Homeschool - McKinney,TX

i too spent a lot of time gnawing my fists, terrified that i was going to ruin my kids.
fortunately kids are pretty resilient, and if you're homeschooling from a good place (and it sounds as if you are), you'll figure it out. you really, really will.
you will change your philosophy. you will change curricula. you will abandon your curricula and create your own. you will join groups, leave them, and start some. you might abandon them too. that's all okay. don't think you're going to have it figured out, and don't get too worried about missteps. you are going to learn more about your kid, and yourself, than you ever thought possible.
and you might even find yourself with MORE free time. once you find the right group, your girl will have opportunities for adventures and events that will allow you to send her with trusted friends and groups and let you have an occasional free afternoon! (of course you'll pay for it by having hordes at your house for a shakespeare afternoon or math games or nature walks or science projects. but it's worth it.)
independence and socialization will happen. unless you're forcibly keeping her at home and refusing to reach out to local groups and resources (and yes, some homeschoolers DO that) you'll find more 'socialization' than there are hours in the day.
it'll be good, ms. M.. good for you. good for your daughter.
keep coming back here when you have questions.
ETA, great jumping jeebies, please don't listen to the wack advice below suggesting that if kids don't get up at 6:30 every day they'll never be able to do it. it's nuts. people get up when they need to get up, and rest when they need to and can. my homeschooled kids got up before dawn if there was something going on, and stayed up til dawn and slept til noon if left to their own devices. they have both adjusted to college and work life just fine. and my childhood years of getting up for school and work haven't made me love leaping out of bed early. kids are way more nuanced, adaptable, sensible and intelligent that some parents can understand.
khairete
S.

This is a big subject to cover in just one post, but I will do my best. I homeschool both of my daughters, who are now in 5th and 7th grades. We started last year, so we are in our second year of homeschooling.

My first suggestion is that you join a homeschool group in your area. There are generally two kinds: you have your unschool/Waldorf/Montessori parents, and you have your parents who are homeschooling for religious reasons. These two groups are night and day, from what I've seen (and I'm not saying one is more valid than the other, just that the philosophies are wildly divergent). Depending upon your point of view, choose your homeschool group accordingly. You'll be seeing a lot of these people; make sure you like them. ;) As a new homeschooler, you can get all kinds of information from experienced homeschool parents: what kind of curriculum they use and like, what they've used and disliked, what enrichment classes they have their kids signed up for, and where. This is a fantastic resource; use it!

I would also recommend that you sign up for the HSLDA. I think family membership is $35 per year or something. They are a wonderful resource as well, with their primary function being to help answer any legal questions should the need arise. The California chapter (to which we belong) has a wonderful homeschool conference every August. The kids look forward to it all year. You can't imagine the amount of fun they (and I) have at this conference. I'm sure Texas has something similar.

Now. All that being said, I'm sure you're wondering, "Where do I start?! Where do I find books? Can I DO this?" The answer is, YES, you can do this. What we are doing, and it M. or M. not be appealing to you, is using Oak Meadow curriculum (which is a Waldorf-leaning curriculum, with a heavy emphasis on learning with hands-on projects, art, music, and being outdoors) for our Language Arts, History, and Science. http://oakmeadow.com/ They offer teacher support; I do not use it. (I don't think it's necessary, and California has very minimal record-keeping requirements, so I don't worry much about that.) We use Life of Fred for math. http://lifeoffredmath.com/ I've found both of these systems to be very user-friendly both for the kids and myself. However, if these do not appeal to you, there are zillions of other programs available. You can check out Cathy Duffy's website for information on just about every curriculum in existence: http://cathyduffyreviews.com/

I don't want to overwhelm you with information (there's a lot out there). I just wanted to assure you that you'll find family life getting so much easier when you take away the glorification of "busy." You'll find that school will take around 3 hours per day (less if your child is very motivated, more if your child likes to stop and smell the roses), and the rest of the day, you'll have to do whatever you like. (Also, once kids can read independently, your role lightens up immensely. My girls only need help here and there, because the curriculum is written to them, not to me, and is much more comprehensive than public school curriculum.) Since my girls are older, they help quite a bit around the house, and that lightens the load for me. Since they no longer have homework, that takes away a big point of stress and conflict. We have plenty of time to make it to after-school activities. Honestly, I wish I had started homeschooling a lot earlier than I did.

If I can answer any questions for you, let me know!

Congrats on considering homeschooling! Couple random thoughts for you as I can't be on the computer too long tonight!
1) Homeschooling ABSOLUTELY DOES NOT need to look like school at home. It can be whatever you make it; school online, purchased curriculum (there are tons available), unschooling, the world is wide open for you.
2) RELAX - you can totally do this. It can feel overwhelming at times, even for those of us who have been doing it for years.
3) I crave time alone - I'm typically a very social person but I also desperately need time alone to recharge & just be. That's where mandatory quiet time comes in, it's wonderful for everyone! Also, daddy & daughter can have some great time together while you have time alone.
4) Family is much, much, much more important than conforming to a crazy ideology of "normal." We've been able to adjust our schedule to closely match my husbands work schedule. For example for the entire past year my husband worked Fri., Sat., Sun., & every other Mon. from 3pm - 3am. If our kids had gone to away school they would have never seen their dad. That just won't work for us. They went to bed between 10:30 & 11 every night & got up around 10:30 every morning. Plenty of sleep & still excellent time with dad. We've recently moved & he's back on a more traditional work schedule. This means we've adjusted back to bedtime around 8:30 & getting up between 7:30 & 8:30. The adjustment hasn't taken too long & hasn't scarred anyone for life. :-)
5.) Socialization is probably the most uselessly discussed issue in relation to home education out there. Almost every single home educated kid I've met can be in numerous social situations where they can hold a conversation with people of all ages and backgrounds. Whoever thinks that the best people to teach my 9 year old son how to act appropriately is a bunch of other 9 year old boys is nuts!
6.) Independence is also something that isn't typically a huge deal. I personally think it has more to do with personality than education choices. I have some dear friends who homeschool and their children do not like to go far from the parents, I have friends whose kids go to traditional school who cry whenever they get dropped off, I also know plenty on the opposite end of the spectrum. My kids have absolutely no separation anxiety and feel very comfortable exploring new situations with me close by or on their own.
Anyway, this was longer than I meant it to be! I'm sure you will find a solution that works great for you guys. Grace and peace in abundance!

YES you can totally do it & have "me" time :) We homeschool, 3rd year & I have 2 kids that stay home ages 2 &9. My teen is in private school. Agree with poster about HSLDA & look at http://www.thsc.org/ Find out laws for TX & what paperwork you need like Notice of Intent & what testing is required to be handed in next year etc. Plus you M. find local homeschool groups on the TX site. Co ops are great for meeting other moms, support, ask lots of questions! There are million diff curricula out there, then you discover a new one! See who you & daughter get along with, see about switching off babysitting days or playdates to get free time.
www.homeschoolreviews.com has A LOT of individual subject curriculum & all encompassing ones reviewed. Pretty thorough site. Oh its good to figure out how your daughter learns(visual,audio,hands in etc.) That can help you choose what to teach...
Its good to have some sort of schedule but life happens so its great homeschooling offers flexibility!
It is a MYTH homeschoolers are less socialized. Puh-lease! Studies have shown homeschoolers ARE better adapted after middle school & HS(if you have homeschooled through those ages) b/c they(the students) have to get along with a variety of ages not just their peers. Which to me sounds great b/c in the real world you would have friends, co-workers of diff ages.
We started homeschooling our 9 yr old in 1st grade for same reasons; daddy worked nights & went to school a few days a week so we never saw him. Am I going to homeschool forever? ha! Its a year by year decision.
Sorry if typos on cell.
Good Luck!
P

It truly sounds like you guys have a situation.

I would never take a child out of school so they can stay up late and sleep late. That's a ridiculous ideal. Really.

You do realize when she gets older the whole world operates around an 8-5 job situation. She'll have a body that operates on noon to 10pm.

My friend that grew up in an affluent home in California had a governess and a nanny. She can remember people like Clark Gable coming to her home for dinner frequently. They ate pretty late in her family too, maybe 10pm?

The governess would dress the kids up after their dinner and parade them down in front of the dinner guests for a bit then they'd go upstairs and off to bed. But they'd be downstairs around 10pm to do this show off the kids thing.

She can't get up and get her own kids off to school to this day so she home schools them. They stay up all night and sleep all day, every single day. Dad has fits about it. He tells her that they'll have a hard time when they get older and won't be able to function, just like she can't.

He made her put the kids back in school so they'd get their bodies back on daytime hours. They are having problems with falling asleep and it's nearly November but they are slowly adjusting.

So I feel strongly that kids need to get up on time or to a reasonable time every day. NOT saying they should be up by 7am 7 days per week. But I am saying that sleeping on a non go to school day that 9am is more than late enough.

If your husband is neglecting her to this extent then he needs an attitude adjustment. She understands that right?

What is his work schedule please.

I am annoyed at a man that puts himself ahead of a child that is obviously having so many issues. I think your daughter needs to go to school and see dad when she can.

I don't understand any work schedule that would take him away before she gets up in the morning then keep him until it's way after her bedtime.

Our kids got up at 6:45/7am and went to bed at 9pm. I don't know of any work schedules that aren't four 12 hour days then a few days off. He needs to fix this and she needs to stay in school.

Welcome to the homeschooling world. Now take a deep breath it will all be just fine. It feels overwhelming at first but that doesn't last.

I started homeschooling last year and I am so glad I did. It just works for my family. There are loads of resources out there and different curriculums to choose from (if that's what you want). I would first check your state laws and go from there. You mentioned your daughter already has a homeschooled friend so I would talk to that child's parents. Find a local homeschool group for support and meet ups.

Don't think that homeschooled kids are not socialized, they are and you know who they are socializing with. There are also many resources to keep your kid on tract with all levels of education.

You will have to work out with your husband and child to get your me time. Myself and some of the other homeschooling moms do a moms night out when we can. My daughter works on a lot of stuff on her own so I can get stuff done around the house with no problem.

I homeschooled for several years. My happy, independent, confident, social, outgoing, excited kids entered public school ahead on all their levels. Their teachers all say their behavior and work is great. We did the Classical style and their work at home was much more advanced than the worksheets and vacuous reading they do in school now. I'm saddened that they will even out to "not ahead anymore" by the end of the year. While homeschooling, we did lots of group events in network and they were in martial arts. Now I've pulled them from martial arts and they barely practice their instruments because there is so little time after the long school day. But for personal reasons I can't homeschool this year.

So anyway, choose your style. Classical, Christian, Unschool, Cyber school, Charlotte Mason...get you materials, and when you see it all laid out you will be put at ease by how much more your child will be learning. And with more time for relaxing, playing and extra activities to boot.

But no. You will not have any time to yourself. That's the catch. I can't do it this year because I need time to do some other things. I'm a single mom though. Maybe you can work a system to get your own time after school hours with the help of your husband.

My favorite resource is The Well Trained Mind Guide to Classical Education. We still use the Story of the World history books recommended therein after school hours, and some of the other materials listed in there.

I never homeschooled because we were so happy with the public school system here in Plano.

I don't know any particular resources fur homeschooling but I do know there are groups throughout the area. When my daughter was training for her black belt, there were a couple of families with children in the martial arts program who homeschooled.

Do your research so you make a well informed decision.

We have an only child (19) and I wanted her involved with the Plano schools so she would be well prepared and learn to get along snd socialize with many diverse groups.

Bottom line you have to do what's right for your family if that means a different public school, private school or homeschool.

I don't know about personal time... I used my time while daughter was in school working with our company, volunteering and substituting. In any case, make time for yourself because you also need to socialize with other adults!

Best wishes and pm me if I can help in any way since we are relatively close to each other.

I suggest online private school! We have looked into doing it for our girls when they get older. (It is typically only for 3-12th grades) International Virtual Learning Academy is an amazing program with lots of options, we have family that uses it and it really educates the kids on a schedule of there choosing. Feel free to massage me for more info!

I'm not a homeschooler but I do know quite a few we are in the same area so I'm sure you know you are in a great location for homeschooling support and resources. Usually the most awesome teens I run into have been homeschooled. I suggest finding some specific homeschooling groups on FB. Taking time to decide if you want to unschool or do something more traditional looking. Do you need structure? If so unschooling probably isn't for you. There are also lots coops which would give you some me time. Join a gym with childcare etc.

I hear from my friends that homeschool that socialization is not an issue though I'm sure for some parents it is. There are lots of activities to put them in as well as socialization from daily activities and playgroups.

Wishing you the best of luck! I wish I could homeschool but I just don't think I have it in me to HS all 3 of my kiddos.

I like homeschooling as long as you are able to handle the grade level subject matter.