I'm so grateful that I homeschool because.... - Page 3

[JamesMama]

I'm in Iowa, I don't have to get up at the butt crack of dawn and drag my (will be then) 3 y/o and not quite 1 y/o out in the freezing cold to drive oldest ds to school. And in that same vein I don't have to spend 20 minutes scraping ice and snow off my van in the freezing cold.

My kids can learn at their own pace, if they want to spend 3 weeks on dinosaurs and only 1 week on something else we can.

My kids can learn how they're comfortable. I can teach about colors and teach them to knit a scarf or hat with a knifty knitter and call it 'art'

I can teach when my kids are ready. They are NOT morning people, they would prefer to sleep until 9, even if they get to bed at 7pm, they want to SLEEP. And they aren't even 'human' until closer to 10.

DH just had a kidney transplant and his immune system sucks. I don't have to worry about DS bringing home God only knows what. I realize that DH works FT so he's exposed to germs but 8 hours of germ exposure 4 days a week (hours cut) is better than 24 hours of germ exposure kwim? It's better to keep the HOUSE and my kids germ free as possible since DH is already getting slammed at work.

[bandtmum]

Socialisation and time are my main ones. I had this lovely kid who I sent to school and got this rude disrespectfully grumpy child back. Now that we have been homeschooling for a year I have my wonderful polite, helpful loving child back! All my friends struggle to cope with the school holidays with their kids and can't even begin to comprehend how I can cope with mine 7 days a week. To be honest I struggled when he was in school but now he is a pleasure!

Time is also very important to me as I work crazy shifts but can spend those times when they would have been in school with them. My seven year old is also working on a novel which is very time intensive and just wouldn't appen if he was in school.

[EmmaWoodhouse]

I was just thinking about this very topic today because I was seriously considering sending my dc to ps. My dh just found out that he is getting deployed and I was looking to minimize the stress in my life. But I remembered all the stress that I went through when they went to ps before and reading everyone's posts have been very helpful. Thank you!

Julie

[einalems]

I'm so grateful that I homeschool because....I get to be with my kids all day!!

[elizawill]

i'm so grateful i homeschool because no one goes to the movies during the week and we have the whole theater to ourselves!!

[caro113]

We aren't home/unschooling yet as DD isn't at that age, but I was really happy to see someone wrote about Daddy time. DP works second shift so he leaves here between 230 and 245 everyday. He doesn't get home until 1230. (And if he switched to first shift, he would take a fifty cent pay cut. It's not much but at 40+ hours a week, that over $20 a week and we really can't afford that.) If DD were to go to private school (because none of the public schools around here are decent) she would literally never see her father. This would not only kill her, but it would kill him. They are extremely close.

Plus, the only private school I like, is also 45ish minutes away. I would have to get her up super early just to get her there and then have to pick her up, losing precious time with DP.

When DP first got this job, the other guys at work said "Oh, you must not be a family man". They didn't know about us. He told them he had a family and they seemed confused and asked when he was ever going to see us. He said "well we'll be homeschooling"

One of DPs partners is trying to get first shift because he never sees his kids. They get home from school after he leaves for work and he's still asleep when they leave so early in the morning. It's quite sad.

I love the idea of home/unschooling because DD can learn what she wants when she wants. She can learn at her own pace and not have the problems I had in school. (I caught on to math instantly. My report cards as a child always had comments that I was disruptive. I was bored.)

She wont have to deal with school politics and class favourites. She won't be pressured into wearing this or having a boyfriend or being cool or having to overachieve or anything like that. She can be her own person.

[2honeysmamma]

I'm glad we homeschool for so many of the same reasons as pp stated...but right now I'm especially grateful. My Dad died on October 18th from liver cancer and not only did I never have to worry about what they were "missing" at school, but my kids were able to be a part of the loss of their Grandad in a very direct way...visiting him daily (he was most awake and able to interact with the kids during the day time) , seeing his decline and ultimately, his very beautiful death, at my parents home, surrounded by all the people who loved him. It was hard for us all to lose him, but I felt that it was so much better for them to be with family, experiencing this...and that his death was so much easier for them to understand than it would have been had they been in school most days. And now, we get to take the time we need to process his loss...sleeping in when we feel like it...telling stories about Grandad whenever the moment strikes us. We get to internalize in the same way that we did after they were born... so...yes, I am so grateful for homeschooling.

Chandra
mom to G(8) and O(5)

[gaudynight]

- no pressure to be out the door at a certain time in the morning
- I know that DD1 isn't stressed or anxious about school, which she would be if she were traditionally schooled
- we can take breaks when we need, eat we need, use the bathroom without anyone having to put their hand up
- we don't have to be cooped up inside on beautiful sunny days, and we don't have to go out in the wind or the rain (except for when we need milk or toilet paper... LOL)
- DH and I can be involved in our kids lives

[NightOwlwithowlet]

Because if we see an article about a museum with a frog exhibit that is ending Nov 1st, we can drop everything and go see the exhibit and eat lunch at a cafe.

Because my super shy seven year old raised his hand after a play about the Sword in the Stone and asked the actors a question, he expects adults to listen to him now. He once went two months without ever speaking in kindergarten.

[major_mama11]

Thanks so much for this thread! I have been determined to hs my kids since before I even HAD kids. Never doubted it would be right for us until this fall. Two of the three hs'ing moms that I see often have suddenly switched their kids to ps, and as a result, I have been doubting my decision. I needed this thread this week!

Originally Posted by oneotamama

My 7 yo ds and 5 yo dd are best friends and no one will ever break that bond.

My DS is only 5 months, but already he and DD love each other so much! I want them to stay close as they grow.

Originally Posted by umbrella

I regularly appreciate the freedom we have. There are so many things we're able to take advantage of, and then I hear some other families say they can't do that because their kids would miss school.

I am really looking forward to fall and spring camping trips unimpeded by school schedules!

Originally Posted by bandtmum

Time is also very important to me as I work crazy shifts but can spend those times when they would have been in school with them.

I work mostly evenings/ nights, so this is a big plus for my family- I will still get to see my kids on workdays!

[meetoo]

........Because we got to spend all last night at our local indoor water park, sleep late and slack off all morning and now we can do "school" this afternoon. With no worries or rushing.

[LucyRev]

Amen to that! I love being able to take the kids out and stay out late. We sometimes go out to eat late, or out shopping late, or stay at the library until it closes. Most of the other kids have gone home, so we get to enjoy a much more calm environment and pace.

Having to get the kids to sleep early and up early (not their natural rhythm) for the half yr. of kindy DD tried, added so much stress to our lives.

[daisymomto3]

Originally Posted by bandtmum

Socialisation and time are my main ones. I had this lovely kid who I sent to school and got this rude disrespectfully grumpy child back. Now that we have been homeschooling for a year I have my wonderful polite, helpful loving child back! All my friends struggle to cope with the school holidays with their kids and can't even begin to comprehend how I can cope with mine 7 days a week. To be honest I struggled when he was in school but now he is a pleasure!

Time is also very important to me as I work crazy shifts but can spend those times when they would have been in school with them. My seven year old is also working on a novel which is very time intensive and just wouldn't appen if he was in school.

Same here, this is our first year HSing and we are loving it! I feel like I finally have my oldest daughter back. The whole "teenager attitude" has completely vanished and our relationship is now wonderful. Not only btwn us but also btwn her and her siblings. When they were in public school they fought constantly. Now they get along sooooo much better and actually play with each other and are real friends. I feel so blessed to be able to HS them. I have enjoyed being with them more than I ever imagined and it has really brought our family together.