I Want to Homeschool!

I haven't read all the responses since there is so many.. but i just want to add a few comments that someone else might have all ready added..

Home school.. i was never home schooled.. i live in Phoenix, AZ and i dealt with bullying and drama.. cause we were poor when i was a child.. we dealt with these so called "bomb threats" where some one calls in and says there is a bomb on the school and it riles everyone up and you miss more school than anything.. and well. i hated grade school... since i was poor... and i was a white girl in a mostly mexican school. i was picked on.. for everything..

So if the kids are in a situation like that.. i can see home schooling them.. but then again.. the kids have to learn how to be around other people and not be sheltered from bad things in life.. they need to know "This is bad" and how to get away from it if it ever happens.. i know i wouldn't want anything bad to happen to any young child.. and it is scary how these parents don't do a damn thing to keep their kids in line cause they are too busy partying or just don't care what the kid does.. but you gotta look at it that way.. i saw that you were going to try it.. and then vote later.. keep doing that.. i would suggest letting the kids decide.. but don't push them into or say well.. if you ever don't want to go.. just tell me and you don't have to go.. ya know cause you don't want them to take advantage of it.. and start acting crazy in order to stay home all day and not pay attention to even you... their parents!!!

Hope this is something to hear from someone who understands either way you think... i am going to put my kids in school.. cause they need to be around other kids.. they are only near me and my hubby and some family and never get to play with other kids that often.. so i feel bad and will determine what we need to do when the time comes.. but i don't think i will ever home school.. we will find a better school if all else fails

have a good day

T.

My daughter is only 26 months old and we already do things with a home-schooling group. She doesn't go to daycare anymore (she went two days a week for nine months) and it gives her a chance to hang around kids. It also gives my husband a chance to meet people. (I work full-time, he works part-time). I have gone to a few events and see that she really enjoys the group. It is nice that she gets to be with kids of all ages, not just her same age. There are many different philosphies among homeschooling families so do some research to explore the options.

We are a home schooling family. Our situation, however, was reversed. My husband wanted the kids to be home schooled and I was waiting for them to turn 5 so I could send them off to school. Long story short, my oldest is 13 and we've been home schooling them for the passed 11 years. We started schooling him since he was 2. Contrary to what some people think, school does start at home... whether they are home schooled or attend public school.

What are your husband's reasons for wanting the children in public school? You don't have to notify the state with your intent to home school until 14 days prior to the start of your home school. Use that time to do lots of research and discuss it with your husband. I agree with the ladies in that you need to both be in agreement on the subject. There are support groups, co-ops, etc. for home schooling families.

The biggest concern I've ran into is that people worry about the child's social life. My mother-in-law voiced her opinion the loudest. If you meet my kids, you will see they don't have a problem socializing. My kids, for the most part, are outgoing and love being around people. They can carry on conversations with adults that I wasn't able to do at their age. (I'm not an outgoing person and still prefer to be alone at times.) My MIL has since seen how the kids are in school (grades), around other people, etc. and she gives them a lot of praises. She even offers to help with expenses where needed.

I'm hoping to be of encouragement so I shared a personal part of me with you. It took my husband 3 years to convince me that home schooling would be best for our children. It's a HUGE commitment on both parts. Continue the research and keep talking to your husband. It's important to not be nagging as well...

C.,

I homeschooled all three of my children. My oldest son went back to school in the 6th grade because he was extremely tall and wanted to play basketball for the school team and they wouldn't allow him to do that unless he was enrolled. He ended up very happy to go back, BUT he is a senior in high school this year and he still almost every single day thanks me for homeschooling him when I did.

My daughter 13 and son 10 just started public school this year after being homeschooled all previous years. They are doing great and are way more advanced than the rest of their classes. Studies have been done that show that most homeschooled children test incredibly higher than their public school peers.

When my husband and I decided to homeschool our children we had a ton of our family, friends and neighbors tell us what a horrible decision that was. Most people fear that homeschooled children will not have enough social time with other children. Well, to squash that fear we belonged to two different homeschooling groups. We took fieldtrips at least twice a month with other kids and families; we got together as groups and did a wonderful science experiment at one family's home every Monday because with a science experiment you can gear it for all age groups. Every Wednesday we would all get together at another family's home and have either storytime, have older children help younger children with reading, have all the children practice a play that they would perform for all the families. They would do one of the above from 10:00 a.m. until noon and then everyone brought a sack lunch and we would go to the park to eat lunch and let the children play for about an hour after lunch. The children put on about 5 plays a year. We would make performance nights be a potluck dinner, the children would perform their play and then everyone in every family would play games for the rest of the evening. Every other Thursday one or two moms would teach something. We always took turns teaching something on Thursday afternoons from 2:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m. Sometimes the kids would do an art project, sometimes they would learn how to cook something, sometimes they would learn something about another country, and sometimes they would even learn a few words, sentences or phrases in a different language; the list was endless. The moms were very prepared for whatever they decided to teach and the children had a wonderful time. Ok, last but not least once a month on a Friday we would do something for our community. We would go to a nursing home and the children would read to the residence there or practice their play they were currently working on. We would sometimes go somewhere and pick up trash or paint over graffiti. We would go to the human association and walk dogs, clean cages, and just love animals in need. Anyway, you get the point, we did something for our community.

The point to all of the above is that my kids were never without socialization with other children and the best part of all is that I was always there to make sure it was the PROPER kind of socializing that I wanted my kids to be involved in and NOT harmful stuff. My kids made lots of friends with the other kids in the groups and either had friends over to our home or went to other homeschooled kids' homes during the weekends. Being in the groups I knew each and every child very well and I also knew the parents very well so I knew what would or would not be taking place while my children were at their homes.

I believe if you are going to homeschool your children at all you should do it BEFORE they go to public/private school. If you keep them under your wings just a tad bit longer then you are sure to have more time to instill your values in them and it also prevents them from picking up some of the "not so nice" habits of school children.

I also know in my heart that I am much closer to my children because I homeschooled them because I did have that extra time to be with them, direct them, instill my values in them and more than anything LOVE THEM! To this day my kids are much more secure in the knowledge that they are loved than the other school children that go to public school with now. My children are also much more caring and sensitive to others' needs than schooled children.

Anyway, the list can go on and on. I just want to say that I am very happy that I was financially able to homeschool them and I am thrilled that I had the opportunity to homeschool them.

If you want to talk more about any of this, please feel free to message me.

Good luck to you, I am sure whatever decision you make will be the right decision for you and your family.

Hi C.,
I too am planning on homeschooling my son (who is now only 2)and any other children that we may have. I have several reasons for wanting to including his safety. I don't think that you are ever to early to start thinking about your children's education and you would like to handle it. It is a very important decision to make and one that takes a lot of research and thought. I don't know if you are a Christian or not, but there is an organization called Christian Home Educators Of Colorado that offers introductory seminars and also a free magazine (www.chec.org). There is another web-site www.home-school.com that offers a lot of info. on state requirements and local support groups, etc. I have also checked out books at the library to get more info. Since I too am very new to the home schooling world I am still researching and trying to find out more info. I am also trying to find a support group to join to talk to other moms. I hope this info. helps. Let me know if you would like to talk further.

C.,
I feel your pain, and I understand where you're coming from. I worry about sending my daughter to school, too. But right now she's in preschool 3 mornings a week and loves it. Doing this has also shown me how important it is for her to be around her peers. I would do as others suggested and research it a little further. I have.
I live in Colorado Springs, and with the exception of 1 charter school, 1 private school, or Cheyenne Mountain School District schools here, I would never send my child to any of the schools in this city - including, to many locals' shock, any District 20 schools (and I graduated D-20, so I do have experience with them!). I have thoroughly researched all my options, as kindergarten is fast-approaching for her. I have her on wait lists for the schools of my choice already. But I also have all the forms ready for Virtual Schools if need be. In my opinion, they are an excellent way to keep your child actively learning and have Mommy & Daddy enjoy the schooling experience, too. If the parents are stressed with having to come up with lesson plans, children tend to feed off that stress, too, and not learn as well. I also have found that several schools do have the option of allowing your child to attend part-time, with supplemental learning at home. That is another option we are considering, so that our child can still benefit from learning and being around her peers and participating in PE, music, ceramics, etc, and also still have the benefits of home-learning.
I guess what I'm saying is don't make your decision off a worry. Children (and people in general) are in danger anywhere you go these days. I've heard of people getting shot in grocery stores, for crying out loud. You can't shelter your children from everything and still be fair to your child. Just make sure you research your options and do what is best for your child and your family.

I'm planning to homeschool my first. I admit that part of my motivation is fear--I don't want my child exposed to the negative socialization of the public schools. I've done a ton of reading and I recommend you read stuff from the library and talk to other moms who are homeschooling right now, perhaps through here or a support group.

What I think is happening when people like your husband speak of socialization is that there saying "I want my daughter to turn out normal, and schools are normal." HS kids can be "normal" as much as you want them to be, if you let them interact with other children through social activities, support groups, religious activities, or scouts.

You can't homeschool with a hostile father, so you need to spend some time figuring out what his concerns really are and addressing them. My husband thought I was crazy at first, ,but now he thinks that shows like "Friday Night Lights' are an advertisement for homeschooling, so their minds can change. I wish you luck, and please feel free to get in touch with me if you wish.

You should be aware that if you decide to homeschool, you might face a lot of criticism. I've had friends tell me that I'm arrogant and screwing up my kids lives. Now, even though I've made my decision, I don't mention it unless someone else brings it up or asked me.

M.

I think your heart and mind are in the right place! I homeschool my children and was homeschooled myself throughout most of high school...(I attended freshman year and part way through my sophmore year)
What can I say, it is a big big decision and I know the eagerness you have, I've had it in my heart since my firstborn was kicking around in my tummy. Your husband on the other hand needs to know you'll at least hear him out, find out why he is against it, maybe he thinks your kids will turn out "wierd", I know that is a prevalent thought among mostly ignorant...(I say that not as a put-down) people, it's the thought that begins these statements, "well I met this black women once..., or mexican, or chinese"....ill-informed thinking, one does NOT cover all. Your children will grow up how YOU and your HUSBAND raise them, plain and simple. Some parents are "wierd", shoot, some people are just plain out-there. Everyone is different and maybe you should just do some research and back up your claims to you husband. But be ready to play it over and over again to your family......trust me, no one understands why you want to homeschool until your child is ahead three levels in math or incredibly well mannered and quick thinking. People are skeptical because it's against the norm of society. Robots try not to break the mold and if you do decide to homeschool you force others out of their comfort zone.....(my husbands side, including my husband himself are ALL or were school teachers.) Every holiday the same words are spoken to us....When is he going to go to "real school". and the condensending looks we get. It's not easy but, I honestly don't think the pioneers had it easy either.... Well I wish and pray the best for you and your family, I really hope above all that you and your husband will get on the same page. God bless, T.

Hi C.! I understand exactly what you mean about the dangers of public schools anymore. The facts speak for themselves. For some reason men, in general, aren't as concerned with the dangers out there as us mothers are. I think it is just in our very protective nature to be that way. My husband is infamous for using the 'ol, " The chances of that happening to "our" kids are 1 in a million." I just simply tell him that I don't want "our" kids to be any of those "one in a million"! Anyway,as far as the homeschooling, there might be a way that you can both get what you want. Have you ever heard of COVA? It stands for Colorado Vitual Academy. COVA is a free public charter homeschooling system that runs through the regular public schools district in your area. They have the same curriculum and have to take all the standardized state tests each year just like public school kids. They just get taught at home. All the materials are FREE; some returnable at the end of each year and some not. They will also let you borrow a computer to use for your child for as long as you are using COVA. They will pay for your internet service as well. If you already have an internet connection, they will reimberse whatever your internet cost is up to a certain amount. My son attended COVA last year in 4th grade and we borrowed a computer for him even though we have 2 computers already. This way he could have his own space and use his own computer. The curriculum is wonderful and very easy to follow. Each child has a regular overseeing teacher that you will constantly be in contact with to help you with any and everything. The best part is that your child gets to learn at his/her own pace. I notice that your daughter is still pretty young, so you would have plenty of time to examine COVA in more detail and maybe even be hooked up to families in your area who use it just to get a better look. I would suggest looking up COVA on the internet, filling out the questionare, and having someone contact you. My son and I had a blast with it all last year. Oh, the kids do also get interaction with other kids in their "class" as well. We had all kinds of playgroups and get togethers. We even had a talent show that was alot of fun. So, don't let the "no socialization" thing be a barrier because they get plenty of that. The only reason I am not homeschooling with COVA at this time is because my husband is military and we will be moving to Las Vegas in a few months; yeah, I know...talk about dangerous schools and areas! There is no homeschooling system like COVA in that area, so I'll have to find something else. But good luck to you with whatever decision you make. Have fun with the new baby too. They're a blast! Take care,

R.:-)

I don't blame you at all for wanting to homeschool. I homeschool my seven children (actually virtual school, but they do it all at home) and honestly, the school shootings in Columbine was what got me started in research.

The more I learned about homeschooling, the more appealing it was to me. I knew that I wanted to have an active role in their education anyway, and you just can't be completely involved in public school. They all attend Connections Academy now. They are all doing well and they still have opportunities for socializing (field trips and clubs). The best part is that it is not all on me to design their lesson plans, it's just up to me to make sure they learn it. I did the do it yourself type of homeschooling for the first few years, if you have more than one child I would not recommend it! It is a ton of work!

Your kids are young, so you have a little time to research your options and see what would work best for your family. Your entire family may not agree with your decision, but it's usually easier if both parents are on the same page.

Hi C.,
I don't know about the schools in your area, but I grew up in a small town as well, and was nervous for my son. However, he is now in a very small charter school where they are very attentive, the parents are very involved (you are required to volunteer at least 30 hours a year to have your child enrolled), and they break them all into groups according to their level in each subject, not just their grade - so each child gets the attention they need. If you just want to home school, that is your choice, I just was letting you know that there are other alternatives to just "public" schools, and this one doesn't require any monetary fees to attend. If you would like to e-mail me privately, I would be happy to tell you more about the school and where it is at. Good luck!
T.

C.,
Check out this website: www.k12.com. It is a public funded homeschool program. The state gives you a computer, printer, all the year worth's books and curriculum. A teacher also follows you and your child. This is a good homeschool program because your not entirely doing it alone. You will have lot's of support from teachers and other parents. There are also lots of clubs and field trips. Your husband should feel better because it is like school except your the teacher. All this is also free. I teach 3 and we love it. Our kids are doing great and ahead of the grade. Good luck!

Before you make up your mind you should educate yourself. go to the schools and interview them. If public school still scares you maybe you can compromise and find another school environment option such as a christian school or a charter school. These usually don't cost much if anything.

At the same time I would have your husband find out more about home schooling. Get him information showing that there is a set curriculum and a huge amount of educational value.
Here is one website I found just by googling homeschooling in Arizona www.hslda.org.

With all this information I'm sure that you both can find something that will make you both feel comfortable in your child's safety and education.

Good luck,
A.

I think there are a lot of very good reasons to homeschool. My family is seriously considering it for our daughter and the child I'm carrying now. However, if the only reason you really have at the present time is fear of school violence I would urge you to do some research and get some counseling to pontentially deal with your anxiety issues. You cannot protect your children from everything even if you raise them in a hothouse and allow them no outside influences. All you can do if you proceed from fear is to instill fear. Proceed instead from an honest desire to raise learners and share in their educational experience, while exposing them to the entirety of the world and you will be more successful.

M.

I think that since your baby is only 15 months old, you have PLENTY of time to decide what is best for your family. I think day care & pre-school and even early elementry school is good to send your child too. Mine is almost 11 months and when he is older, I will home school him, but at this point in time I think early education is more social and would send him to public school for that. It is all a family choice, but if you husband is worried about your child socializing, there is a group for children and parents who home school to get together and socialize.
Research it online and sit down with him and do a pro/con list. But I think you have time still to decide and it is way to early in your childs developement to start an arguement with your spouse over something that is a ways down the road.

Hi C.,

I was homeschooled my entire school career until college were I was asked to tutor. I have a wonderful social life and I function better than average :P with other people. I do not feel that I was deprived of anything by not being subjected to "High School"... in fact most my friends decided to get out of the main stream education once they found out about my situation. All five of us kids were home schooled and we were very involved in traveling, 4-H, Rodeo, Competitive Roller Skating, Scouts and many other activities that we never would have had the time for if we had gone to school full time. I would strongly recommend home or private schooling. If you need advice or help I would also recommend www.Desiderata.org though I do know someone using COVA and they like it.

I hope this helps : )

C.,

You might think about looking into COVA. It's the Colorado Virtual Academy. It has the public school curriculum (which might appease your husband), but you get to be in control of your childrens' education. (Plus, you don't have to pay for the curriculum!)

K.

I understand your reasons for wanting to homeschool - it's not something I, personally, could ever do, but I definitely have concerns of my own re: public school. I do have family that has homeschooled their children and the one piece of advice I would give you is to definitely take some education classes if you plan on going this route. Good luck and don't worry - you still have some time!

Kim

First off, it has been proven that children do not suffer from any ill effects socially until about the age of 13 if home-schooled. Unfortunately, High-School IS where the most worries are, however before that children actually tend to benefit and do better than their peers if properly home schooled. If you join a home-school program within your community you will have the resources for your children to excel as well as activities within the community with which to "socialize" your children. Look up the programs in your area, familiarize your husband with them, and maybe he will begin to warm to the idea.

My only suggestion is to find other moms who live nearby who would like to homeschool too. This way, you can rotate teaching and it will be like a mini-school. Best of luck in figuaring out what and how you want to teach your kids.

I home-schooled my two oldest children and have decided to to so with my youngest as well. Many of the reasons you have shared are valid. My kids have had a taste of the best and worst of both home and public education. Fortunately, my kids never experienced school shootings, only an occasioinal fight. Things are different now. A child can face expulsion for bringing "so-called" weapons (such as swiss army knives) to school and/or drawing pictures of guns or even stating a fact regarding weapons, such as that his grandfather, who happens to live several states away, owns a gun. When I was a kid, that was considered to be normal for kids and completely harmless. Now it is considered a threat to the school and if a parent tries to reason with faculty, he/she is thrown into the same bucket because it is perceived that the parent does not take seriously enough what the child has done.

My main concerns is that you and your husband take the time to research the topic together and come into full agreement before taking this step. Consider the pros and cons, yourself, your husband, your other options (such as charter schools) and stay on the same page. Always think of what is best for everyone, not just you and your husband, not just the kids... the best for everyone. Hope this helps!

J.

There are many caring and intelligent teachers out there who will love and support your child in learning and social growth. Home schooling is one option but so are church preschools, charter Montessori schools and certain public schools. You just have to do the research.

Don't make this decision when your children are so young. If I were you I would find a sweet little preschool 2 mornings a week when they are 3 years old. (My kids go to Guiding Light which I like very much) Then you can see if you want them to go 3, 4, or 5 mornings when they are 4. You don't really have to decide about home schooling until they are in kindergarten. I have a 7 year old and I supplement what he learns at school with home learning. I would pull him out and home school him if I felt he was unhappy, bullied or learning bad behaviors. So far though he is extremely happy. The school provides him with many things I can't: PE, music, art, ceramics, other kids to learn from and interact with etc.

So my recommendation is to not even try to make the decision right now. Of course you can't think of your 15 month old going off to school. Wait till she's a 3,4, or 5 year old and rethink it.

Monday, 12/3/07

C.,

Here is a website that I would highly recommend you check out. It is called www.IssuesInEducation.org. It is a radio program that is aired on most Christian radio stations in the United States and is absolutely excellent. You can listen to archived programs online. Bob & Geri Boyd are a husband and wife team based out of Prescott, Arizona.

Here is more contact information:

Issues in Education
PO Box 12555
Prescott AZ 86304

Bob & Geri Boyd
1-888-Issues9
(1.888.477.8379)

I think our public schools are becoming increasingly corrupt and homeschooling or private/Christian/charter schooling is going to be our only option for our children in the future.

Great question, C.. You are wise for questioning our public school system.

make your decision based on information, not fear. I can't tell where you live, but here in Colorado Springs, you have a TON of really great options. We have several public charter schools, some excellent neighborhood public schools, and the home school network here is HUGE, so explore your options before you make a decision based on fears. Decide what your child needs, what options are available, go visit, be open to several options. Bottom line though, you and your husband should AGREE on the decision. Good luck!

My daughter currently attends a public elementary school, and I must say that I believe it is the best thing for her. When my 3 year old comes of age, she too will attend the same public elementary school. It is a great environment for the children. They get to socialize with other children, and at the same time, they have to learn to deal with the not so happy aspects of life when dealing with the "unfriendly" children. The teachers and other school personel are there to take care of my daughter, and I am confident in them. However, when my daughter graduates from elementary to Junior High/Middle School, I plan to home school her, being that it is a completely different environment from elementary school. This is when children become out of control to where your kids no longer feel safe in the care of the teachers. There are also so many other things to consider at this point in their lives such as drugs and sex that is not considered in elementary schools. So I'm for the public schools for elementary kids. And if the neighborhood isn't too friendly, you may want to consider a charter school. But I too was scared about sending my daughter when the time came. And now, well, she's had the time of her life.

Your child is still so so young. Don't worry so much. You have a while before you have to make this decision. Enjoy your babies while they are little. They will grow up fast enough without you worrying about them getting shot at school. I have 4 children and all are or have been in public schools. I agree parents need to be responsible for their child's education regardless of where they are schooled. I feel that it is the parents and childs responsiblility to get the most out of their education. Just because I don't homeschool doesn't make me a bad parent. I homeschool my children all the time. They learn more from me and they go to school. Please just enjoy your children as little ones and cross the homeschool vs public when you get to it. Also there are ways to compromise with your husband. It isn't worth ruining a marriage over. Children who have loving attentive parents will come away from public,privite or homeschooling smart and well rounded.

I know how hard it is to let your kids out into a dangerous and imperfect world, but the sooner you accept that there are things not in your control the happier and more secure you will be! We hear on the news all the time about school shootings and terrible parents who don't keep an eye on their children, but it really is not the norm! Your child is more likely to be a victim of a car accident or worse, there is no way you can protect your child from everything, you can only do your best, and depriving them of the socialization a public school environment provides is not the solution. I've seen how bad some school systems are as well, but as long as you take an active interest in your child's education and fight that she gets adequate instruction, I'm sure it will all turn out alright. I've seen many home school children who were VASTLY delayed in their social skills and who were terrorized by the neighborhood for being "weird" and being outcasts. And when they are in school it gives you a chance to expand on yourself as a person, to become a better mom! We need that short time to ourselves to be the best we can be. This is just my opinion, I hope it was helpful.