*** Homeschool List ***

[sha_lyn]

People are just different. The same kid that supposedly has trouble might have had the same trouble had she been in school

I know of a few kids with aspergers that are home-schooled. At least one is home-schooled mainly because of his social issues. The "outsider" might make the assumption that he acts the way he does because he is home-schooled. The truth is far from that.

 

[earthfaries]

Hey all,

I would love to home school my DD but I'm way to dumb for that, beleave me it would make live so much easier on me and her. I pick her up everyday from school run home, she tries to get her homework done and something to eat before we have to drive for a half an hour to go to gym for gymnastics, Shes there 5 days a week, most nights are three hours long but wednesdays are 4 hours. 16 hours a week - I just got her report card last night and her teacher sad twice in the comments that she has only read 9 books and 25 is the standred for the year - she just don't have the time.

A friend of mine home schools her DD and just hired a one on one coach for her dd for during the day and I would love to get in on that but I just feel she would be missing out on so much and I would hate it if I could'nt give her all she needs as a teacher would.

And I also seen that my friends dd had a hard time with the other kids on the team, my dd told me she was mean to all of them. I think she just didn't know how to be with other kids. I told my dd this and try to be nice to her. Have any of you come across homeschool kids having a hard time fitting in with kids there owe age?

I find the complete opposite of what you said true. After being around homeschooled children for 10 years, and babysitting for older public schooled children after school, and just being around ps children in the neighborhood, etc., I can say I find the homeschooled kids, esp. the teens, really adaptable and just plain neat! We joke because some times we'll be talking with someone at the park and their child is just so nice I'll ask...do you homeschool? Yes! I knew it

I have noticed a HUGE difference in hs and ps children, and as for getting along well with others, and people of different ages, hs children that I've met take the cake

It only makes sense. HS children, well mine at least, are around all ages. From baby to adult as another poster mentioned. They are dealing and communicating and socializing with the people in the world around them, not just 30 kids their age and teachers they may or may not like.

As for the older teens, I have found them to be very creative and independant and worldly and polite.

​

Interesting. My kids get along great with the other kids they encounter, whether that be in a pickup game of ball, church, 4-H, etc.

People are just different. The same kid that supposedly has trouble might have had the same trouble had she been in school. Funny thing is, that while you wouldn't homeschool, there is no way on earth I would encourage my child to be so involved with gymnastics, to the point of school difficulty. As I said, people are different. Guess that is what makes the world go 'round.

Mine too.

It all depends on the child. Some kids (and adults) are more shy than others, or just not as nice, etc. People are all different and I'm SURE that the reason for your friends DD behavior with other children are not caused from lack of socialization in a ps...more likely her personality.

As for the gymnastics ~ your DD must really love gymnastics with a passion. My 5 year old is so incredibly talented in doing handstands, cartwheels and lifting his weight on things...he could be in the olympics on of these days if he were to train and wanted to. He has a gift, but hasn't shown interest in actually being trained in gymnastics.

I'm assuming your daughter does ~ that's great
​

 

[Minnie mom of 6]

Nice to find this thread!

I am home schooling/ will be homeschooling my youngest 3 and I also help my 1st grader. I just wanted to post a Hello !! and now I have to go back and read!

 

[OceanStateKelly]

Interesting. My kids get along great with the other kids they encounter, whether that be in a pickup game of ball, church, 4-H, etc.

People are just different. The same kid that supposedly has trouble might have had the same trouble had she been in school. Funny thing is, that while you wouldn't homeschool, there is no way on earth I would encourage my child to be so involved with gymnastics, to the point of school difficulty. As I said, people are different. Guess that is what makes the world go 'round.

I would homeschool but I don't feel I could do it. And I do feel my dd's gymnastics is important part of her, and I'm doing the best thing for her health- my whole family has weight problems and I'm trying to keep her healthy and she loves it. As for her schooling she'll be fine and her gymnastics might get her a free ride at a collage someday.

They say kids in sports are more like not to do drugs and most gymnast are staight A students. She might have a had time reading her books but she always turns in her homework on time and has been out of school only 6 days this year- And thats with traveling to gymnastics meets all over the county.

 

[disneymom3]

LOL SL, that is so true. On the CB several DIS'ers try to claim it just isn't the same. I was even picked on for "claiming" that DD does plently of socializing with her girlscout troop. According to the anti-homeschool crowd it isn't the same because I get to pick and chose the girlscout troop. Mmmm alrighty then. Yes I picked the troop she is in but I don't have any power over who joins the troop. Just like I have no power over who joins any activity my kids participate in.

Oh admit it. We are just control freaks who want to shelter our children from the real world. I can stand up and proudly say that Yes, I feel my job as a parent is to shelter my child. That is why they have parents! It is called parenting!

As for the child who is homeschooled and not adjusted well, our nephew is the worst kid I have ever seen as far as knowing how to relate to other kids and he is in public school. It's not always about the environment--it's about the kid. Thing is we are so conditioned that no one blames the schools for poorly adapted kids.

Minigirl--homeschooling is a big decision and I too thought long and hard about the fact that my kids would be home all the time if I made this leap. I had REALLY looked forward to my oldest going off to Kindergarten and then that year is when we started talking about this. DH was convinced long before I was. He would say "You know it is the best choice for her." And I would counter with "Yes, but I don't know if it is the right choice for ME!" I too am very unorganized and cluttered but my kids do just fine. We might have to clear a spot on the dining room table for dinner but our school stuff manages to be spread out all the time. As for science, that is one of the easiest things because there is just SO much out there!

I would suggest going to www.rainbowresource.com and looking in their science section. They are a HUGE homeschooling supplier and you will be able to see just what there is. I also really like the stuff offerred by a place called I think "science in a box." As for math--again lots of choices there all of which come with teacher's manuals. Good luck in your searching and your decision.

 

[meandtheguys2]

Not picking on you Ocean State. Just saying that we all make the choices best for ours. I wouldn't live your life, and you wouldn't want mine.

Sha_lyn, some of the best examples of HS success are friends of ours that have special needs kids. They are being raised in the best of environments, and it is showing. I love the people who know one screwed up product of HSing, and paint everyone with the same brush. Like Harvard hasn't ever had a socially screwed up student before...(Or whatever Ivy League... )

 

[disneymom3]

I would homeschool but I don't feel I could do it. And I do feel my dd's gymnastics is important part of her, and I'm doing the best thing for her health- my whole family has weight problems and I'm trying to keep her healthy and she loves it. As for her schooling she'll be fine and her gymnastics might get her a free ride at a collage someday.

They say kids in sports are more like not to do drugs and most gymnast are staight A students. She might have a had time reading her books but she always turns in her homework on time and has been out of school only 6 days this year- And thats with traveling to gymnastics meets all over the county.

I think it is always important to know what works well for our own families. I really don't think anyone on this thread is going to try to convince you to homeschool against your will. I know that I could never take my kids to sports type stuff every day. I would make me crazy. We all know our limits.

 

[disneymom3]

Not picking on you. Just saying that we all make the choices best for ours. I wouldn't live your life, and you wouldn't want mine.

Sha_lyn, some of the best examples of HS success are friends of ours that have special needs kids. They are being raised in the best of environments, and it is showing. I love the people who know one screwed up product of HSing, and paint everyone with the same brush. Like Harvard hasn't ever had a socially screwed up student before...(Or whatever Ivy League... )

Michelle--we actually had the school psychologist say that she thought middle DS would be struggling much more in a typical school environment adn would probably be considered a problem kid. All the sensory stuff going on in those classrooms would have been a disaster for him! The miraculous thing to me is that I started homeschooling because we thought DD would not reach as high as we knew she could if she were in public school. Now, 5 years later, I realize God led us here much more for DS than for DD. Interesting how life works.

 

[DawnM]

Ok, first of all, YOU ARE NOT TOO DUMB to homeschool! Second of all, there are so many options for curriculum and even virtual schools, that you really don't have to be "the teacher" per say, you just have facilitate!

I can't believe how much I learn right along with the kids! Science is not my strong suit at all, but we are managing just fine with the books.

You would not believe how much time is freed up when the kids don't have to wait for everyone to get in line all the time! You can accomplish in about 3 hours the same or MORE than the ps does in 7.5 hours!

I am assuming your child has friends in gymnastics? My guess is that with all that gymnastics, she doesn't have time for much "socializing" right now anyway, what difference would it make to take her out of school? I think the only difference would be positive!

I am not trying to tell you what to do, just thinking that there is no way I could keep up with your schedule for your daugher!

My neighbor's daughter does gymnastics 4 nights a week and then competes on weekends. It consumes their lives.

My boys' passion is golfing. Thankfully, they can do that even during the day when we are homeschooling.

Dawn

 

[DawnM]

I have met many, many MEAN kids in public school. I have rarely met mean kids who are homeschooled. I am sure there are some. Just as I am sure there are nice public school kids.

How does this age thing work? Kids should learn to be with kids their own age and not learn to get along with those 5 years younger or older? I know as an adult, not all my friends are even within 10 years of my age. That is the real world. Real life is not age defined at all.

This is one of the great disadvantages of traditional school.

Dawn

Hey all,
And I also seen that my friends dd had a hard time with the other kids on the team, my dd told me she was mean to all of them. I think she just didn't know how to be with other kids. I told my dd this and try to be nice to her. Have any of you come across homeschool kids having a hard time fitting in with kids there owe age?

 

[meandtheguys2]

Michelle--we actually had the school psychologist say that she thought middle DS would be struggling much more in a typical school environment adn would probably be considered a problem kid. All the sensory stuff going on in those classrooms would have been a disaster for him! The miraculous thing to me is that I started homeschooling because we thought DD would not reach as high as we knew she could if she were in public school. Now, 5 years later, I realize God led us here much more for DS than for DD. Interesting how life works.

Julie, my boys each had something that could have thrown their schooling off. They were all late talkers, 2 had speech issues (and both improved the day they started reading...luckily not the 8 year old!), and DS8 just took off reading (and is now reading at about a 5-4 level). Waiting these issue out, rather than labeling them as LD, etc., was important to us.although it was scary at times! Luckily there was a family precedence.

 

[OceanStateKelly]

Ok, first of all, YOU ARE NOT TOO DUMB to homeschool! Second of all, there are so many options for curriculum and even virtual schools, that you really don't have to be "the teacher" per say, you just have facilitate!

I can't believe how much I learn right along with the kids! Science is not my strong suit at all, but we are managing just fine with the books.

You would not believe how much time is freed up when the kids don't have to wait for everyone to get in line all the time! You can accomplish in about 3 hours the same or MORE than the ps does in 7.5 hours!

I am assuming your child has friends in gymnastics? My guess is that with all that gymnastics, she doesn't have time for much "socializing" right now anyway, what difference would it make to take her out of school? I think the only difference would be positive!

I am not trying to tell you what to do, just thinking that there is no way I could keep up with your schedule for your daugher!

My neighbor's daughter does gymnastics 4 nights a week and then competes on weekends. It consumes their lives.

My boys' passion is golfing. Thankfully, they can do that even during the day when we are homeschooling.

Dawn

Hey Dawn,

Like your neighbors gymnastics consumes or lives but I love it just as much as she does. The traveling is a blast, most of the time its just me and her- its like going away every other weekend and hang around with your girlfriends, Most of the team moms go with there daughters and we all stay in the same hotel. This year we went to the Grand Cayon because she had a meet in AZ, we would've never planned a trip there if it wasn't for gymnastics. I'm still holding out hope for a meet in Disney.

thanks everybody for you comments
Kelly

 

[wvdislover]

Hey Dawn,

Like your neighbors gymnastics consumes or lives but I love it just as much as she does. The traveling is a blast, most of the time its just me and her- its like going away every other weekend and hang around with your girlfriends, Most of the team moms go with there daughters and we all stay in the same hotel. This year we went to the Grand Cayon because she had a meet in AZ, we would've never planned a trip there if it wasn't for gymnastics. I'm still holding out hope for a meet in Disney.

thanks everybody for you comments
Kelly

It sounds like she's getting quite a bit of socializing on her traveling gymnastics team. You should at least THINK about looking into homeschooling. It would probably make for a much less stressful schedule for you, and you and your DD would be able to spend more quality time together It is a decision, however, that you have to make for yourselves, one that will feel right for you.

 

[skoi]

Oh admit it. We are just control freaks who want to shelter our children from the real world. I can stand up and proudly say that Yes, I feel my job as a parent is to shelter my child. That is why they have parents! It is called parenting!

I've been reading a lot by a writer named Kay Hymowitz who writes about the development of the field of expert child rearing, and how that excuses parents from parenting. She's interesting, but pretty conservative in her views.

I too am very unorganized and cluttered but my kids do just fine. We might have to clear a spot on the dining roomtable for dinner but our school stuff manages to be spread out all the time. As for science, that is one of the easiest things because there is just SO much out there!

I'm also unorganized, and live in a highly regulated state, but we always have everything ready for evaluation, always get our okay from the school (and we work with one school in which the evaluator hates homeschoolers, but can never find anything wrong with the kids' work). If you feel uncomfortable, try a cyber charter first. Everything is laid out for you, you have teacher support, field trips, etc. Many people start in cyber charters then go out on their own.

As for socialization: my husband had one friend throughout his school career. He lived in a very upper middle class area, and he, like most of the people he knew, spent every weekend drinking, but had no real friends to speak of. So some people just aren't very social. He's still not. Our oldest dd is the same way, and would be that way in school. Her best friend started high school this year and is always trying to get her to get dressed up, put on make up, go to the mall, etc, and dd is just not interested. Our oldest ds is sort of that way, but our youngest are far more social.

 

[JennyMominRI]

Hi all, I've been really busy getting started with DS's homeschooling...I called the school last Tuesday and let them no Thursday would be his last day. Ed went in that day and filled out paperwork etc.. Right after he leaves they called the house to tell me he would be marked absent every day until the school board approved his curriculum.. SO he was marked absent yesterday and today although he has been being schooled..I sent his curriculum into the school distict today for approval.. It just really feels like the school wants to scare me into putting him back in..I know my legal rights and obligations though and have done everything by the book..
The funny thing is the school board didn't make a big deal about it at all..They were very friendly and gave me no problems whatsoever.
I also booked a Western Carribean cruise for Dec. for Ed Jeremy and I .Yay! I love having the freedom to do that during the school year.

 

[DawnM]

Kelly,

Are you even interested in homeschooling at all?

Dawn

Hey Dawn,

Like your neighbors gymnastics consumes or lives but I love it just as much as she does. The traveling is a blast, most of the time its just me and her- its like going away every other weekend and hang around with your girlfriends, Most of the team moms go with there daughters and we all stay in the same hotel. This year we went to the Grand Cayon because she had a meet in AZ, we would've never planned a trip there if it wasn't for gymnastics. I'm still holding out hope for a meet in Disney.

thanks everybody for you comments
Kelly

 

[Ellester]

Hey Dawn,

Like your neighbors gymnastics consumes or lives but I love it just as much as she does. The traveling is a blast, most of the time its just me and her- its like going away every other weekend and hang around with your girlfriends, Most of the team moms go with there daughters and we all stay in the same hotel. This year we went to the Grand Cayon because she had a meet in AZ, we would've never planned a trip there if it wasn't for gymnastics. I'm still holding out hope for a meet in Disney.

thanks everybody for you comments
Kelly

Our kids just do gymnastics recreationally, but we know families on the competitive team and they are encouraged by the gym and coaches to homeschool. Otherwise they would have no free time, school and gymnastics would take up all of it.


I just wish those "socialization" critics could come to one of our park days. Today there were easily 40 kids from 1 to 14 playing together, working things out together, watching out for each other, helping each other, and just generally having a great time with little interference from the adults. I know it's just ignorance on the critics' part, but it does get annoying after a while when it is such a ridiculous argument!

 

[teacups]

The socialization thing is funny to me. I guess maybe there are those HSers who sit in their house with the blinds shut and never go out and the kids grow up never having seen the real world. But on the other end of that are many PSers who never sit quietly with themsleves and grow up never having seen who they are! The problem I have seen is those kids are not always guided or supervised and morals are not brought up often. I dont want my kids to be "socialized" by a bunch of mean, insulting, rude, spiteful, popular people just to be with the popluar kid. I want my kids to learn that they should "hang" with good people... not just whatever people are thrown into their circle by way of a class roster.

When more parents wake up to what is happening with kids today, maybe we'll see more people considering HSing as the best educational experience for kids. IMO.. too many parents do not parent. If they were getting paid for this job, they would have already been fired for poor quality of work.

 

[mommyof2princesses]

One of the biggest questions I still get today from friends is about socialization. It is funny, because they know my kids and think they are gret kids. They are well-mannered, kind and easy to get a long with. I feel I shouldn't have to answer their questions.

We have a neighbor who moved in about a year and a half ago. 2 years younger then my dd and I thought, Great! A friend on the block! Well, within a year everyone on the ci-de-sac was fighting all the time (kids) and the new one kept telling her mom it was my daughters fault. Funny, since the kids have never had problems before. The mom even came out once and YELLED at my dd and told her to go home. We don't allow her to talk to this girl anymore, especially since when I went over to talk to the mom about yelling at my child her and her husband started screaming at me. Cops were called, and now she does her thing, including talking nasty about us to OUR neighbors. This is not the kind of socialization my dd needs.

On the other hand we have great friends from our park days, homeschool groups, gymnastics days, ect. Not one has yelled at my children or me. Of course they sometimes argue, they are people, but I feel my child is better off with real socialization. Interaction with people of all ages, learning how to act in different situations, making friends with people of all different backgrounds. And yes, she has friends who go to PS too.

What kind of socialization do they get in school? They are not allowed to talk except for 20 min at recess and 10 min at lunch. I was a school teacher and I should know. We never let them talk. And when I did, usually someone would complain that my class was too talkative!

 

[Eeyore's Girl]

Socialization is not learned at school. Think about it - if you compliment a parent for their child's behavior and manners, what is going to be the response? It will certainly not be "Thank you. The school is doing a wonderful job, don't you agree?" The response will be something like "Thank you, we work hard to teach our children to be kind and considerate."

Oh, when traditionally schooled children receive a report card and maybe their conduct grade isn't so good, shouldn't the school be punished (rather than the child)? After all, if socialization occurs at school and a child's grade doesn't indicate they're doing very well socially, shouldn't the school be penalized for doing a poor job? I don't know, but I'm just saying...

You can not convince me that people that are opposed to hsing because of "socialization" would ever give the school credit for their children's manners.

Children that are well behaved and get along well with others have parents that teach them social skills.

My experience has been when discussing hsing is that when "socialization" is one of the first aspects brought up, I know I'm speaking with someone who really knows nothing about hsing. I'm not speaking negatively about such a person, I'm just saying that concern of socializing is an indicator of someone without much exposure/experience with the concept of hsing. This signals me as to how I need to handle the conversation (without defensiveness). I know I need to spend a little extra time explaining the ins and outs so that the person might have the opportunity to learn a bit about the entire lifestyle that hsing brings with it.

Coming down from the soap box...