Advise on Home Schooling

Go for it. You can provide your children with an excellent education and still have time for yourself. I dont think moms are meant to be full time taxis. There are many great resources on homeschooling on the web and many large families do perfectly fine juggling the big act. Many large areas have homeschool coops and other homeschooling activities if you are worried about giving your kids a social environment or if you are concerned about meeting their needs in a special subject. I think homeschooling is so exciting because you not missing out on your childs life and you are the major influence in their life. What an amazing gift you can give your children. Take hold of your children when they are so young and precious and give them an amazing opportunity with the people who love them the most. The list of pros out number the cons by far. It will take a lot of patience and work but I think it will be rewarding.

There are pros and cons to both home school and public school. I was home schooled until 10th grade. My mom taught at a private school for one year when I was in 4th grade and I did attend their school that year. I liked being home schooled when I was younger and as a family we were able to do more things that children in public schools were not able to do. My mom took advantage of the flexible schedule and took me on a lot of field trips. We went places like the apple orchards, fire stations, farms and the science museum. Kids learn more from hands on activities than they can from reading about something in the classroom. I was able to spend more time one a subjects I enjoyed. If I needed extra time to finish something I did not worry about the bell ringing and having to move to the next class. We also belonged to a co-op for home schoolers and got together every other week. We had different activities every time like spelling bees or guest speakers. One of my favorite guests was the local K-9 unit. I have good memories from being home schooled.
My only concern is that some people home school without really knowing what it will or should involve. I see some kids that are home schooled and I wonder how prepared they will be for the real world. Nothing prepares you for the real world like the real world. I do not home school my daughters, they are in the public school. I would like them to go to a private school but there are not a lot of choices where we live. I work part time and we still have a home centered on a love for learning. They will always learn from their home life whether you are trying to teach them or not. Children are learning all day no matter where they are. You just need to make sure they are learning the lessons that you know are the best for them. I am very close to my girls and we enjoy each other. I know that if they need extra help in something, I will be able to help them. They still get the one on one attention they would get in home school form me with the advantage of learning how to cope in the real world. I can not stress enough, you can not give your child the experiences they will get in a school. My daughters will be more prepared for somethings than I was. When I started public school in 10th grade, I was overwhelmed by it. I was not prepared for the social aspects, schedules and the structure of high school. I was prepared educationally. I went PSEO in 11th and 12th grade and graduated with honors. I do wish I would have started younger and had a chance to adapt before I got to that point in school. You can not prepare you child at home for high school or many other situations they will encounter in the world. I made friends and played sport, but I have never had a harder transition than going from home school to public high school.
With all that said, I actually lean on the side of home school for the younger child. Unfortunately, not everyone was cut out to be a teacher. I have seen some families that home school and I think there kids would truly be better off in a school atmosphere. Before you make your decision, think about everything you will really need to do. The average american school, public or private, has 180 days of school. That is a lot of school. Can you honestly say that your child will benefit more from staying with you or going to school and you supplementing where the school falls short? I don't think I could.
Good luck.
P.s. As far as feeling like a taxi driver, that does not go away. Especially when they get older and are involved with more friends and activities. :)

I want to tip the scales toward the side of homeschooling. I'm not at that point where I'm ready to start kids in school yet, but have been planning on doing that for years now. I know SO many kids who are home schooled. Sure, there are some negative comments I hear from time to time. The biggest one is "your kids won't be socially adjusted" or "they'll be socially awkward". That doesn't have to be the case if you involve them in many activities. (You can take your kids to a public school for some extras like art and music classes, maybe even some Advanced Placement classes when they're older?) Of all the home schooled kids I know, most of them were BETTER adjusted than most kids. They acted much more mature, seemed less selfish, were more respectful, and were able to carry on more intelligent conversations. I'm not putting down public school. I was in public school my whole life. Thank goodness my mom thought preschool was not necessary. I believe a child learns more at home from caring parents than from teachers who mean well but have to divide their time amongst so many kids. Teachers out there may disagree, and there are many well-meaning, good hearted teachers out there. On the same token, the other half are burned out, teaching half-heartedly, more bummed about their salaries than excited about teaching....you get the idea. The beauty of homeschooling is that there is so much self discovery that the kids take part in. It's not like at public school (I'm sure Montessori is much different) where you study a subject for almost an hour and then close your books and move onto something else. In home school, a kid who really takes to a particular subject can explore it in depth with a self-propelled excitement. Perhaps this is why home schooled kids are, for the most part, further along in reading, math, science, etc. and sometimes begin taking college courses by the time their public-schooled counterparts reach the 10th grade.

I could go on and on and I've never even done it before. I'm so excited to start! You said it yourself: "We want to have a home centered on a love for learning and think that we can provide a great atmosphere for that." That is perfect. That is the reason you should go for it! Check out Mache.org and the other groups out there. I've seen a Homeschooling Magazine on library shelves and someone once lent me a couple books by Raymond and Dorothy Moore (titles are Homegrown Kids, Homespun Schools, and there are others). Have fun and congratulations!

I don't currently homeschool but I am keeping it as a possible option if my son does not do well in the public school system (we can't afford private elementary school though he is in a private preschool for this year). I wanted to recommend that, if you don't already visit the mothering.com discussion forums, you go there and check out the forum on homeschooling. They have a ton of resources, reviews of curriculum programs, and lots of helpful advice from people who are homeschooling or unschooling.

I know I am late to this question but I had to comment! my kids are not school aged yet but I was homeschooled from 1-12th grades. Our public school was horrible and we had no other options back then. My parents fought an uphill battle to teach us at home and I am so glad they did! I did miss out on sports but that was all! I had TONS of friends and social opportunities were never in short supply. I was a grade ahead of my peers and was able to pursue many interests after I was done with my school for the day since our day ended earlier that everyone else:) I must mention that my parents, especially my mom, instilled a love of learning in us and I love them for it!
Now is the best time to homeschool. Public schools are able to accomodate students who want to take supplemental classes, not to mention music or sports!!
My sister homeschooled her kids all the way to middle and highschool. Her kids are the most popular in school and their grades are really high.
Okay, my commercial is officially over:) I hope things go well for you whatever you decide!

Hi S.,
I was in the same situation. My oldest daughter attended Montessori for 4 years and then when my youngest daughter got old enough to go to Montessori, I realized it was going to cost more than my house payment. So, I've been homeschooling my children for 7 years. My oldest is 12 and my youngest is 8.

There's a ton of resources for you. I belong to a group called MACHE. They have seminars from time to time for people who are thinking of homeschooling. Their website is www.MACHE.org

C.

I do not home school, but did consider it. Now, I am a full time working mom. I am a teacher and I think there are some great benefits to home schooling. I also believe that certain public education schools offer great things. If you home school just be sure you and your child can work well together. Not all kids work well with their own mothers teaching them. Also, make sure they have a social circle. A lot of people forget that academics and social are both equally important. Best of luck. Maybe consider joining a home school group for support. I would do yearly testing to make sure that they are on track. I do offer that as a service as a side job. I have been doing that for 5 years.
J.

I was going to recommend MACHE, but I see someone else did. :) There are tons of resources available for homeschooling. Several of my friends homeschool. I was homeschooled myself from fifth grade through high school and am so grateful. I do love Montessori, but I'm with you on the expense and the driving! My first-grader is in a classical education charter school which we like, but I wish he could be home. I have health issues that made it impossible for us to homeschool at this time.

Don't pay attention to the negative comment. Anyone can homeschool. You will learn along with your child. My mom said (and my friends agree) that the best part about homeschooling was getting to re-learn everything! If you love learning, your children will love it, too.

I do suggest finding a co-op. Those are nice because you have access to classes that might be hard for you to teach, like science, gym and art. Plus, they give your kids the social exposure they need, but you're there and you get to know the kids and their parents. You can probably find quite a few just by doing a Google search.

Homeschooling is an adventure and huge commitment. But in my opinion, it's worth it, both for you and your children.

I don't know what district you're in, but here's the link to homeschooling information from 196: http://www.district196.org/ce/pdf/resources_information.pdf

Your school district might have similar information.

Good luck!

Hi S. -

I'm not a big fan of home schooling, because I want to kind of keep the separation of being my kid's "mom" versus being their "teacher" and I also don't feel that I'm as knowledgeable in as many subjects as I would need to be. Have you considered some of the local Montessori Charter Schools that do not charge a tuition? We have one near our house that I've heard GREAT things about: it's called The World Learner School in Chaska. We take our kids to a local Montessori preschool and I completely understand about the cost and feeling like a taxi driver - but preparing lessons would be even more time consuming :) I'm sure you will make the best decision for your kids -- good luck!