Homeschool Chat

[momz]

I'm a lurker on this thread. I've been looking for alternatives to public school and I'm not sure if Homeschooling is for us. However, I'm also not sure if private school is either. My daughter is currently a 2nd grader in our local public elementary. And my son will start kindergarten in August. I feel that we are ok...for now. But middle school isn't that far away. I'm told that the drug culture is rampant in the middle and high schools where we are. (incidentally this seems to occur regardless of public/private). I'm also told that the "attitudes" of the students are very negative in that they really don't care about anything. That there is a general disrespect for authority. I recently talked to an 8th grade student who switched to a local charter school. She told me that while at the middle school, she was scared everyday that she would "get beat up". And this is coming from a kid who doesn't go around looking for trouble. In light of this, it would seem that the solution is pretty simple...homeschool. Well, there's more to it. I am employed part-time (twice weekly 12 hour shifts) and my husband is full time. We are dependant upon both of our incomes. So, technically I would have the time to homeschool. But the problem comes with childcare on the days I'm working. We currently use a local daycare for before and after care while I am working. Unfortunately, they do not provide care school agers during school hours. Any thoughts on this situation? Are there other mothers that homeschool and also work part-time? How do you arrange for care of your children while you are working?

Sorry to be so long-winded. There are many factors I am considering, but the bottom line is that I want to do what is right for my kids.

 

[graygables]

Momz,
You are facing a challenging situation, but not one that is insurmountable! I've known single moms who homeschool while working full-time, so if there's a will, there's a way, it seems.

Right now, I'm living with my 2 adult DDs and we're homeschooling my 2 school-aged DDs. We all work pretty much full-time (we're all WDW Cast Members at the moment), so balancing the schedule has been a bit tricky. I'm also fortunate that my younger 2 are almost 13 and 10.5, so leaving them at home alone for short periods of time isn't difficult. The hardest thing has been getting the work done with crazy schedules.

Since your DD has already seen "school", she may be very indoctrinated into what "school" should look like, but if you are having to do it differently, that may be difficult for her. I had this problem with my oldest 2 when I brought them home. My younger 2 have never seen "school", except on TV, which they already know is make-believe (anyone who has been in a public school lately can tell you that TV is total fantasy when it comes to that!). As such, they've never had a problem with school on Saturdays or at 8 o'clock at night, if need be. Learning happens wherever and whenever we happen to be. Every once in awhile, now that they are entering those "tween" years, I get the "why do we have to do math on Saturday?" and I just remind them that it's so we can go to the Magic Kingdom on Thursday, thankyouverymuch.

You might want to see if you can network with other homeschooling families. Sometimes families with older kids are happy to let them come babysit in your home, I've known a few that even tutor the younger kids. Sometimes families will take your kids into their home and include them in their school activities.

 

[Pixie Dust for Me!]

Hi there,

I'm a working mom -- work full time (!) and DH also works full-time...but we home school! How do we do this...well, I'm blessed, my parents live about 10 minutes from me and they watch my DS during the day while I work. We do "school" at night and on weekends and have homework time and project time during the day. All in all, we get in about 30 to 40 hours per week of school in (not counting PE, music lessons and such) and our DS is doing fine. If I didn't have my parents though, it would be impossible!

Now some may ask, why do I home school and work...well, I work at a private university (with somewhat flexible hours) and the benefits are amazing! In fact, when my DS is ready for college, he gets free tuition to the school where I work or 1/2 of the school's tuition to use at any other accredited institution in the world! Since tuition is more than $30,000 per year, it's a great deal that I'm not giving up.

Also, when DS is doing project work (for example, right now he is doing a research paper about President Truman) he has the University's library as a resource and is able to go there and write (or stay in my office).

Not everyone has a job like mine, but so far (since we've only been doing this since January) I've been amazed how we make it work.

Good luck and I know how hard it is to figure out what to do when it comes to our kids. We just want the best for them and it's hard to figure out what that is.

K

 

[wondermomamy]

I'm also a lurker on this thread, but I'm a homeschooler and I work part-time. I work with college students, so my hours change with each semester. When DH and I have to work the same hours, I either have my older kids watch my littles for a few hours or have my mom come over (yay, mom!).

I second the suggestion to network with local homeschoolers, especially if you don't have family who can help out. You may get to know families who could offer childcare or who may at least know of other local options.

Good luck to you with whatever you decide!

Amy

 

[wvdislover]

I'm a lurker on this thread. I've been looking for alternatives to public school and I'm not sure if Homeschooling is for us. However, I'm also not sure if private school is either. My daughter is currently a 2nd grader in our local public elementary. And my son will start kindergarten in August. I feel that we are ok...for now. But middle school isn't that far away. I'm told that the drug culture is rampant in the middle and high schools where we are. (incidentally this seems to occur regardless of public/private). I'm also told that the "attitudes" of the students are very negative in that they really don't care about anything. That there is a general disrespect for authority. I recently talked to an 8th grade student who switched to a local charter school. She told me that while at the middle school, she was scared everyday that she would "get beat up". And this is coming from a kid who doesn't go around looking for trouble. In light of this, it would seem that the solution is pretty simple...homeschool. Well, there's more to it. I am employed part-time (twice weekly 12 hour shifts) and my husband is full time. We are dependant upon both of our incomes. So, technically I would have the time to homeschool. But the problem comes with childcare on the days I'm working. We currently use a local daycare for before and after care while I am working. Unfortunately, they do not provide care school agers during school hours. Any thoughts on this situation? Are there other mothers that homeschool and also work part-time? How do you arrange for care of your children while you are working?

Sorry to be so long-winded. There are many factors I am considering, but the bottom line is that I want to do what is right for my kids.

These are EXACTLY the reasons we are homeschooling our DD11, and will also be hs our DD7, when she gets to middle school, if not before (DD11 has some health issues, which may make it difficult to hs both at the same time right now, and DD7 LOVES school and is thriving right now). I also work part-time (though not in 12 hour shifts), and am able to take my DD with me to work, since we own the business, fortunately. However, there are times when I have asked friends to watch her for me for a while during the day, when I've had activities going on when I am unable to have her accompany me. You CAN make it work, especially if you think it's important for your kids well-being! Check around and see if there is a local homeschool group in your area, and if so, ask for their help/advice! Lots of luck!

 

[bellebud]

I just had to share this... (first, reintro - we'll be starting homeschooling in sept for dd9 and ds7)... so we've been talking about it a lot - what we'll be doing, schedules, playtime, fieldtrips... the kids have tons of ideas of course.so today, saturday, dd9 wakes up and wants to have a 'practice run' of homeschooling for the day. She made up a school book (a big notebook), named our school, drew a picture, made up a lunch menu, daily schedules for each subject and day of the week, attendance page, jobs page, etc. Then ds7 wakes up, cranky as usual, and doesn't even want to talk about school, it's saturday for goodness sakes (typical boy!) I tell dd to give him some time to wake up, so dd and I do some activities (a science experiment w/ water and oil and temperature, print out calendars, etc). DS still doesn't want to participate, so I explain to dd to just leave him alone, don't force school on him on a saturday (she had also made up a few worksheets for ds to do lessons, and she wanted him to do them). So I go up to shower, and ds comes up while I'm in there and says "MOM! she won't stop talking about school to me!" So I have to explain to dd, he's not attending school today. DD can't believe brother doesn't want to do schoolwork, and ds can't believe sister thinks schoolwork is fun.

I really can't wait to begin! DH and I have decided that I'll school them Tuesday thru Saturday, since that's when dh works. Then sunday and monday will be the weekend for all of us. I have my first get together this coming wednesday w/ the local homeschooling group - I'm so excited and nervous! My mom is really excited, since she lives close and just retired and is getting bored. My mil is also onboard - I really thought she wouldn't be, but she seems like she thinks it's a good idea.

And since we've decided this is for sure, I feel such freedom already! Even on our school days when I'm dropping them off, I keep thinking "only a few more months", and I'm just so happy!

 

[Mommy2three]

BelleBud- I, too, love the freedom of homeschooling. If you are sick, you can just take that day off and then use one of your weekend days to make up the time, or sit and watch some educational stuff on the TV. I homeschool my two oldest DD 9 and DS 7, both who have some psychological challenges, ADHD, bipolar, schizophrenia, DID, ODD, OCD along with some behavior problems too, especially in the public school setting. My son would sit and hide under the table at school and cry all day long, my daughter would sit and cry all day long because she didnt want to do the work and the teacher didn't want to listen to it so would tell her that she didnt have to do the work, she just sit around the classroom all day, but then she would bring the homework home she would sit and get it all done in just a few minutes. So I decided I would pull her out in December during Xmas break, and have kept her home since. My son was only in first grade for about the first 2 months of school then I pulled him out. I am a stay at home mom, and my DH is the worker in the family. I don't have really much choice but to stay at home right now as my two oldest have so many appointments. We have counselors that come into our home for 4 hours on monday, tue, and wednesday, and then they have their medication appointments, on top of having school time, and my son also has OT an hour away once a week. So for my family homeschooling is the best thing since they would be missing so much time in the public school, and they can't handle being in a public school setting.

The curriculum thing was a bit tough for me to pick, but Ive got that down pat now. Now next school year I am getting them into one of the virtual charter schools in Wisconsin. They provide EACH child with their own laptop, and provide all the curriculum and everything, but still has the freedom of homeschooling as there is no set time during the day they have to do their work. OH and we can take the 9 days off to go to disney world in september!

 

[TLHB70]

I have not been on this thread in a few weeks.
This may have been posted already. However, I just found out about it, and I am AMAZED that the courts can do this!!!!!!!!!!!!
It is so scary what is allowed!!!!!!!!
This is my home state, also!

http://wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=91397


ETA: I had to correct my spelling of the word scary. I made a typo and spelled it incorrectly the first time. It has been driving me nuts because I see it quoted with the incorrect spelling. Sorry.

 

[DisneyMom5]

I have not been on this thread in a few weeks.
This may have been posted already. However, I just found out about it, and I am AMAZED that the courts can do this!!!!!!!!!!!!
It is so scarey what is allowed!!!!!!!!
This is my home state, also!

http://wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=91397

Yikes, yet not totally surprising. Divorce definately complicates matters.
But to go so far as to order a mental evaluation of the mother and not the father???

I'm sure HSLDA will be all over this (I hope she was a member!)

 

[KibbyCat]

I have not been on this thread in a few weeks.
This may have been posted already. However, I just found out about it, and I am AMAZED that the courts can do this!!!!!!!!!!!!
It is so scarey what is allowed!!!!!!!!
This is my home state, also!

http://wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=91397

Whew...I'm so glad I have my education degree.

 

[TLHB70]

Whew...I'm so glad I have my education degree.

I also have an education degree. I, too, am so thankful for that!
However, I can't help but think about my two daughters. One DD wants to go into writing/journalism. My other DD wants to go to culinary school and become a chef. They both have expressed a desire to homeschool once they have children. Until the time they have children, though, these are the careers that they would like to pursue. What about them? What about the moms on this thread that do not have an education degree? I just cannot believe that the courts have the right to do this! I could understand if the children were suffering in their learning......if they were being isolated. However, the article states that they were ahead of their grade levels in standardized testing. They were involved in swim teams and other sports. They were not isolated. Apparently they were learning. As a matter of fact, the article even states that the dad admitted that the mom/wife had done a good job teaching them!
I am still shocked!

 

[desparatelydisney]

I have not been on this thread in a few weeks.
This may have been posted already. However, I just found out about it, and I am AMAZED that the courts can do this!!!!!!!!!!!!
It is so scarey what is allowed!!!!!!!!
This is my home state, also!

http://wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=91397

Having read the blog, I have to believe that this has a lot more to do with the divorce than anything else. It's obviously an ugly divorce with a lot of hurt to spread around. The father probably sees it as one more way to disrupt the life of the mother and, whether he truly feels the way he says or not, if one parent wants the children in school, the courts probably have a hard time denying that.

This isn't a case of outside intervention into a homeschooling family. It is a case of one parent asking the court to remove their children from homeschooling. Tragic as it may be, it may set a bad precedent if not overturned on appeal but it isn't a case of the state going after homeschoolers, especially as NC is a very "homeschool friendly" state.

 

[DisneyMom5]

Whew...I'm so glad I have my education degree.

Honestly, I don't believe that it would have helped in this case. The Judge was not concerned about her credentials, just that the kids have a DIFFERENT educational experience from this point out.

Even though it was a nasty divorce, my concern is that a Judge can force you to send your kids to a different school, even when they are succeeding where they are at. They could have been in private school or public school, and the Judge could have sent them to a different school.

There were NO grounds to remove them from homeschooling, with the exception of an adulterous father's complaint that he doesn't like homeschooling. Since Mom's the one who would be doing it anyway, and the children are THRIVING (which should be the deciding factor), how does the Judge have the right to decide that???

Okay, I'm off my soapbox now. LOL

Got to go actually SCHOOL my children!
[Sooo thankful my dh is on board with homeschooling! Whew.]

 

[TLHB70]

Having read the blog, I have to believe that this has a lot more to do with the divorce than anything else. It's obviously an ugly divorce with a lot of hurt to spread around. The father probably sees it as one more way to disrupt the life of the mother and, whether he truly feels the way he says or not, if one parent wants the children in school, the courts probably have a hard time denying that.

This isn't a case of outside intervention into a homeschooling family. It is a case of one parent asking the court to remove their children from homeschooling. Tragic as it may be, it may set a bad precedent if not overturned on appeal but it isn't a case of the state going after homeschoolers, especially as NC is a very "homeschool friendly" state.

Yes, I agree with this. I know that NC has seemed to be a homeschool friendly state. That is why this has shocked me so much. I do believe that it is not so much against the homeschool as it is one parent wanting to cause change. It is so sad for these children!

Honestly, I don't believe that it would have helped in this case. The Judge was not concerned about her credentials, just that the kids have a DIFFERENT educational experience from this point out.

Even though it was a nasty divorce, my concern is that a Judge can force you to send your kids to a different school, even when they are succeeding where they are at. They could have been in private school or public school, and the Judge could have sent them to a different school.

There were NO grounds to remove them from homeschooling, with the exception of an adulterous father's complaint that he doesn't like homeschooling. Since Mom's the one who would be doing it anyway, and the children are THRIVING (which should be the deciding factor), how does the Judge have the right to decide that???

Okay, I'm off my soapbox now. LOL

Got to go actually SCHOOL my children!
[Sooo thankful my dh is on board with homeschooling! Whew.]

I agree with this. Again, I agree that I don't think it is necessarily targeting homeschool. I think the judge would have made them change if they were in private school. I am just so upset that a court can do this!

 

[KibbyCat]

Just another sad example of someone who just doesn't "get" homeschooling, and using it as the target.

 

[Denine]

How scary. My eyes bugged out when the judge wanted a different experience for the children. I hope they don't get away with this.

 

[TLHB70]

Yes, it is so scary!!!!!

 

[bellebud]

I feel so badly for that mom and her kids. I hope her kids do well w/ the transition if they're forced to attend the public school.

On another note - I need a little hand holding right now - I picked dd9 up from school today, and she cried on the way home about typical kid stuff - a couple of kids in class today 'making fun' of her (actually making fun of her lunch). As silly as the whole thing is, she was crying - feeling made fun of, having no idea why, etc. This happens at least once a week this year and last year. I'm tired of it, and I got so mad on the way home, I told her she's done w/ going to school and we're going to start homeschooling tomorrow (we were going to start in september).

I got home, called the public school (my kids are in a catholic school) and talked to them about it. I'm sending my letter of intent tomorrow. We're done! (well, actually, I have to ask ds7 what he wants to do - he's at a friends house right now. he can stay the rest of the year if he wants to make his communion, or he can stay home now w/ sister). The woman from the superintendent's office was SOOOO NICE! She said she knows my sil and is a customer in my and dh's store - so she sort of knows me. She told me her kids are in their 20's, and if she could do it again, she would have homeschooled them. She was recommending a few different curriculums, told me most of her friends at her Christian group homeschool, and she knows lots of homeschooling families in our district. She actually just finished up the homeschoolers list for the district, and she'll add me right at the bottom. I was so happy to hear all this from an employee of the school district. I was so afraid they were going to give me a hard time.

I'm nervous, but thrilled!!!

DD wants to officially *start* tomorrow. I thought I'd give them 1 day off, but she'll have none of it! Too cute! I'm sure ds7 will want the day off! We're going to meet my sil and toddler nephews at the park tomorrow for a little while too - recess time maybe? DD will want to add it to her schedule she made up.

So I guess I really need to decide on a cirriculum now and order it??? I'm not prepared for this! Any advice??

 

[NHWX]

You could start with edhelper.com for language arts and math. Tops Science (www.topscience.org) has great science units done with commonly available items. For art and music, I'd look into community offerings - music in the park, children's art classes at the art museum, etc. Or just buy some cool supplies and listen to different types of music while you do art. I'm not sure about history...

NHWX

 

[wvdislover]

bellebud, I'm so sorry to hear this...I know how hard it is to have your child made fun of on a regular basis (this is part of why we homeschool, too). Kids, especially girls, can be SO cruel! I'm glad you made the decision to let her go ahead and start homeschooling. It sounds like she's really excited! Maybe you can check with a local "parent-teacher" store and see what they have to offer, maybe some workbooks that will get you through the school year. Would the school loan you the books she was using to finish out the school year? If not, for history, maybe "A Child's Story of History" or "Story of the World" books (check Rainbow Resource). Of course, you could always just go to your local library and check out some books about history, either nonfiction or historical fiction, which can be a more fun and interesting way to learn about history. Lots of luck! Think of this as a "practice run" for next year Have fun!