Homeschooling - Olathe,KS

I have one friend who homeschools. She has to spend a fortune putting her kids in art classes, music lessons, second language classes and sports to make up for all the extra's they get at school. Just something to consider...

Yes, I have homeschooled my three up until the last six weeks of this last school year because I needed to pack up house to move and could not both homeschool AND pack up whole house. My oldest was in second grade.

You can provide a SUPERIOR education at home with none of the drawbacks of public school. You have access to the best curriculums available as a homeschooler, and socialization is not a problem at all. Your kids can still do regular activities and interact with kids all the time. We had almost too much socializing going on as homeschoolers and I had to buckle down and get more focused on academics in second grade.

But it is WORK. You need to find the materials you feel are the best for your style and you have to be organized to get through work every day. YES there is flexibility, yes you can take off days and do hands on trips and stuff, but if you go all loosey goosey, you will fall way behind. Unschoolers say that works out for them but I don't personally understand unschooling (one of the homeschooling styles). Though there were many unschoolers in our large homeschool network (with awesome activities!) who loved unschooling, so! Find your style and do some research.

I wanted to have MORE academics for my kids than schools were offering so I did a classical style which has very advanced materials in all subjects. Look into the Well Trained Mind Guide to Classical Education and compare it to common core-you will be BLOWN away how much richer and how many grades ahead classical work is from regular public school work.

I'm throwing kids in school this year for personal reasons and will be supplementing big time outside of school. The second grade material in public school my daughter had was way easier than the stuff she had already done in first grade at home. But school has a lot of nice perks too.

It's really your call since YOU Will be the one doing all the work. My ex always traveled too. It CAN be done, but it is WORK!!!!! Work I tell you.

You need to know your own heart and passion. If deep down you feel public school is adequate, then continue with that. Or try homeschooling-you can always quit and throw them back in school! My kids loved the transition into school from homeschooling and had no difficulty at all fitting into routines and big groups at school. The teachers said they wished all their kids loved learning so much. It was exciting and new to them. I'll probably let them do school next year too and then homeschool them when necessary after that if we can't get to France in the next year which I hope we can!! I'm working on it! I want them fluent in a second language at a young age.

i homeschooled my kids, not from the beginning but from 5th grade and 9th grades on respectively. i suggest you do a lot of reading and researching before making this big decision. and if you're like most of us, you'll consider it the single best parenting decision you both ever made.
but don't take it lightly.
the notion that homeschoolers 'miss out on socialization' is decades outdated. we form co-ops and groups and associations, and most homeschoolers are far busier weeding out and regretfully passing on great opportunities because there just aren't enough hours in the day, rather than sitting at home feeling lonesome. get on google, and i'll bet you come up with half a dozen local homeschool groups in under a minute. some of them won't fit you. most of them will be religious. but even in a very conservative area we found a slew of relaxed liberal hippy secular homeschoolers like ourselves, and formed lifelong friendships.
i suggest starting out with a waldorf curriculum like oak meadow or clonlara. but know that after a while you'll probably just drift into creating your own. you'll come to know your kids better than any boxed curriculum, and certainly better than common core. that's when it really gets fun!
check it out first, go to some homeschool co-op meetings and spend the summer taking your kids on some field trips with them. i hope you choose to do it. good luck!
ETA i'm glad that tuition-free public school online is an option for the few who need it, but i have to toss in here that i consider it the worst of all worlds. you don't have the flexibility of true homeschooling, and you don't have the social camaraderie that public school offers. i would only use this in the case of kids who have been severely bullied or have some sort of social phobias or issues.
:) khairete
S.

I homeschool my children. They are still young, 1st, preschool, toddler. I wouldn't have it any other way.

The hardest part for me is having to be on all the time,but I'm trying to resolve that issue. If your hubby travels a lot, I'd figure out some way to get yourself some quality "me time" on a regular basis. A lot of HSers I know tske the kids to the gym. One even goes and just drinks coffee and reads!

We don't use a curriculum, so no suggestions there.

My suggestion is to look for homeschooling groups in your area. Illinois has a page with all the groups for the state. Also check yahoo groups. These groups will be your best resource for information and support.

I asked a question about homeschooling recently and got some really informative and thoughtful answers. You might want to read them, just look at my recent questions.

You might consider public, tuition-free online schooling. Here's a link to some Kansas choices:

http://www.k12.com/schoolfinder/66051#.U6tUPPl32So

It was a great choice for us. It provides the curriculum, social events, teachers, support, and helpful staff. It's completely free, except for the occasional small fee such as specialty art equipment, or a virtual lab fee, just as in a traditional school.

Of course, you have to commit to partnering with your child and the school - you just don't plunk the kid down in front of the computer and walk away. But you don't have to plan the curriculum, and teach it. You need a good internet connection and a computer, but little else.

My daughter was in online school for 7 years. It saved her life. Feel free to ask me any questions.

You have to want to do it yourself. So, if you agree with your husband that it's worth a try go for it. You can always change your mind and send her back to school later if you decide it doesn't work for your family. I homeschool and wouldn't have it any other way for us. Homeschooling (for everyone I know) isn't you and your kids sitting at home all day. Socialization is not a problem at all! Yes it is different than being surrounded by only same age peers all day, but that isn't a bad thing. My 7-year old is quite competent socially with kids and adults. There are plenty of opportunities to be with other kids of all ages. Even if you don't have a vibrant homeschool community in your are there are scouts, town sports, etc that the kids can get involved with.

Some people spend a lot on curriculums and programs/lessons. But you absolutely do not have to. There are many free or low cost programs out there online or second-hand curriculums. You may be surprised at what you can do with only a library card and internet connection. So many choices!

My husband travels a lot. It can be challenging being home alone for days on end with the kids. But, that is challenging with or without homeschooling. We go with him sometimes because we aren't on the school schedule so that is a bonus for us too. We would have missed some great trips in the last year alone if we could only travel during school breaks. Homeschooling works well for many families. Google "homeschool reviews" and start reading about what's out there. There are so many choices you just need to see what resonates with you.

Send her to school. She will be just fine as long as you treat it as the normal thing to do.

Homeschooling isn't something I would ever have any interest in. So I do imagine there will be a lot of positive information for that.

I am so grateful Oklahoma is NOT following Common Core any more. We're going back to the old system starting this fall and then they are forming a new committee to draw up new state statutes.

Homeschooling is not for everyone but it can be done by anyone who wants their children to have a great education. There are so many resources out there to help you if this is what you want to do, there are many free resources too. As a homeschooling parent I get tired of the term "homeschoolers are not socialized" that is one of the biggest lies out there. Homeschoolers usually join co-op's or other types of groups so that their kids can be around other kids.

I use a curriculum from https://www.aophomeschooling.com/, we use the LifePac since that was the closest curriculum my daughter was using in private school (and if I ever need to send her back). The public school systems have online schooling, but you will still be using the common core with all that frustration. There are many different options, you can Google search for ideas in your state and also look up your state laws.

This was my first year homeschooling and although it was a challenge adjusting to the differences it is worth all the time and effort. I only have one child so for me there didn't seem to be a lot of work involved and my daughter does well working independently. We do have other homeschooling friends and my daughter still goes to dance, Girl Scouts, etc..

I have a number of friends who homeschool, or have done so (meaning their children have graduated now). If you'd like me to connect you with any of them, please send me a private message with your e-mail.

I really would not blame her not liking school on Common Core. Seriously. Go to corestandards.org. It is nothing more than goals for each grade. Look to see what she is not liking. My son went through the crying phase in 1st grade. Had nothing to do with his teacher or school, he just was missing us. I think in his ideal world he would have still gone to school, but we would have gone WITH him! LOL

School does get harder as kids get older. Maybe she was frustrated about that.

That being said, if you do decide to homeschool I would say to look into some homeschool online communities. I have several friends that homeschool and they do utilize them. Some go VERY extreme and are totally against ANY public schooling and others are just more of a resource. So be careful that you don't get sucked into a group that does not align with your values. Don't let anyone "brainwash" you. My friends also use the state and common core website to be sure they are on track with what the kids will be expected to know for college. My one friend has a son that is the same age as mine. I am a public school teacher and we have many conversations about curriculum and teaching strategies. Homeschooling is hard work. She spends alot of time planning and researching.