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Family Matters:  Homeschooling...  |
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chandasue
Farmgirl in Training
20 Posts
20 Posts |
 Posted - Nov 25 2008 : 09:07:16 AM
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I was just wondering if anyone here homeschools their kids, how the experience has been for them and why they made the decision to do so? I'm leaning toward homeschooling my son (he's only 2 so we have some time) but convincing my husband is a big hurtle. He's convinced that all homeschoolers are "weird."
Chanda |
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emsmommy5
True Blue Farmgirl
1547 Posts
Angie
Buckley
WA
USA
1547 Posts |
Posted - Nov 25 2008 : 09:24:31 AM
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There are lots of homeschoolers on MJF. You can do a search and read to your hearts content!! I have homeschooled my 5. I have 1 left and she's a junior in high school. They all seem to be well adjusted, socially fine, academically great, and generally pretty darn good people! I don't think homeschoolers are any "weirder" than the rest of the population. A lot of it has to do with what social activities you chooose to have your children participate. Yes, I know some backwards homeschoolers, but I know way more fantastic ones!
Farmgirl #208
What are you doing with your dash? |
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chandasue
Farmgirl in Training
20 Posts
20 Posts |
Posted - Nov 25 2008 : 09:32:50 AM
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| hmmm. I'm not getting anything through the searches... I'll keep trying though. |
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MsCwick
True Blue Farmgirl
775 Posts
Cristine
Farmville
Virginia
USA
775 Posts |
Posted - Nov 25 2008 : 10:39:34 AM
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I was homeschooled on and off, and I much prefer it to regular school. Even though I was not quite that young... He may think they're weird because of the lack of socialization with other kids, but that's totally up to the parents to handle that situation. Of course you could shelter him from the horrible schools and all the other horrible activities OR you can have him involved in t-ball, soccer, cub scouts, science/art museum trips, and all sorts of other activities other homeschool kids are doing.
For me, being able to do schoolwork in 5 hours at home versus 8 hours at school was a plus because there were chores to do. You could always try it until 1st grade and evaluate how he's doing. If he's super advancing through all the reading/writing/etc, then you must be doing a good job, but if there are some things that he doesnt seem like he's picking up on, then maybe regular school would help.
The point of homeschooling is not socialization(my husband thinks like yours) the point of homeschool is the education and the learning. I did a christian based homeschool program, and acedemically it was leaps and bounds ahead of other kids in the same grade at the public school.
just my two cents worth.
I want to homeschool if we ever have a kid. there are a lot of important things to learn at home that dont get taught at school but are just as important. |
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5 acre Farmgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
1007 Posts
~~~*Terri*~~~
WA.
USA
1007 Posts |
Posted - Nov 25 2008 : 10:51:42 AM
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I homeschooled mine through 8th grade....they all have good jobs are respectable citizens, love their families and the big plus is they all go to Church...so, I guess our experience was a good one....a bit tough sometimes having children around all the time, but, still was a good experience...
Farmgirl Sister #368
Please visit my new blog....We are looking at the question..."Are we as women really created to be his Helpmeet?"
http://thecontentedwoman.blogspot.com
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Sitnalta
True Blue Farmgirl
4208 Posts
Jessica
NJ
USA
4208 Posts |
Posted - Nov 25 2008 : 12:32:29 PM
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Hehe...I was homeschooled through highschool. I dont feel weird...lol
hugs jess
Jessie
Farmgirl Sister #235
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Homespun Livin
True Blue Farmgirl
409 Posts
Brenda
Louisiana
USA
409 Posts |
Posted - Nov 26 2008 : 5:55:32 PM
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Hi Chandasue,
I am a homeschooling momma. I made the decision before my kids were even born to teach them at home. The public schools have sure changed alot since I was in school. I wanted a Christian based education for my kids. I felt that they would learn better one on one. They are not lacking in anything socially. In fact, we usually have to limit social activities in order to leave room for school work. They don't miss out on anything at all, not even commencement ceremonies at graduation. I have homeschooled since pre-k and my kids are in 5th and 7th grade now. There are lots of homeschooling families here and you will not be lacking any help when you are ready to get your feet wet. :)
"Love one another." |
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NatureNymph
True Blue Farmgirl
73 Posts
Tracy
Barrie
Ontario
Canada
73 Posts |
Posted - Nov 27 2008 : 10:32:25 AM
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We're in our second year of homeschooling and it has its good points and bad points. Right now the good points out-weigh the bad. But I try to keep an open mind to the possibility that one day public school may be a possibility again.
I started homeschooling because my daughter who was in Grade 1 at the time, was being bullied relentlessly. I had thought about hsing before she went to kindergarten but I let other people talk me out of it. Now I wished I had gone with my gut. Now my son is 5, kindergarten, and my daughter is 8 and in Grade 3.
There is so much out there curriculum wise and support wise. You should not have to look far. It does take a while to get connected but once you start you'll find more and more.
I love knowing what my kids are learning and what they struggle with. The report cards from public school don't give a good indication of how my children were learning. I also like the variety of things we do... this week in History we read about Darius and Xerxes of Persia and their attacks on Greece in 480 BC... this is stuff I never learned in school and I am proud that my kids are getting a better understanding of the world than I had. They will be better prepared and well read.
Check out HSLDA.com, they are a legal organization protecting homeschoolers rights in the US and Canada (hslda.ca). Their website can give you more info on support groups in your area, your state laws and some interesting articles to read.
I hope this helps,
Tracy
"Everybody likes to go their own way--to choose their own time and manner of devotion." Jane Austen, Mansfield Park
http://simplicitysampler.blogspot.com/
http://blessewefarm.blogspot.com/ |
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chandasue
Farmgirl in Training
20 Posts
20 Posts |
Posted - Nov 27 2008 : 12:20:31 PM
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| Thanks for all the comments! I'll check out that website, Tracy. Maybe I'll find some info that'll convert my DH... |
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jumpingjuliet
True Blue Farmgirl
146 Posts
becky
oroville
CA
USA
146 Posts |
Posted - Dec 03 2008 : 03:24:14 AM
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My son is 3 now and we are planning on homeschooling him. Some of the brightest, best adjusted, POLITE, and most rounded people I know are homeschooled. I believe parents have a right and a duty to oversee what their children learn. Since the public schools want to tell us what our kids need to know and want to tell us what we can believe, I believe homeschooling is the best way to know exactly what your child is being taught.
Opportunities abound at when, where, how and about what you learn. You can take any situation and make it a learning experience.
Good luck with your HSing.
Becky
I am one with my inner farm girl! |
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chandasue
Farmgirl in Training
20 Posts
20 Posts |
Posted - Dec 03 2008 : 11:08:25 AM
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| Thanks Becky... I ordered some books about homeschooling, perhaps something in there will sway my husband to let me homeschool our son. |
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MsCwick
True Blue Farmgirl
775 Posts
Cristine
Farmville
Virginia
USA
775 Posts |
Posted - Dec 03 2008 : 11:25:48 AM
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| the christian company my dad used with me was called Abekka (sp) |
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Ga Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
2355 Posts
Karen
Meansville
Ga.
USA
2355 Posts |
Posted - Dec 04 2008 : 08:28:50 AM
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I homeschool as well and I do it so I know what is going into my children. I do not believe in evolution and do not what my children being taught that. I also know that alot of the colleges are starting to get more involved with homeschoolers because they feel like they have more to offer because they have had more one on one. Sure hope you can find the answers you are looking for. Good luck! Karen
Create in me a pure heart,O God and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Psalms 51:10 http://farmgirlingastyle.blogspot.com/
www.KKJD1.etsy.com |
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jumpingjuliet
True Blue Farmgirl
146 Posts
becky
oroville
CA
USA
146 Posts |
Posted - Dec 04 2008 : 09:24:36 AM
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I've heard Abekka was a great one. That is one of the ones we are going to check out. Most of my friends use it with their kids. They are all happy with it.
Becky
I am one with my inner farm girl! |
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QueenofQuiteAlot
True Blue Farmgirl
865 Posts
Dalyn
Milk 'n Honey Ranch
Central, WA
USA
865 Posts |
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musketeermomma
Farmgirl at Heart
9 Posts
Z.
Coeur d' alene
Idaho
USA
9 Posts |
Posted - Dec 04 2008 : 6:47:51 PM
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We have homeschooled for about 10 years now and I admit... we're weird too.
In the end, it's not what you do for your children, but what you've taught them to do for themselves
-Ann Landers |
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Tina Michelle
True Blue Farmgirl
6948 Posts
Tina
sunshine state
FL
USA
6948 Posts |
Posted - Dec 04 2008 : 8:34:08 PM
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Yep..we are weird too...13 years worth of weird..ha... But hey..we love being weird.
Being weird means I receive comments about how brilliant, and talented my kids are, how well behaved, how mature, etc. I'll take weird any day.:0)
Hey..if your hubby needs convincing remind him that Albert Einstein was home schooled, as was Benjamin Franklin, and so many more brilliant minds.
Good luck to you in whatever you decide.
~Seize the Day! Live, Love, Laugh~
visit me at:
http://gardengoose.blogspot.com/
and at www.stliving.net
you can also check out my etsy shops at:http://GardenGooseGifts.etsy.com |
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JunkGypsyJen
Farmgirl at Heart
2 Posts
Jennifer
Mechanicstown
OH
USA
2 Posts |
Posted - Dec 05 2008 : 3:39:17 PM
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We just started homeschooling this year, my daughters are in 2nd and first grade and my son is 2. We love it! It's not always easy, other people (especially my public schoolteacher mama) feel they can always give me their opinion about it, but that's ok. I know we're doing what's best for the kids. And we have SO MUCH FUN! I love learning with them, and truthfully, I'm learning too. At the moment, they're studying Ancient Egypt and I'm learning as much as they are! Learning seems to be part of our lifestyle now ... where before it was that necessary evil that controlled our lives and schedules.
Public school isn't bad ... I don't mean that. But I see the difference in my children, in my family. We are all so close. We talk and really listen to each other. Best of all, my daughters are truly best friends. They fight like sisters do, sure. But they play together, they share secrets ... they are building a bond that was lacking last year when they got home at 4 p.m., went to bed at 7:30 and spent all day apart. My son enjoys their company too. He would otherwise be almost an only child during the day.
One last thought ... the only argument I've ever heard is what about socialization. My kids have Sunday school, Cloverbuds (pre-4-H), summer soccer, and weekly piano lessons. We live a mile from all of their cousins and grandparents. They are social little creatures ... much more than their Mama, to be honest.
This was a decision of the heart, not the mind. By following my heart, I filled my mind with so many new possibilities.
Well-behaved women rarely make history. |
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chandasue
Farmgirl in Training
20 Posts
20 Posts |
Posted - Dec 08 2008 : 10:52:56 AM
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I'm glad to see everyone has a sense of humor about the labels others have for homeschoolers. I suppose you have to... I definitely have the support of my entire family so that helps a lot. I've been talking to others that have had to convince their husbands as well and that has been encouraging as well. I'm certain that I already fit into the "weird" category, he just didn't realize it when he married me.  |
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karla kay
Farmgirl in Training
39 Posts
Karla
Lewistown
MT
USA
39 Posts |
Posted - Dec 08 2008 : 2:12:31 PM
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We have been homeschool for 7 years now. I am teaching our 4 kids. My biggest issue when we started was that many people would say that our kids would not be socialized, in other words weird. Well, I guess we are weird, but not unsocialized. My kids are involved in many community wide activities. We have a large homeschool group in our town. We have speech & debate, choir, and gym that parent volunteer to lead. We get together on Wednesdays to do this. In a few weeks many of us goin skiing all winter as a group. We get a group rate like the public schools. Not only are our kids aroun many other kids, but the support from other parents is great. My kids know how to behave around other kids as well as adults. I consider my kids to be very well socialized. We decided to homeschool because one of our son's was having a very diffficult time in 2nd grade. The teacher told us that he needed one on one attention. Who better than Mom to do that. It has worked good. He is now 14 and doing very well. We have had our challenges, but over all it has been worthwhile for my kids. We all truly love it.
Karla
Farmgirl Sister #331 |
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beekeepingmama
Farmgirl at Heart
1 Posts
1 Posts |
Posted - Dec 08 2008 : 3:27:10 PM
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| We have homeschooled for 8 years. None of my kids have been in PS. We always heard the socialization issue, too. Just remind him that the socialization they get in Ps is: How to be a bully, how to put up with bullies, how to not talk when you have a question, etc. I have tried coming up with my own curric. That was very difficult. We have been using K12 ( http://www.k12.com ). They are a bit expensive, but many states have a government funded program to use it. Good luck! |
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chandasue
Farmgirl in Training
20 Posts
20 Posts |
Posted - Dec 10 2008 : 07:27:43 AM
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Thanks for the k12.com link, at least it gives me something to compare and if coming up with my own curriculum is too daunting it's something to fall back on.
On a lighter note: I may have convinced my husband that it's the best thing for us. He's being much more open minded about it than I gave him credit for... Go figure. |
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Lanna
True Blue Farmgirl
330 Posts
Lanna
A little town in Idaho
330 Posts |
Posted - Dec 17 2008 : 1:16:29 PM
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We're planning to homeschool our kiddos. I grew up in the area, and honestly, the schools haven't gotten better (um, I didn't even know or have to know what a verb or noun were until I started taking French my freshman year of high school if that gives you an idea).
Luckily, I've got a few little groups locally that we connect with - an unschoolers group, a homeschoolers group the next city over, and a natural families group (that don't look at me funny about the canning/gardening/wanting chickens/homebirthing/etc.). My 5yo has been making noises about wanting to go to school, but I've got until May to come to decision about that... I'm not sure whether he actually wants to do it and would be okay with sitting quietly in a classroom, or whether it's the big school bus that he's excited about. We always said that if the kids really wanted to go to school it'd be their decision, but now I'm in that stuck place where I'm torn about the whole thing. Plus I'd miss him during the day, and so would his brother and sister. Sometimes I miss the days where I didn't question things and just did what everybody else did. Sometimes. 
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Lanna, mama to three little monkeys |
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knittingmom
True Blue Farmgirl
665 Posts
AnneMarie
Edmonton
Alberta
Canada
665 Posts |
Posted - Dec 17 2008 : 1:28:08 PM
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Your little one will be fine homeschooled. If your husband is nervous about the whole homeschooling thing suggest that you both research together. There are many resources: books at the local library, on the internet and if you're in or near a bigger centre there are usually groups of homeschooling parents that get together. Maybe once he's informed he'll feel more comfortable. There are also many alternative schools as well such as Waldorf.
Good luck.
"There is no foot so small that it cannot leave an imprint on this world" |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Dec 17 2008 : 4:24:04 PM
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Hello. I hope it's ok to jump in here. I homeschooled my 2 girls for awhile when they were young. I was one of those new mothers that did what my friends were doing, putting their kids in mother's day out and pre-school and all that. By the time my first child got to kindergarten, the poor thing was exhausted! She did ok at the beginning but went downhill after Christmas break. So I talked to the principle to see if she could take a break for awhile (I was not very bright then!) and he thought I was crazy. So I decided to pull her out and teach her myself. I was so glad I did. Anyway, we did this a few years til she was ready to go back. I do wish I had kept going, though.
Anyway, there was a letter in the paper here about homeschooled kids. He was responding to a previous letter someone had written about homeschooled kids "being hidden away at home" and lacked social interaction. (I always hated when people told me that my kids wouldn't get the socialization they'd need to get through life!) So this guy says that the opposite is true. He says HS kids are deeply involved in all sorts of community activities: sports,music, art, theater, church. A survey taken a few years ago found that, persentage wise,HSer's actually did more volunteer work than their PS peers. In various articles, college admin.have praised HS grads for how well adjusted they are and major colleges actively recruit HSers.
He also says anyone who gets to know some HSers will be very impressed both by their social skills and their academic achievements.
So there is something to think about. I know several people who Hs and all their kids are nice and polite and very smart and helpful and involved in all kinds of things. Soccer, 4-H, church, HS co-ops.
Sorry this is so long. Hope it helps someone out there. But I think homeschooling is great! I would love to HS my grandkids just so they wouldn't have to go to the schools they go to. And they have to ride the bus. They are always telling me what goes on on the bus and it's not fun. I do not like buses.
Kris |
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homemom
True Blue Farmgirl
1593 Posts
Ruth
Warwick
RI
USA
1593 Posts |
Posted - Dec 18 2008 : 08:34:06 AM
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This is my third year homeschooling. Before that both of my kids were in private school and I taught there. It was a busy and crazy schedule and even though it was a private Christian school there were influences that I know both kids could have done without. I now wish we had started earlier but am so glad that we are home. The kids are both doing great.
We are part of a homeschool group and get together often with other kids. Socializing is not an issue at all.
There are many great people who have been homeschooled. We just learned about Thomas Edison and he was homeschooled and only went to school 3 months in his life.
I hope this helps. Let us know what you decide.
Ruth
Living the farm life in my heart.
http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Ruth
http://farmgirlinmyheart.blogspot.com/ |
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Family Matters: Homeschooling... |
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Homeschooling...
