Why do you home school?

[Principessa Alba]

You can debate if you like, but I'm really just interested in the information, not an argument. My feelings pro or con aren't important.

If you'd share your reasons. Poll coming. You can vote for more than one reason.

 

[Principessa Alba]

bumping in case any home school parents have arrived

 

[CJMickeyMouse]

I chose other.... and we used to homeschool but do not anymore.

We did it because our kids were accelerated and they reached a grade in school (5th) where the teacher was going to bump them back down to grade level work. We tried to discuss the situation with her, and she would not budge. So we homeschooled with the support of the administrators.

 

[Principessa Alba]

Thanks for the reply. I hope I get others. I've just been very curious about this, when I see home school families in my area, an area with supposedly good schools.

I always wonder if it is for educational or philosophical reasons, but hate to be nosy and ask (so I'll be nosy and ask here! )

I would consider an accelerated child a "special need".

 

[Nikel]

Other. Let me see if I can articulate this properly. I don't agree with the structure, pace, testing, heavy workloads, etc of formal education. I do understand why it's that way, when there are so many children in a classroom. It's just too one size fits all. I prefer to follow my children's pace and interests. FWIW, we're unschoolers.

 

[SeeDisney]

I HS only my 5 year old. He experienced very very strong separation anxiety from mom to the hilt about going to kindergarten. Although he did well in preschool for two years. So I put down special needs. My son is doing very well now being HS and I'm in a huge HS support group.

 

[SeeDisney]

OH, by the way to the OP, you should try this question/thread over to The Family Board......there's a good amount of homeschoolers over there.

 

[Principessa Alba]

Other. Let me see if I can articulate this properly. I don't agree with the structure, pace, testing, heavy workloads, etc of formal education. I do understand why it's that way, when there are so many children in a classroom. It's just too one size fits all. I prefer to follow my children's pace and interests. FWIW, we're unschoolers.

May I ask you a few more questions? Do you feel this way about other things in society or is it just school? I mean to say, do you feel like kind of a "march to the beat of a different drummer" kind of person in general?

Or is it that you just think the system is wrong and all children would benefit from unschooling?

 

[Principessa Alba]

OH, by the way to the OP, you should try this question/thread over to The Family Board......there's a good amount of homeschoolers over there.

Thanks! Maybe I'll post the link to this thread and try to lure them here!

 

[Principessa Alba]

I HS only my 5 year old. He experienced very very strong separation anxiety from mom to the hilt about going to kindergarten. Although he did well in preschool for two years. So I put down special needs. My son is doing very well now being HS and I'm in a huge HS support group.

So do you foresee public school in the future?

 

[meandtheguys2]

I voted "other."

We HS because we enjoy it and it works for us. It is time efficient, academically sound because we can work with strengths and weaknesses, and allows for greater involvement in the community (the real world.)

 

[Nikel]

May I ask you a few more questions? Do you feel this way about other things in society or is it just school? I mean to say, do you feel like kind of a "march to the beat of a different drummer" kind of person in general?

Or is it that you just think the system is wrong and all children would benefit from unschooling?

Sure, ask away. I definitely think I'm more of a do my own thing person. Not just for the sake of being different though. With larger, more important issues, I spend quite a bit of time looking at the options and going with what fits best for us.

In general, I do think there are serious flaws in our education system, and it needs a serious overhaul. I think large numbers of children would benefit from a more relaxed unschooling approach, but it's certainly not for everyone. Some children and families need the structure of traditional homeschooling or a classroom setting.

 

[mom2boys]

I took my youngest out of public school during the 4th term last year. He was in 6th grade. He wasn't working up to his potential and he the school was doing nothing to help/encourage him. I had several meetings with his teachers & principal. They were of not help. What was going on with my son in that school is a recipe for on how to disenfranchise a child. He was becoming more frustrated by the day. Part of the problem is that my son was an average student in a school full of above average students - based on test scores. He was becoming so frustrated I was afraid we would lose him. I explicitly told the principal that I was waiting for the day that he walked in one door of the school and out the other. I asked what we would do then. It went right over her head. He had plenty of friends and was not a discipline problem. The principal has a horrible reputation with the parents and the faculty. No one can understand why she still has a job.

I am encouraging him to go back for high school in two years for many reasons. (We may insist upon it.) He is college bound and it will make admissions less complicated. He is also a musican and in this district, he cannot participate in band unless he is enrolled in the school system. Many school systems allow home school children to enroll in their choice of classes - band, foreign language, art...


My oldest is only a year older and attending the same school. He is not interested in homeschool and is doing ok - not setting the world on fire but working hard and basically enjoying the experience.

 

[JennyMominRI]

May I ask you a few more questions? Do you feel this way about other things in society or is it just school? I mean to say, do you feel like kind of a "march to the beat of a different drummer" kind of person in general?

Or is it that you just think the system is wrong and all children would benefit from unschooling?

I homeschooled for years when my kids were younger..Right now 3 out of th 4 homeschooled kids are in PS, one is in a Charter School. To the above questions, niether...I'm really a tow the line kind of gal..I was never a big rebel.. In fact 10 years ago, if you had told me I would homeschool I would have told you you were nuts..It wasn't even on my radar. I thought homeschoolers were cooks or religious fanatics. I also don't think the school system is *wrong*
I started homeschooling in 2000, for many reasons.
We live in San Diego county..My DD had 44 kids in her kindergarden class through November...She was then moved to a portable trailer with no windews.. SO many kids were getting sick and OSHA was actually called in to investigate. When Taralyn started school pre-testing showed that she needed advanced classes, but there were none...There was even a bomb scare at the school.
NCLB had also started. Schools in San Diego were teaching to the test. This was so bad there there were multiple write ups about it in the San Diego Union Tribune.. One of Brittany's teacher actually quit because she was not going to spend her career teaching to a test... She moved to private schools. My kids had great teachers..They were overworked and underpaid in overcrowded classrooms..One of them even made the statement that she felt that she was babysitting, not teaching.. The last straw was when a second grade boy attempted to do something sexual to my 2nd grade DD..The school never even called me..No time ,I guess..
Lastly, as a more personal issue, I'm sick, I have no way of knowing how much time I will have with my kids..I had 5 years where I was with my kids every single day. My kids and I have a finite time together. That was precious time for me and hopefully one day for them..
When we moved here the schools were much better..My kids were older, and I knew that they would get a better education in PS..I had no qualms about putting them back..It was always about the best education I could get them..I am responsible for there education,not the state..If the state was not up to the job, than it was my job to ensure they had better..When I was not up to the job than I ensured that they would have a better education in PS.

 

[Peter Pirate 2]

My daughter is an athelete that requires more travel than the school system will allow.

 

[DMickey28]

My only DS is still way too young but DH and I have been talking about this for years.

We are probably going to HS our kids up to Middle School, if not High School. We do feel that a traditional High School experience is very important but we are talking 12 years from now so things could change drastically.

We have many diverse reasons for wanting to HS.

I do not agree with the one size fits all mentality as well. I traveled a lot as a child with my parents because my dad was in sales. I learned a lot more and remember that much more than then structured school enviroment. Now with all the restrictions on families and kids that the public school system puts in place, it makes it near impossible for kids to learn outside of what the district states they need to learn.

Right now our area has a generally bad school system. If we lived right here when DS went to school we would go to Parkland schools which are actually good but there are so many bad schools in S. Florida and the bussing around of kids does not gaurantee he would go to the school around the corner.

Right now we move around a bit for DH's job. We are hoping within the next 3 years we will stop and settle down. If that is the case, then this reasoning is pointless.

DH is always going to travel for work. We want to use those oppurtunities to travel with him and educate our children about the rest of the country. I did a lot of that when I was younger and now you can't take your kids out of school for anything.

Of course DS is only 5 months old, so who knows what will happen. We have been reading and learning about Homeschool for years!!

 

[Principessa Alba]

My daughter is an athelete that requires more travel than the school system will allow.

Cool! What does she do? I always admire those kids with all that dedication at such young ages!

 

[NY Disney fan]

I homeschool so that I can take my kid to Disney anytime in the year so that I can avoid the crowds.




Kidding! My daughter is only 11 months.

 

[Principessa Alba]

I homeschool so that I can take my kid to Disney anytime in the year so that I can avoid the crowds.




.

LOL when you put it that way we all should be home schooling!!!

 

[addicted_to_WDW]

You know, I would never homeschool because I don't think I could give my son a proper education, but being able to take him to WDW off season....that may just change my mind.