Seriously thinking of Homeschooling my Daughter

[CluckyJay]

I remember a very short stint in pre-k where I was at the easel. I was painting a copy of Starry Night, from memory. The teacher yelled at me for "wasting paint". Its a shame really. I'm sure my mum helped pay for that paint. Instead of getting in trouble, I should have been encouraged for being so creative to rip a famous artist off at a young age.

 

[dainerra]

socializing is more than 'taking your kid to places where people are' They have to learn that people have different opinions, beliefs and ways of doing things. They have to learn to work WITH others, how to deal with a situation that makes them uncomfortable, how to express their beliefs without just tuning out conflicting opinions.

THOSE are the skills that I find lacking in a lot of kids that are homeschooled. Parents tend to "socialize" with people who think and believe the same things. Then, when the kids are out in the real world, they have no clue how to deal with those issues. Over the years, I've had several co-workers who were homeschooled. WOW. Some of them had "book smarts" and could tell you anything that you wanted to know. Others, well, let's just say that the curriculum consisted of only the things the kids were "interested in" and all the other subjects were slacked off. All but 1 or 2, though, had problems dealing with groups of people in the workplace. They were used to working at their own pace, of doing things in their own way, and just didn't have the people skills to cope or even stand up for themselves. The kids had just never been in situations where a ton of different things were going on at once - personality conflicts, attitudes, things of that nature.

 

[CluckyJay]

Taking your children to these places exposes them to other views and opinions. It isn't like you just walk through a store and that is that, lol. I was socialized like this and I learned a lot about not only other cultures--I learned tons about myself in the process.

Sleep-overs, field trips, etc.--it is all socialization and works to get your children ready for the world.

You can do anything wrong, but a willing parent will teach their children better than what an over worked teacher can ever do. One on one teaching works on so many levels. Even with a large family, the home-schooled people I have been around do better not only in school but in public as well.

 

[MoonAngel12]

I think there are pros and cons to any education system honestly (I have seen good and bad come out of public, private, and homeschool). You just have to weigh them out for yourself and do the best you can and do what's best for your family. There likely is no 100% right or wrong answer, but I think we are in agreement that either way something has to be done for your poor little girl.

 

[SC-ChickMom]

I know it can be very frustrating dealing with teachers who do not listen. I am so sorry your daughter is dealing with this. You only want what is best. My son went to regular public school through 3rd grade. I pulled him out in 4th to try something new, Virtual school. My son attends Connections Academy. We love it. In our state it is paid for by the state and considered a charter school but it is nationwide. There are textbooks, teachers, and curriculum. My son has what they call a live lesson everyday. It consists of the teacher doing a live video chat with the students in the class. I teach some, a teacher teaches some. It was the best of both worlds. Support of a teacher and a school but I know what he is learning and I add on what I think he needs more of.

Check out all your options. What you can handle and what your daughter can handle. Ignore anyone who may criticize. Only you know what your daughter needs. Good luck. It is obvious to me that you will make sure it works out for your daughter.

 

[WooingWyandotte]

I was homschooled since first grade. When my mom pulled me outta school I was a sad mess. I'd come home from school everyday and not feel like talking. Just crying and hurt about what girls would say about me. Public school may have your daughter around more 'friends' (if you can call them that) - but also around A LOT more pressure. Parents cannot control what THEIR children learn in the classroom and what they learn when interacting during recess. I have gotten my share of dealing with bullies with three years of soccer. The popular girls are everywhere, the peer pressure can be horrific, every girl on that team would glower at me. (Save for one, she was my friend) They would go as far as punching/kicking and calling me cuss words. Even if it doesn't go that far with your daughter, the pressure will still be there. Bullies want control. What they think is right, what they think is popular, and what they think about things WILL be impressed on your daughter.
A lot of people think that homeschooling makes children 'social idiots'. Is learning to speak your mind, laugh bullies in the face, and face the world afresh as a young adult an idiot? I don't think so. Teaching your daughter yourself will be very rewarding. You will have control over your daughters education and interaction with healthy friends. Then again, homeschooling your daughter is not your only option. Private schools and online schools are your other options. Study each one carefully, examine it to the seams. Is this what I want my daughter to learn? Will this fit into my day?
If you choose to homeschool, remember it's comes with it's ups and downs, there will be days when school is a breeze, but there will also be days when everything seems to be hard. And you will have to sit down with your daughter and work her through it. In nearly every city/town there is a homeschooling group. A bunch of moms and kids that get together to do activities and support eachother. Homeschool conferences are really great, too. People come to speak and share their funny accidents or advice about homeschooling. I have a friend in ballet that did a performance at a homeschool conference and a graduated homeschooler play his violin. It's a great community out there, and also, a great magazine called 'No Greater Joy Ministries' is awesome, whether you homeschool or not.

WW

 

[MoonAngel12]

WW - I read the RWE quote you have in The Old Schoolhouse magazine and LOVED it! Probably one of my all time faves...

 

[punk-a-doodle]

Like anything, homeschooling has its strengths and weaknesses. Out of the people I grew up with who were home-schooled, the most common reason for doing so was to "control what they were exposed to". That is the one reason I can not personally support. Not that it just happens in homeschooling situations. Some of the public schools in the state I am in are known for doing this. Many private schools also do this to a larger degree. Some are founded to do just that. Those who attended college with me who came from such a background were either very unpleasant people to be around, and/or were ill equipped to deal with social and educational pressures. If raising a kid within a small, controlled bubble of experience, expect them to ultimately stay there. Which is what some do seem to hope for. Outside of that, I have no issues with homeschooling if parents take pains to properly cover subjects, which usually means bringing in other people to help cover areas the parent/s are not as familiar with.

 

[mom'sfolly]

It always seems to me that discussions on school end in a homeschool vs public school debate. Both sides use anecdotes to reinforce their opinions, and each side states opinion as fact....

everyone knows public schools are getting worse and worse
home school children are poorly socialized
homeschools provide every social aspect that kids need
public schools can't manage classrooms
home school children don't have peer pressure
public schools are full of drugs, sex and violence
prayer isn't allowed in public school
homeschool kids score higher on tests than public school kids.....

All anecdotes, fallacies or outright lies. I've never seen a independent study that validates higher tests scores for homeschoolers nor have I seen a ban on prayer in schools.

I think the OP is having a knee jerk reaction to something bad happening to her child. She has not fully investigated what is going on at school, and is only reacting. Part of her reaction is "homeschool would be better". The OP was put off by the school asking for money, by the fact that the curriculum was more advanced than she expected, and that the back to school night was targeted at the group, rather than addressing her individual concerns. This somehow has become a homeschool/public school debate.

I think addressing the actual issues, and finding out what is really going on and taking a reasoned approach to decision making rather than following a gut reaction will serve her daughter better. Perhaps her child is not ready for any formal schooling, perhaps there is a real issue in the classroom, perhaps the bathroom is too scary for her to use; the OP doesn't know and neither do we.

 

[dainerra]

agree with all those points mom

doesn't mean that in the end she can't decide to homeschool. But the "WHY" is important to know either way. You can't address an issue if you don't know the problem