Homeschooling groups rant. Very frustrated

[chickened]

Will signing the paper really change anything? Sign it, humor them and enjoy what they have to offer and if someone says something about what you do or whatever tell them the truth and that you just signed the paper to make everyone happy. That paper is nothing and means nothing so don't give it any weight.

 

[baltimoreharps]

I could have written what you wrote OP. I wish that you lived closer to us, I think we'd get along really well.

There isn't a great homeschool group around here either so I get the kiddos involved in YMCA sports for the ones that are interested in sports, sewing classes for the 9 yr old dd and the oldest is enrolled in online college courses and is involved with Ham radio and plays several instruments.
I wear jeans, shorts and make up at times. I'm a former wiccan before I came to Jesus and I don't have a problem with letting my kids learn things that are secular. I'd rather them being aware of what's out there than shelter them from anything harmful. I just made sure they have a strong foundation in what they believe before introducing other things into their awareness. They are going to hear it and see it. They do just fine.

Just saying what I just did made my hands start shaking because I know what you are feeling. I feel it daily because I don't bake, cook, clean and be superhomeschoolmom. I can't. I just do what I can and try to raise my kids the right way that I know how.
We can't be doing too badly though. Last year's CAT 5 tests for the two that are in still in homeschool scored a 12th grade level and they were in 3rd and 5th grade.

Kate, agree 100% with you. You are awesome.

 

[justbugged]

We Homeschooled through the first 2 years of college. during those years we had one homeschool group that we connected with and one that we didn't. We did a lot of things by ourselves. Art was done during a trip to Paris. But finding families that have a lot in common with you can be very difficult. The 4-H group was the best that we could do in the area we lived in for a while. Part of what you need is the faith that your son will want to be smarter than his parents. I often mentioned that to my kids. DD needed to get a college degree to prove me wrong.

 

[baltimoreharps]

Quote:
This!

We do lot by ourselves like the trip to NYC and DC last year. The biggest part was a free lecture was at Columbia University and the middle ds turned to me and said, "I want to go to MIT!"

He has not forgotten about it either, his MMORPG is still in development after 3 years...Lord help me!

We want to get involves with 4-H, but since we are in the city now, ugh, we have to wait for that.

 

[justbugged]

We ended up back in suburbia, but even then we found ways to connect with 4-H here. Even now I can go to fair and get a kiss from a llama.

 

[classicsredone]

There are projects out there for 4-H kids in the city. Everything from sewing to cavies. I've been looking for a homeschool group, too. The groups I have found are INTENSE. You have to sign a codes of ethics type of agreement, go to a few get events, then you can actually apply to be a member. Doesn't sound that bad when I write it out, but they really were intense. Another group didn't even bother getting back to my inquiry. I know there are great groups out there, but I must be looking in the wrong places.

 

[HeatherLynn]

I think scouts, ballet and 4h are going to have to be the places we turn. We are a big scouting family and my son and daughter have made friends through that. It gets lonely during the summer months but when school starts back they at least have those. My daughter is old enough for 4h this next school year so they both plan on jumping into that together. My son was waiting for his sister to be able to do it also. As much as they fight its not nearly as fun to do this stuff alone. The only domestic chore I really like is cooking which both kids love so pretty thankful there is the cooking club where I can at least help them. I am hopeless with sewing. My daughter made her first quilt for her baby sister and mommy is still struggling with buttons. So sewing clubs are going to be pretty popular too.

Its just more the frustration of feeling like you are the weird ones in the world. We are not super strict religious. I probably teach things in a way that most church groups would gasp at. I just don't hide from the secular and not pretty religious stuff. I have always found that causes issues. Its just the isolation I guess. We sit here and we do our own thing and we enjoy it but we also feel like there is no one else out there who is similar to us. At least we have a hard time finding them. We do have our friends from public through the scouts and such and that has been great. We still have very little in common though. I am always known as the mean mom because I won't let my kids do certain things or the kids have to do certain educational things that they do not. One of my sons friends in the same grade saw DS math work and freaked out. He was petty sure I was evil just for making him do such hard stuff. Not that my son found the work hard, they just don't like the concept.

I love homeschooling and I would not give it up willingly at this point. We have such a freedom to do things and find different ways to learn. Its really a joy to tag along on the ride with my kids. This week we leave for Massachusetts and all the wonderful family fun and visits to historic sites. I could not do that whenever I wanted if we had not chosen this life style and it is massive fun. I just wish while having all that fun, it was not quite so lonely.

 

[Royd]

I was educated in a government school, and do not have children, but I think that the social interaction thing, is overblown. I had two friends, in school. The rest of the time, I'd rather spend it by myself or with adults.

With homeschooling, learning could and should be an everyday concept....The only reason for summer vacation is because classroom learning is boooorrrring. I think there are some statistics on how much retention is lost, due to summer vacation.

Teach the basics and let social interaction be part of everday life....A kid doesn't need to visit every art or natural museum, within a hundred miles, to get the gist of it.

Instead of dropping money on social get togethers, spend some money on a couple Rosetta Stone courses, and then, the kid will really be able to interact, in the world, as we are coming to know it.

 

[Mrs. Turbo]

I don't know what church you go to, but there are some homeschool families that go to Franklin crossroads up the road from you.

 

[Momagain1]

Quote:
AMEN!