go from there. Maybe he needs to speak to your pastor or someone your trust about how he feels and the changes he has gone through--in himself and being brought home for schooling. We all need people to listen to us at times!!! Hope this helps a little bit!!

 

[gerberdaisy1234]

HI hero, I don't have a 13 yo son, however, I have observed friends and nephews through the years. It seems that 13 is a challenging year for boys. We are very close friends with a family and when the son turned 13 my daughter said one day after they left that he was not fun anymore. A year later and everything is back to normal. They all have a great time together again. Just be thankful that you are controling his influences at a confusing time like this. Hang in there and remind me of this advice in 6 years!

 

[herodrx1]

Thanks guys! It sounds like I'm not just going crazy! I do think it is mostly the age/hormone thing but it still is so frustrating. We have only been HSing for a few weeks now and there is a lot of adjustment going on. We wanted to start in the summer to test the waters before PS started back up. He keeps saying that his friends don't have to do this stuff but we are done before any of his friends wake up in the morning!

I think the advice is spot on, be tough and stick to my guns but give a little and reward the goodness in him.

Thank you for helping me see the light!

 

[3princesses+aprince]

Thanks guys! It sounds like I'm not just going crazy! I do think it is mostly the age/hormone thing but it still is so frustrating. We have only been HSing for a few weeks now and there is a lot of adjustment going on. We wanted to start in the summer to test the waters before PS started back up. He keeps saying that his friends don't have to do this stuff but we are done before any of his friends wake up in the morning!

I think the advice is spot on, be tough and stick to my guns but give a little and reward the goodness in him.

Thank you for helping me see the light!

I know I've been given the advice here that once you start homeschooling allow them time to adjust. Maybe he sees it is as the end of the school year and now is not happy that he has to keep going. Maybe take a month "off" before you get going. I know you want to try it out over the summer, but that may feel like "too much" for him. This will be my first year homeschooling too, and I was thinking about getting right into it over the summer, but then all of their friends and the neighborhood kids are on summer break and I figured that would discourage them. I think i'm going to start in August when they've taken their "break" from school.

Most likely when all of the other kids go back to school in September he will be happy with learning at home and realize all of the stuff that he gets to do while his friends are stuck in a classroom.

Good Luck, I know we all need it, starting out is so hard. I'm just getting there too!!

 

[Disney Mommy 3]

I think the advice is spot on, be tough and stick to my guns but give a little and reward the goodness in him.

Thank you for helping me see the light!

Most likely when all of the other kids go back to school in September he will be happy with learning at home and realize all of the stuff that he gets to do while his friends are stuck in a classroom.

Good Luck, I know we all need it, starting out is so hard. I'm just getting there too!!

Summer breaks are different for every family. Depending on lots of variables...for us down here in hot & humid South East Texas, the weather rules!! ha!!! I agree that we all need breaks and off times. Weeks when we just hang out and do nothing as far as scheduled school times. I am really considering starting back even earlier this July instead of the end of the month. We are hitting 100 already..it's starting to get miserable. We can swim in the early mornings, if they want to get up, or late in the evening. The hottest parts of the day we can read!!! We have lots of reading:History, Science, Literature... This helps us get through larger amounts of school without actually having to sit in a desk and feel like our break time is over. But, the earlier in the summer months we start, the sooner our 'year' is over in the spring!!! I take off for the month of holidays, (T-day,Christmas, and New Years)so that is a half-way or more reference point for what we need to have accomplished.
The beauty of home school is the ability to do what works for your family. If your state requires a certain # of days, great---just work them out to your benefit!!!! Life is learning!!! Any given day something can be learned, figured out, or observed. God has blessed us tremendously with brains that never stop, and opportunities every day. Not all learning comes from books!!! Look around and find small things that make teachable moments! We are all learning, everyday. Now, go and enjoy a day off with your kids!!!!!:

 

[herodrx1]

I agree about the time off from school. We took 3 weeks off right when school let out for the year, we go on vacation next week , and each kid has a week long camp to attend in July. I did sit down and do the math with him and showed him exactly how long 180 days are and when we would be done if we went straight through (which we won't). This made him a bit happier with the situation.

How about the trouble with him wanting to sleep all the time. I know that teens need more sleep than other age groups but I don't want him to sleep all day and stay up all night. I have tried the "you don't have a bedtime but you do have a wake-up time". This only ended up with arguments in the morning. My DH doesn't want to let him sleep until he wakes up on his own b/c he needs to learn responsibility. The reason I don't want to let him sleep all morning is that the friends tend to come out during the afternoon (when they wake up) and DS doesn't want to do his school work b/c his friends are calling.

AARRGGHHH......the teen years!!! There is no RIGHT answer is there???

 

[Disney Mommy 3]

How about the trouble with him wanting to sleep all the time.
AARRGGHHH......the teen years!!! There is no RIGHT answer is there???

Ha!!! I don't think so!! I just pray--a lot!!! Really! I don't know what your religious affiliation is, but as Christians, I take so much comfort in knowing that God IS in control of everything! Even the teen years!! I do pray for him daily, that he will have minimal hormone fluctuations and crazy days!!! Some times there is really nothing we can do--just let them grow through it and from it. I can tell some times when he is feeling moody--I try to just let him have some alone time, seems like talking to them only aggravates them more. He is a super kid, but I remember those feelings and not knowing why. I always felt like crying or being angry, for no reason at all~~YIKES! I am glad I am through with that! As for the sleeping... I remember being tired all the time. We weren't allowed to sleep late. 9 was super late for us, and I have NEVER been a morning person--I just can't get up easily. Add to that school, band, cheerleading, drill team...know wonder I was moody. Sleep deprivation!!!

I let my kids sleep late!! That's one thing I love about hsing!! If I am up early, I can get some stuff done and have some quiet time before they are up. I try not to let him sleep tooooo late tho! If he sleeps later than 10:45, I get him up--it's not often, but every now and then. this is for when we are out of school. during school we are not up so late, so they are usually doing school by 9. Especially if it's still summer weather here---they like to swim after supper with hubby, so they are worn out!!! If he wants to do things with his friends in the afternoon, just make him realize he can sleep late...if the work is done and done the way it should be!!! This summer is gonna be hard-he is definitely transitioning and at a super hard age. Hang in there...it'll be better when your local school starts back up.

 

[herodrx1]

LOL!! So true, so true! I did ask him the other day, after a melt down, what was really going on. He said "I don't know, you guys are just bugging me and I know you aren't doing anything but I still don't like you right now." I laughed out loud and said "THAT is an acceptable answer!" LOL!! I still have days like that.

Prayer is a HUGE comfort. God is in control all the time. This coupled with the fact that I know that myself and my siblings have done much the same things to our parents lets me know that he will turn back into a human again in a few years.

 

[wahmtexas]

We are really enjoying our Summer Break and will switch to a 2 day Academy in the Fall where my first grader will attend 8-3 T/TH then we will work on M/W with homework and then Music/Art classes on Friday mornings.
Looking forward to the combination of Classical Christian Academy and Homeschool
Does anyone else do a part time program?