Homeschooling

[caulensmom]

Hey Girls. My husband and I have decided that we are going to homeschool Caulen and any other kids we have. We made this decision based on the lack of knowlege and importance schools are teaching our children these days. One of my friends homeschools her childred and was telling me that Ivy Leauge schools prefer to accept homeschool children based on the independence and self modivation they have.
I was just wondering if any of you ladies made the decision to homeschool your children. I know that not everyone...well acutally the majority of people dont think homeschooling is the way to go becuase of lack of social skills, but from all the research I have been doing thats simply not true.

[Sharon L.]

Hey! I have home schooled for awhile now and have a sophomore in college and my second will graduate this year. (I have 5 more in various other grades!) We have HS since the beginning for all of our children.

My oldest had no trouble getting into a private school with a great scholarship to boot. She applied at 3 colleges and was accepted at all of them.

The social issue isn't really an issue at all. As long as you teach your children manners and involve them in a variety of outlets I see no problem in raising very socially adept children. My children relate to all age levels very comfortable...except the 3 year old. :)

Just get a good curriculum and do the work. :)

[Alyson]

I used to think homeschooling was not good for children...mostly for the whole social aspects, but I don't think that anymore. I don't really know much about it though, so my opinion might not be worth a lot. I do think that children can get the social aspects through other out-of-school activities, so that shouldn't be a problem. I think if you feel it is right for you and your family, you should definitely do it.

[LucyLu]

I have a neighbor that does home school and her kids are great, I had one of them in Weblo's. They have a "network" they belong to and some sort of study group they do once a week I beleive. I can get you more information if you are interested.

[Alishaw]

I think homeschooling is more about the mother than the children. If the mother is disciplined enough to be the teacher, disiplinarian, caregiver, cook, etc. And if the children respond well to they way she teaches. It is nice to have new teachers each year if your child responds well to certain types of learning better than others. Just find a good ciriculum.

[digimad]

I have a brother who did homeschooling for awhile. I agree with Alishaw that homeschooling is more about the parents than it is about the children. The parents must be very organized and disciplined about following a curriculum and should be well-educated themselves (you can't teach what you don't know.) I think that networks are a great idea, because different parents have different strengths, or areas of expertise. Many parents find that by the time the children reach Jr. high and High school age, the school can offer some extracurricular or cultural activities that the home school cannot provide, such as foreign language classes, music ensembles, theater, dance, and sports. While parents could probably pay for some of these experiences, the public schools provide them very inexpensively. In my brother's case, his oldest child did very well in the home school setting, but his younger two suffered a bit, (not sure if the parents got a bit tired and slacked off on the teaching though). He has since enrolled his kids in charter school. I've known some home schooled kids who did fine socially and others who were quite backwards. I think this also depends a lot on the parents. Some parents keep their kids home to "protect" them, but it stunts their social growth. Teaching is hard work, actually it is exhausting-rewarding too. Good luck.

[Alishaw]

Very true about the diversity of classes-I knew kids who joined the public schools at junior high for that very reason and for the group athletics. Charter schools might be a great happy-medium.

[caulensmom]

no I believe that we are going to stick with homeschooling. Caulen will get way more diversity in all the traveling we do than in a class full of the same kids everyday. :)

[tkradtke]

Another homeschooler checking in here! We originally looked into homeschooling as a way to live in the city (Chicago) and still have our kids get a quality education. The public schools are hit and miss here, and the cost of private school would have prohibited us from living downtown. Now, I can't imagine any other way for my kids to learn. We have a strong homeschool network - we had an art class on Monday, went to the planetarium together yesterday, today we're going to see a science experiment demonstration at the library and Friday is our recess day. We're not usually this busy, but we've all decided that with winter on it's way to get out and about while we can :-)

The socialization thing hasn't been an issue for us... but then again, we live in the city with no yard, so my kids are at the park playing with other kids almost daily. They're also involved in a variety of activities through classes and our church. Also living in the city, the variety of classes hasn't been an issue. Lots of the museums run free or low cost programs for homeschoolers to participate in... plus we capitalize on the expertise of our members (the art class on Monday is an example of that).

All that being said... homeschooling is a personal choice, so if it's right for you... I say go for it!

[tkradtke]

Just get a good curriculum and do the work. :)

Totally agree with Sharon here! We have a great core curriculum that allows me to know we're on track but because it is all planned out for me... it allows me the time to play with the fun stuff like field trips and projects that will enhance the core curriculum.

I tried "making up" my own curriculum once and it totally bogged me down with trying to plan the "must do" stuff and the "fun" stuff. I burned myself out a bit. Now... they do the work and I do the fun!

[caulensmom]

Thats cool that you homeschool your kids :) it also worries me that Utah is at the bottom of the food chain when it comes to proper education. I love the idea of taking my kid on field trips to museums and demonstrations...I mean when I think of homeschooling I think of limitless possibilites for my sons education.

[crystalclark87]

I like the idea of homeschooling, but I don't think I'll ever be able to convince my hubby to try it. I don't have kids yet so if I do a ton of research and look into programs in the area, maybe by the time I have kids and they are able to go to school, I'll be able to convince him!

[a_c_danica]

It's funny that this is comming up right now. (well a week ago, but I am just gettin caught up with the forum) I have been talking to people about this a lot lately. I am also considering homeschooling, but I feel like in order to do so I have A LOT of growing that I have to do within the next couple of years so that I can be organized and ready for the challenge. My boys are 3 and 2, so I have a while, but I think I am leaning twards educating them at home. I agree with everyone, there is alot to do... but the parent is the key, that is why am starting to work on myself now (I will need all the time I have!).

One question... where do you get your curriculum from?

[Kim Hansen]

My 6th grade girl--my only girl, with 3 brothers, came home from school yesterday and said in a worrisome voice,"Mom, there is a lot of swearing at my school, they say the F word and the B word all the time." Oh, as a mother, I thought, isn't it hard to send your kids out into this scary world. For that reason alone, it made me think about homeschooling. I just want to protect my children from all the bad. We talked about how wicked the world is and then Keely, my little girl, said, "Don't worry mom, I'm strong." Don't you just love your kids?

[Quinn]

All I can say is that's so great that you all are so committed to homeschooling your kids. I'm really impressed by your zeal towards homeschooling. I think that homeschooling is right & best if it's what you believe in.

For me, however, I'm definitely not planning on homeschooling. I think part of your decision has to lean on what the other kids in the neighborhood are doing. The kids my kids are going to grow up will mostly be in the public school system, so I'm going to put my kids there, too. If no one was utilizing public schools in my area, I would possibly consider alternative schooling, but I'd like to help support public educaton improving. One of my friends is a public middle school teacher & she is swamped with crowded classrooms & kids from dysfunctional families. It seem like an impossible task to help public schools, but who will help if it's not parents that really care?

I may be unpopular for saying my mind about this, but I've hated to watch the homeschooled kids struggling to fit in and have friends in any areas we've lived in. They seem to be always trying to compensate for missing out on all the school experiences the other kids are having. Also, it's seemed like part of their "homeschool curriculum" is teaching them that they are so much smarter than their peers. I really sincerely hope it is possible to help homeschooled kids grow & experience positive social experiences.

I guess I'm most in favor of homeschooling before middle school. After that I think it's good to have them in a school setting. If not, the homeschooled kids start to miss out on school dances, clubs & teams.

With my own kids I'm assuming that public education will be lacking & I'll need to "homeschool," in addition, to help my kids reach their full potential. I'm not planning on the public school system to be able to fill every educational need my children will have. (Can you believe they want to offer birth control to 11 year-olds through school!?!)

I really hope I haven't offended any of you. I'm truly admiring of your commitment to homeschooling. Because you're so committed, it will work out for your kids. I really appreciate viewing your perspectives on this issue. It helps me better understand the choices available.

[Sharon L.]

Quinn, I appreciate your candor and honesty. I do not think homeschooling is the best option for everyone.

I also know home school kids who struggle to fit in...and I know private and public schooled kids with the same problem. This has never been a problem for my kids so far. Again...I think much of that is related to the family situation more than the schooling choice.

One point that I didn't say earlier is that I do shelter my children-on purpose. They are exposed to things when I think they are ready for it. Does sheltering mean your children will be backwards and never relate well to others? Not at all. Again. I don't pretend to have all the answers. I only know what has happened in our family as we have done school at home over the last 14 years.

There are some things our children miss out on...sports, etc. I think there are plenty of options out there to join sports in other arenas...but again, there are things they will miss out on. I am okay with that. :)

My oldest Bethany is doing really well in college. Brittany will be 18 next week and she is doing well in her last year of school...as well as all her scrap commitments.

I think that any parent who is really concerned and involved with their children will do just fine with their schooling choice! I am just thankful that we have so many to pick from!

[Ursula Page]

I have known several parents that have homeschooled their children. I have met just a few that have socially awkward children. But, those children lived out in the country and had virtually no social interaction except a monthly homeschool meeting. But, the large majority of homeschooled kids I have met (including both my babysitters) are the most polite, socially adjusted, sweet and smart kids. They often feel luck to get the chance to learn in such an interactive and fun way and the ones I know wouldn't change their experiece for anything. These kids play sports with the Y, the older ones have PT jobs, they are heavily involved in their youth groups, etc.

I personally don't feel the calling to homeschool but we live in an area with good public schools. If something changed, who knows what I would do. I must applaud the homeschooling Moms as they are so selfless and put so much work and effort into educating their children.