*** Homeschool List ***

[Blackunicorn]

The Bitter Homeschooler' s Wish List...

I love this list, but it left out one thing...

Yes, I'm home during the day. That does not mean that I have nothing to do. I'm schooling my children. When I'm not schooling my children, I'm taking care of my own life. Homeschooling does not mean that we are sitting around waiting for you to call us so we can run out and take care of your errands or watch your children.

Or am I the only one who has friends and family who assume this? I don't know whether to hope I have company or to hope I'm the only one!

 

[crl]

We use Math-U-See and have been very happy with it. The website (www.mathusee.com) has lots of info and I think you can order a free demo dvd.

We also use Mat-U-See. So far my 4 yr old is doing well with it and is reading and understanding most double digits.

 

[crl]

We just got back from Disney on Saturday night. Now we're trying to get back into the swing of things. Our routine was really thrown off, so I think we'll be starting from scratch this week. The good news is that the kids really enjoyed spending time with Grammy and Uncle Jim. And everyone was thankful for the 3 bedroom condo we got. Maybe next year we'll actually go during the homeschool days.

 

[dutch_girl_scout]

Welcome back to all those who just got home from Disney, and happy packing to those you are getting ready to leave.

Lori--Sorry about your BIL , it's great that you could help out.

After being in the deep freeze for the last month it is 50 today and the snow is almost gone. No need to start in about global warming, it's supposed to be a whopping 4 degrees Wednesday morning.

I bought some Fun Dips at the store today to celebrate the nice weather. Why is it that you only get two sticks with three flavors? The sticks are the best part, and I hate having to use the same stick for two flavors!!

I did PM the moderators about getting our own thread. I pointed out that if they consider adult/solo travelers, teens, college age, and gays and lesbians unique DIS groups, certainly homeschoolers are too. I haven't heard anything back.

Hope everyone has a great day.

 

[sha_lyn]

Yes, I'm home during the day. That does not mean that I have nothing to do. I'm schooling my children. When I'm not schooling my children, I'm taking care of my own life. Homeschooling does not mean that we are sitting around waiting for you to call us so we can run out and take care of your errands or watch your children.

LOL....yep that is a big pet peeve of mine.
Add to it.... I'm not here to gossip with you on the phone all day
I finally told SIL that I do not answer the phone before 2pm. Do not call unless someone is dead. It got to where she was calling me 2-3 times a week around 10 or 11 am and wanted to chat for hrs. If I didn't answer the house phone she would call all our cell phones until someone answered.

 

[mickeyjen]

Love the list! Thanks, I needed that today....

 

[lori1043]

ONE more day for us ya'll!!
Our rough past week is going to get better soon!

Lori

 

[PrinceAndPrincessQ]

Hi. Not sure if this is the spot I should ask this.

I have been considering home schooling my 12 year old son. The problem is i do work full time. I just am not sure if anyone has ever been successful with a situation like this. My schedule is mon thru fri 9 to 5, with phone liberties and even a trip home if needed. I am an oncology nurse and have several nurses under me that could watch things if i needed to run out a while.

He is just a 'unique' child.......wonderfully warm, but thinking homeschooling may be a better option for him.

Any thoughts appreciated!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BTW, I noticed how kind this thread seems to be.....very inviting!!

 

[GreatLakes5]

2 days for us too! I so can't wait! We got dumped on last nite - major winter storm - everything is creaking and cracking, the dogs barely go out the door to "do their thing". It's time to abandon Michigan for a while!

To the last poster - I don't think it's entirely impossible....I do understand about having a special 12 year old boy. This would describe my eldest and my reason for beginning homeschooling. It's hard to explain, but he definitely was my "2x4 moment" when we were deciding whether to h.s. or not. (As in being hit in my head with a 2x4 to finally 'get it'.)

I do believe it varies by state in terms of being able to do such a thing. I live in Michigan which is at the top of the list of easy states to homeschool in. We live by a percentage rule - a parent must teach over 50% of the 'core' school work (math, science, history, English....) & we're okay.

I know that my 12 year old is now a fairly independent learner. I present the to do list for the day and he will go and do his thing. That said, we are nearing the years of more hands on science - chemistry is coming, he's in a disection class right now, etc.... You may find yourself a bit worn out if you have to come home after a long day and sit and teach??

Think on it - have a "conference" with him.

 

[disneymom3]

I did it you guys! I finally did it!

I said ages ago that pretty soon I was going to start responding to the weird homeschooler questions in hte way I really wanted to. Well, today I did.

I was talking to someone at the post office today. Our local schools started 2 hours late because of the cold and she made some comment about it.l said my kids were homeschooled so it really didn't affect us. She then did the whole "how can you do that.....blah blah blah" and ended it with "So are you really smart? You must be or how could you teach them all that" My usual response to this is "Oh there are teacher guides and etc" Not today. Today I said, "Yep, I am. I am probably the most intelligent person you will ever meet." Then I just stood there and smiled.


Oh that felt good.

 

[earthfaries]

If anyone is interested in getting super discounted tickets to Disney and can go to Disney the end of Sept. please PM me!

I am trying to organize a group with the Disney Youth Programs to get the cheap tickets for our trip.

We just need a few others who want to go~ we are going Sept. 27-Oct. 4th. We can all get the tickets for about $120.00 for 5 days of parks if we buy in bulk, I think we need 10 families. I have 2 already. I will call and get exact info soon. Just checking to see if anyone was interested in going then as a homeschool group. Last year a group in my area went, it was on Labor Day though so it was too busy for me to go, and they offered great programs like behind the scenes at Cirque Du Soleil.

Let me know if anyone is interested ~ I know it was mentioned before on this board and since I have dates thought I would put it out there ​

 

[Ellester]

I did it you guys! I finally did it!

I said ages ago that pretty soon I was going to start responding to the weird homeschooler questions in hte way I really wanted to. Well, today I did.

I was talking to someone at the post office today. Our local schools started 2 hours late because of the cold and she made some comment about it.l said my kids were homeschooled so it really didn't affect us. She then did the whole "how can you do that.....blah blah blah" and ended it with "So are you really smart? You must be or how could you teach them all that" My usual response to this is "Oh there are teacher guides and etc" Not today. Today I said, "Yep, I am. I am probably the most intelligent person you will ever meet." Then I just stood there and smiled.


Oh that felt good.

GOOD FOR YOU! That gave me a big smile! It's nice to be nonselfdepricating every once in a while, isn't it?

If anyone is interested in getting super discounted tickets to Disney and can go to Disney the end of Sept. please PM me!

I am trying to organize a group with the Disney Youth Programs to get the cheap tickets for our trip.

We just need a few others who want to go~ we are going Sept. 27-Oct. 4th. We can all get the tickets for about $120.00 for 5 days of parks if we buy in bulk, I think we need 10 families. I have 2 already. I will call and get exact info soon. Just checking to see if anyone was interested in going then as a homeschool group. Last year a group in my area went, it was on Labor Day though so it was too busy for me to go, and they offered great programs like behind the scenes at Cirque Du Soleil.

Let me know if anyone is interested ~ I know it was mentioned before on this board and since I have dates thought I would put it out there ​

We're scheduled to go Oct. 4-12 right now. We may be able to move it up a week, but I won't know until some time later in the spring/summer. A $600+ savings for our family would be worth a date switch! I have to check on our DVC points too, we get our new ones on Oct.1 and I've already banked so I'd have to borrow. Complicated I know, but we may be able to join you all.

 

[earthfaries]

I did it you guys! I finally did it!

I said ages ago that pretty soon I was going to start responding to the weird homeschooler questions in hte way I really wanted to. Well, today I did.

I was talking to someone at the post office today. Our local schools started 2 hours late because of the cold and she made some comment about it.l said my kids were homeschooled so it really didn't affect us. She then did the whole "how can you do that.....blah blah blah" and ended it with "So are you really smart? You must be or how could you teach them all that" My usual response to this is "Oh there are teacher guides and etc" Not today. Today I said, "Yep, I am. I am probably the most intelligent person you will ever meet." Then I just stood there and smiled.


Oh that felt good.

2 days for us too! I so can't wait! We got dumped on last nite - major winter storm - everything is creaking and cracking, the dogs barely go out the door to "do their thing". It's time to abandon Michigan for a while!

To the last poster - I don't think it's entirely impossible....I do understand about having a special 12 year old boy. This would describe my eldest and my reason for beginning homeschooling. It's hard to explain, but he definitely was my "2x4 moment" when we were deciding whether to h.s. or not. (As in being hit in my head with a 2x4 to finally 'get it'.)

I do believe it varies by state in terms of being able to do such a thing. I live in Michigan which is at the top of the list of easy states to homeschool in. We live by a percentage rule - a parent must teach over 50% of the 'core' school work (math, science, history, English....) & we're okay.

I know that my 12 year old is now a fairly independent learner. I present the to do list for the day and he will go and do his thing. That said, we are nearing the years of more hands on science - chemistry is coming, he's in a disection class right now, etc.... You may find yourself a bit worn out if you have to come home after a long day and sit and teach??

Think on it - have a "conference" with him.

GOOD FOR YOU! That gave me a big smile! It's nice to be nonselfdepricating every once in a while, isn't it?



We're scheduled to go Oct. 4-12 right now. We may be able to move it up a week, but I won't know until some time later in the spring/summer. A $600+ savings for our family would be worth a date switch! I have to check on our DVC points too, we get our new ones on Oct.1 and I've already banked so I'd have to borrow. Complicated I know, but we may be able to join you all.

Actually, you may be able to still keep the same dates. I believe that you have a week before or after the original date given to use the tickets. The actual dates would be Sept. 29- Oct. 4, so if we booked for these dates you could use yours starting on the 4th. I will check to make sure and let you know, but we could really save A LOT of money on our tickets by getting a few of us homeschoolers together​

 

[earthfaries]

I did it you guys! I finally did it!

I said ages ago that pretty soon I was going to start responding to the weird homeschooler questions in hte way I really wanted to. Well, today I did.

I was talking to someone at the post office today. Our local schools started 2 hours late because of the cold and she made some comment about it.l said my kids were homeschooled so it really didn't affect us. She then did the whole "how can you do that.....blah blah blah" and ended it with "So are you really smart? You must be or how could you teach them all that" My usual response to this is "Oh there are teacher guides and etc" Not today. Today I said, "Yep, I am. I am probably the most intelligent person you will ever meet." Then I just stood there and smiled.


Oh that felt good.

Good for you! I know that felt good! I get so tired and frustrated at myself sometimes for saying the polite thing to nosey rude people!​

2 days for us too! I so can't wait! We got dumped on last nite - major winter storm - everything is creaking and cracking, the dogs barely go out the door to "do their thing". It's time to abandon Michigan for a while!

To the last poster - I don't think it's entirely impossible....I do understand about having a special 12 year old boy. This would describe my eldest and my reason for beginning homeschooling. It's hard to explain, but he definitely was my "2x4 moment" when we were deciding whether to h.s. or not. (As in being hit in my head with a 2x4 to finally 'get it'.)

I do believe it varies by state in terms of being able to do such a thing. I live in Michigan which is at the top of the list of easy states to homeschool in. We live by a percentage rule - a parent must teach over 50% of the 'core' school work (math, science, history, English....) & we're okay.

I know that my 12 year old is now a fairly independent learner. I present the to do list for the day and he will go and do his thing. That said, we are nearing the years of more hands on science - chemistry is coming, he's in a disection class right now, etc.... You may find yourself a bit worn out if you have to come home after a long day and sit and teach??

Think on it - have a "conference" with him.

Have a great trip!!!​

​

ONE more day for us ya'll!!
Our rough past week is going to get better soon!

Lori

How exciting!!! Have a magical vacation ​

 

[earthfaries]

Okay, more research here...apparantly you could get the discounted tickets if you buy at least 10 youth tickets. The parents would then be able to get the tickets for the youth prices too, also you can use them for 1 week after the beginning date.

Bad news is it has to be purchased with a youth organization check.

Good news is that they ARE having a Disney Homeschool Days in Sept. that everyone is welcome to. They just aren't sure of the dates yet, but when they come out you have one week before the organized date and one week after to use your tickets.

I'm just going to cross my fingers for the date to be in the same time frame as the time we are down there!!!​

 

[Blackunicorn]

Hi. Not sure if this is the spot I should ask this.

I have been considering home schooling my 12 year old son. The problem is i do work full time. I just am not sure if anyone has ever been successful with a situation like this. My schedule is mon thru fri 9 to 5, with phone liberties and even a trip home if needed. I am an oncology nurse and have several nurses under me that could watch things if i needed to run out a while.

He is just a 'unique' child.......wonderfully warm, but thinking homeschooling may be a better option for him.

Any thoughts appreciated!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BTW, I noticed how kind this thread seems to be.....very inviting!!

I'm going to have to echo that it depends on your state laws and how independent your 12 yo is. Some states have a public school at home program (in my state it's COVA, for example, and there's also Connections Academy which is available in more states than COVA) that provides all of the curriculum, a computer, and teacher support, but it is VERY much a public school, and he would have to follow their schedule. The upside is that it's free, so if that's an option that works for you, it can be a good situation. There are also places like Oak Meadows that sell curriculum on individual subjects as well as in packages, and for an extra fee they will provide teacher support.

This is definitely something that you're probably going to have to do a fair bit of research on to know if it's right for you. Good luck!

 

[Blackunicorn]

Okay, more research here...apparantly you could get the discounted tickets if you buy at least 10 youth tickets. The parents would then be able to get the tickets for the youth prices too, also you can use them for 1 week after the beginning date.

Bad news is it has to be purchased with a youth organization check.

Good news is that they ARE having a Disney Homeschool Days in Sept. that everyone is welcome to. They just aren't sure of the dates yet, but when they come out you have one week before the organized date and one week after to use your tickets.

I'm just going to cross my fingers for the date to be in the same time frame as the time we are down there!!!​

Good luck! If it helps any, I know that the Disneyland homeschool days are usually in late September.

 

[dutch_girl_scout]

I did it you guys! I finally did it!

I said ages ago that pretty soon I was going to start responding to the weird homeschooler questions in hte way I really wanted to. Well, today I did.

I was talking to someone at the post office today. Our local schools started 2 hours late because of the cold and she made some comment about it.l said my kids were homeschooled so it really didn't affect us. She then did the whole "how can you do that.....blah blah blah" and ended it with "So are you really smart? You must be or how could you teach them all that" My usual response to this is "Oh there are teacher guides and etc" Not today. Today I said, "Yep, I am. I am probably the most intelligent person you will ever meet." Then I just stood there and smiled.


Oh that felt good.

Bet she'll be thinking about that the rest of the day. First she'll be angry and think that you were rude to her. Maybe tomorrow she'll realize she deserved that response.

 

[dvcbnd]

I did it you guys! I finally did it!

I said ages ago that pretty soon I was going to start responding to the weird homeschooler questions in hte way I really wanted to. Well, today I did.

I was talking to someone at the post office today. Our local schools started 2 hours late because of the cold and she made some comment about it.l said my kids were homeschooled so it really didn't affect us. She then did the whole "how can you do that.....blah blah blah" and ended it with "So are you really smart? You must be or how could you teach them all that" My usual response to this is "Oh there are teacher guides and etc" Not today. Today I said, "Yep, I am. I am probably the most intelligent person you will ever meet." Then I just stood there and smiled.


Oh that felt good.

Since we just made our decision to hs beginning in Sept., and we're just starting to let the "word" out to friends and family of our decision, I know that the comments will soon be heading our way. I'm really getting a kick out of seeing how hs'ing moms handle all the questions and I'm so grateful for this thread.
Thanks for sharing and keep them coming!

 

[NHWX]

If you're feeling Grumpy, don't read this! I emailed someone who I thought might be able to help me out with a curriculum content question and I got Dopey! Argh!

I emailed a guy I used to know from college about physics for my son. I figure - he's got a BA in Physics, and a MA and a PhD in math - he should be able to answer my questions. After I read his email I remembered that he was one of those flunks-sandbox science types and that he'd never had kids. Duh!! The answer I got back was a) useless on the physics front and b) insulting on the homeschool front. Then after telling me nothing of use with regard to academics and that I should put him back in public school, he asks if I was going to the next big reunion. 'Cause I'd like to get his opinion on anything else?!?! Not!

It's been one of those days...

NHWX