OT:Homeschoolers--What do your kids do all day?

[graygables]

we actually e-school with a virtual charter school. The school follows a traditonal schedule, but we are allowed to work through the summer/breaks as we like. We are travelling so much that we are definitely going to have to work through the summer this year. Even though the teachers are off, we are still able to do/track work, so that's good. Makes planning trips to WDW in low season MUCH easier!!!

 

[lori1043]

I know this s off topic, but if that is a picture of your s in your siggie - where did you find those dresses? I love them!!! Also- they are very cute little s!

We had them made. My DD's wanted to dress up like Felicity and Elizabeth for Halloween since they have the dolls. A fellow church member made them by sight-copying the dresses of the dolls as close as she could. We ha da darned time finding something close to Felicity's dress for DD9, but it came out darned close. DD7's Elizabeth dress is almost the dolls dress to a tee!
Thank you for complimenting my precious gifts!

 

[meandtheguys2]

I know you go on vacation when you want, but do you typically follow your local school district calendar? Just wondering.

We start in august, because we are bored in August. Vacations are done, the pool doesn't open until noon, so we do our work and chores in the a.m., and play at the pool until 5:00...in time to run home and figure out dinner!

Then we take off about 3 weeks for Christmas, and are done after our testing in early May. By then the afternoons are warm, and we are seriously in need of yard work, and outside warm play! Works for us!

BTW, I would have a hard time doing what you do with the infants, and toddlers, too. It really does take all of together to make the world the interesting place it is!

 

[Pixiedust34]

I don't homeschool and was a teacher for 10 years before I started working part-time with infants and toddlers with developmental delays. I am always amazed by homeschooling. I think you must need a lot of patience and creativity to do it. Sometimes helping my DS with his homework can be a challenge of my patience (bright kid just dawdles his time away). I can't imagine doing it day in and day out. BTW, do you take long summer breaks or any holiday breaks? I know you go on vacation when you want, but do you typically follow your local school district calendar? Just wondering.

Dh is a teacher, so we pretty much follow the public school schedule. When dh is off from work, we like to be off from school. That means we have a Christmas, spring, and summer break. Our summer break goes from mid-June to mid-August. When dh has a day off (Labor Day, MLK Day, Election Day, etc.), we almost always take off that day so we can spend the day together as a family. Public schools are closed, so my kids enjoy the break too.

We must do 180 school days, and I've ended up slightly exceeding that every year. My extra days come from teaching on in-service days when dh is at work. Most of the time we do school (or at least a 1/2 day) on snow days when public schools are closed. I also start our school work a week earlier than when public schools open to students, as we begin our school year on dh's first day back to work. I like having those extra days. Starting a week earlier allowed the kids and I to spend a week at WDW in Sept. without getting behind schedule this year.

 

[disneymom3]

We start in august, because we are bored in August. Vacations are done, the pool doesn't open until noon, so we do our work and chores in the a.m., and play at the pool until 5:00...in time to run home and figure out dinner!

Then we take off about 3 weeks for Christmas, and are done after our testing in early May. By then the afternoons are warm, and we are seriously in need of yard work, and outside warm play! Works for us!

BTW, I would have a hard time doing what you do with the infants, and toddlers, too. It really does take all of together to make the world the interesting place it is!

Michelle--you and I follow almost exactly the same schedule! I find that we are definitely bored by August and without the more formal structure of school the kids start getting annoying. To each other and me!! We do at least one field trip/park outing with our group all summer but they still are ready by August. That also allows us to take off days in the fall when it happens to be beautiful. We dont' have a # of days in MN that we have to school, but I have certain things I want to get accomplished.

Pixie--that is neat that you are able to tailor your schedule to your DHs! Does he get any flack at his school for having his children homeschooled?

 

[lori1043]

we started mid July and I feel blessed about it b/c we have had many extended family issues to deal with-medical and psychological-it has really taken some days, but we are still pretty much on schedule since we started so early! They had a month to month and a half off last summer.

 

[Pixiedust34]

Pixie--that is neat that you are able to tailor your schedule to your DHs! Does he get any flack at his school for having his children homeschooled?

My dh's co-workers are very supportive. : )

We do go a public school twice/week for speech therapy for ds. The teachers there are also supportive of our decision to homeschool. Dd usually does her math work while we ds is getting his therapy, and a lot of teachers come by to chat about her work and about homeschooling in general. It's been all positive comments there, too.

 

[momto2girls]

My dh's co-workers are very supportive. : )

We do go a public school twice/week for speech therapy for ds. The teachers there are also supportive of our decision to homeschool. Dd usually does her math work while we ds is getting his therapy, and a lot of teachers come by to chat about her work and about homeschooling in general. It's been all positive comments there, too.

That's great to hear! I know two public school teachers who have chosen to homeschool their own children and the comments they have heard have been less than supportive.