Homeschool families?

[Carenm]

Quote:
For me too. When asked what the hardest part is I say having NO time for myself. Other than that I love it

 

[rhoda_bruce]

to cindypoo:
Hi. I hear ya. My 14 year old was having trouble in public school, so I switched her to Catholic school. She was so far behind that they wanted to demote her. Maybe I should have. But it was so expensive and I was already teaching the kindergardener and I figured it cost enough in one year of Catholic school to cancel out 4 years of homeschooling and what was the difference if she failed at school or failed at my house? So I went for it. Well I have to keep after her as much as I can, which isn't enough.
I work 7 & 7 at a bridge right now, so I have a very easy job and I can call home often. I work opposite shifts as my husband, so one of us is almost always home......maybe a lapse of 15 minutes without one of us. Then we have a week off together. We try to get the bare minimum done on our on week. I can hurry through a few lessons while I prepare lunch and then I leave. I expect a little help from the older child when I'm working, esp if her Poppa needs to rest a few hours. Then my 20 year old son comes home and she is supposed to get in her books.
When I'm off I can do a little better. I still really wish the older one was more motivated. I keep hoping someone tells me about a high energy motivational dvd or something that can help me out. You know when you love them very much you would gladly fight all their battles for them, but there are just some things they have to learn for themselves. Believe me......I am there to help her, but I need honesty and responsibility.
Pray about it. If He brings you to it, He can get you through it.

 

[NWChicks]

We have four that we have homeschooled from the get go. My oldest will be 16 next month (sniff) and my youngest is five. I'm at home with them so we don't have to juggle work schedules though I know people who manage to do it. Our schooling is rather eclectic with a bit of Abeka, some Charlotte Mason style stuff and some areas are more "unschooling" where they explore their world and have self driven interests. It's amazing what they learn when you let them loose! They went through a phase where they were very interested in catapults and trebuches so we got a book on them. Then they wanted to know more about the time frames when these were used so we explored that topic and learned lots of history. They built catapults out of Legos and were staging mock battles and launching little minifig heads and lego horse heads at the enemy army! Did I mention that my older two are girls? I think over the years of homeschooling I have learned as much as they have (probably more!)

My objectives are 1) Foster a love of learning in them and 2) give them the tools they need to find out what they want to know. Of course we cover the basic subjects but we come at it from many angles (not just a text book). I figure if they're interested in their world and know how to research and think critically they can accomplish whatever they set their minds to. So far they've proven me right!

One bonus I've been reaping lately is that all this time spent investing in my kids has resulted in teenagers I really LOVE hanging out with! I have a 16 yo and a 14 yo and they are a joy and pleasure to be around. I hear all the time about how difficult the teen years are (and we do have our share of challenges but that's no different than any other age!) but I think the time building relationships with them has gone a long way toward making this easier.

Have the years been challenging? You bet! Has it been worth it? Most definately! And high school diploma or not, many colleges love to get homeschoolers so don't let that aspect stop you. I use a computer program called "Homeschool Tracker" to track all of our subjects and extra curriculars (4-H, volunteer work at the library and animal shelters, volunteer work at church, etc). I can print out a "transcript" for any of them as well as report cards. It's a good way to keep an easily shared record of their school work.

Sorry, I get rambly when it comes to this subject!

 

[AngieChick]

Quote:
I know that some people do work as well as homeschool, and it works for them. I don't think that it would work for us, we need to interact too much in our educational endeavors to have that much time apart. If you are using an online curriculum and have a child who will be focused and not need a lot of coaching, it may work fine. My boys detest doing schoolwork online, so those curriculum aren't a good fit for us, my boys need more hands on work. As a result, I also need quite a bit of time to focus on how best to work through certain concepts and projects, so when I was working it would not have allowed me to be an effective homeschool parent.

However, there are many different ways to homeschool, and just because it wouldn't work for me doesn't mean that you can't make it work for your family.

 

[harryg6167]

We went from public school to homeschool. The kids have learned
more the first half of this school year than they did probably all
of last year.
All they have been learning the last couple of years is how to
pass the "leap" test to bring more money into the schools.

 

[Anianna]

Quote:
My step mom worked as a preschool teacher at a local church when I was homeschooled in high school. I was on a video program with ABeka (which is excellent college prep at the high school level, btw). She was gone for half the day and I was usually done with school by the time she got home around lunch time. On test days, we would work around her schedule so that she could administer tests.

If somebody is around to offer discipline and guidance, you can find programs that require minimal instruction from the parent. On something like an online program or a DVD program, the kids could still be supervised by grandparents without them needing to teach anything. Also, school does not have to be held during traditional hours. My husband works ten hour days and goes in early, so he is usually home around the same time you would expect somebody home if they were working an eight hour day. That still leaves a few hours in the evening when school could be held if you have the stamina for it, or school could be held on your days off. As long as the kids are learning, it doesn't really matter when or where. Some programs require certain time constraints while others are entirely flexible. If you design your own, you control everything, although that can be pretty time consuming.

As for getting through a week of school in two hours, the quality of a homeschool education tends to be better and is not fraught with all of the distractions and transition periods experienced in public schools. If you sit in at a school to observe, you could probably account for only a few hours of actual instruction for an entire week. At home, children don't experience the distractions of fellow students' behavior problems or other distractions that are frequent in a public school setting and they also don't have to transition from one classroom to another only to have to have the next teacher take time out to settle everybody down before instruction can begin. Consider the time needed to take an entire class to the restroom; walking the line there, waiting long enough for everybody to get a turn, taking time to deal with any behavior issues such as little boys shooting alternate targets, getting everybody lined up again, and then walking back to the classroom. That can take 20 minutes or more just for a bathroom break. At home, the same break takes about five minutes, if that. It is just such a different environment that it doesn't take anywhere near the same number of hours to get an equivalent number of instructional hours, and quality instruction at that.

I'm so sick of correcting my kids' teachers. I am strongly considering going back to homeschooling.

 

[Anianna]

Quote:
I hate that so much. I went in to discuss an answer my son got wrong on a test. The wording of the question made a couple of answers correct, but there was a specific one they were looking for. The teacher said she agreed with me, but that is how the question is worded on the state tests, so she had to make sure the kids could answer it the way the state wanted them to.

 

[Arizona Chickens]

My personal 9th year homeschooling, graduating next year though from high school.

 

[wildorchid053]

my daughter is going to start homeschooling next yr.. she has a 5 and 8 yr old. we are looking at programs right now but would love to hear your opinions on the ones you use.. she is doesn't want to use a religious learning program.. we do that at church.. ty for any input you have

 

[kimbalaya]

First official year with 2 in kinder. Did sort of preschool type stuff before that but actually have a curriculum this year. My girls are ages 4 1/2 and 6 1/2, but both ready for kinder this year.