How many children do you homeschool?

[blessed2bmommy]

Can't figure out how to do a poll! Would love to know how many children you all have. It's way early for me to really be thinking/planning, but DH says this is our last baby! I always imagined myself homeschooling a handful of kids, not 2 I worry about socialization with just 2 kids....would love to hear positive encouraging things about the benefits of homeschooling a small # of kids.

[Geerbabe]

I'm homeschooling two kids right now. I think it works great! Your attention doesn't have to be split in too many directions, and if they are close enough in age they can often be working on the same thing with slight modifications. My children usually work and play together in the morning. In the early afternoon we either go to lessons or have some quiet time for personal projects. The neighbourhood kids come home at 3:30, and by that time my kids are usually refreshed and ready to play with them until supper time. We've tried to make our home as welcoming as possible, so it tends to become the gathering place for whatever play is going on.

[ikesmom]

We have 3 learning at home this year. Ds is 9 and was the only one doing homeschool last year and he wasn't bored. He actually enjoyed all the attention. My youngest is only 4 so I thought we would just dabble on basic letters and numbers , but he is always tugging on me to do an activity while I am engaged with others. I have a sophmore who does online school too. If you worry about socialization then join a homeschool group or scouts , sports or playgroup. We are very active so my kids actually enjoy doing nothing or staying home some times.

Now that you got me thinking about it..I think they have closer friendships now than when they attended school. THey are always invited to the other homeschool kids birthdays and know their families. They Have many opportunities to just play at various homes in our area. When we go on an outing we take a few kids along and the parent feels comfortable since they know us. If they were in school he'd miss out because there is not enough time to just hang out .

[emilys_mom1]

I have 4 kids at home with me. I'm currently homeschool a 2nd grader, Kindergatener, and Preschooler. I also have a wonderful 10 month old. I totally love it.

[zjande]

I am homeschooling my 11 yr old and my 4 yr old. My 18 yr has graduated homeschool & is in college. Plus I have a 2 yr old & newborn.

We find an enormous amount of socialization within our nearby homeschool groups, so if I were hschooling just one, I'd just be sure to be involved there.

[earthmama369]

I have two children. I also teach co-op homeschool classes, so the numbers of children I help homeschool could get pretty far up there.

[mom2mygirls]

at the moment i homeschool only two of my kids the other two are still in the public school system next year i will be homeschooling three my autistic child will be staying in her program since it has helped her.

[RiverSky]

I have 2 children that we unschool/homeschool. If your concern is socialization or socializing, I really don't think you need to worry. I do think it's tougher with an only child (not at all undoable, just a little tougher). With 2 children, they always have each other to play with, in addition to yourself and your partner.

What is your area like? Are there active homeschool support groups? The kind that has weekly park days, occasional field trips and various clubs, classes and events to choose from?

In our city, there are more activities and get-togethers than we can possibly all do and we do so so so so much already. I think my children "socialize" way more than any school children I know. They had deep, long lasting relationships and have plenty of time to really play with, work with and get to know a variety of other children of a variety of ages.

Are you willing to host playdates, be involved in groups, assist your children's interests and their social life by driving places like park daysand field trips, signing up for things, paying for museum memberships on occasion, and being friendly and outgoing with the other homeschool parents, etc.? Even if you do just some of those things, your children will have a rewarding and rich social life.

[AnnR33]

I have 4 kids ages 11,8,5, and 5 mos. All are home schooled.
We live in the country so we have no neighbor kids to play with but the kids have karate class, Brownies, occasional enrichment classes, and we attend park days in the spring/summer.

They get plenty of "interaction" and are very social kids.

[kittie313]

I have 4 but only consider 2 of them hsing. The other two are too young for what I call lessons work, although my 3yo (4yo next month) is doing some casual preschool activities like learning the alphabet and counting and such. The two oldest are in K and 1st grade, and then there's the 2yo trying to destroy everything when I'm doing lessons lol

Socialization is not a concern for me, partly because there are 4 of them total but also because I have several hs families that we get together with regularly.

[phathui5]

I'm homeschooling the older two. The little two are home, but don't do anything formal.

[ChinaDoll]

Two.

And we don't worry a bit about socialization:

Mondays, we attend a homeschool free-play session at a local gym
Tuesdays, we go to the library
Wednesdays, we go to AWANA at church
Thursdays, we have piano and Kajukenbo lessons
Fridays, Daddy is home and we're always doing something fun
Sundays, we go to Sunday School and a kids' missions class

Add in there the occasional houseguest, birthday party, or youth group activity (Daddy's the Music and Student Minister at church) and that's a LOT of socializing!

[momo7]

Originally Posted by blessed2bmommy

Can't figure out how to do a poll! Would love to know how many children you all have. It's way early for me to really be thinking/planning, but DH says this is our last baby! I always imagined myself homeschooling a handful of kids, not 2 I worry about socialization with just 2 kids....would love to hear positive encouraging things about the benefits of homeschooling a small # of kids.

I'm doing 5. A 10th grader and 8th grader, a 6th grader, a 2nd grader and a kindergarten student.

I defintely found it easier to do one or two. There is much more time you can dedicate to it, other subjects you can take on because you aren't doing something else with another child. Also if they are close in age like about two years apart, you can use the same curriculum. Like I use a history and English that are the same for both 6th and 8th grade. Where as i have to use something totally different for the 6th and 9th graders. A kindergarten student can do some 1st and second grade work depending on how well you've been working with them on mat and reading skills. Also when you drill a second grader have the kindergarten or 1st grader sit in on it. They pick up a lot.

It's pretty cool how much your children will learn when you have a small group like that together. Also remember that the oldest can always help the little ones, a great example goes along way. So make sure the oldest has a great work ethic the smaller ones can follow.

Good luck and have lots and lots of fun!

[onyxravnos]

i only have ds1 so far (ds2 two will come along at some point....) but even if you only had one it can be done playgroups, classes, homeschool groups. etc

[luvmybaby333]

I'm homeschooling one right now. I have two, but my younger daughter is only 1½. TBH, I am glad there's just one to focus on. I think having several would be a blast. However, one of the main reasons I pulled my DD out of PS was so that she could have one-on-one attention during her studies.

[CariOfOz]

Just 2 here... although I have a 3yo so in a couple of years it will be 3 , and I honestly don't know HOW on earth I'll manage that! My 7 &5yo's are totally best friends though, they play together (and with little brother of course) even when we ARE among other kids.. they just include those kids as well We have extra curricular days, and park visits and such so they do ok socially most of the time!

[greenthumb3]

Here's us: we have four children, but the two oldest (who are "school aged") do lots of things together, video games, jumping on trampoline, playing at the neighbors, learning day-to-day and more. They need some breaks from each other occasionally (!) but if they were our only two, I feel confident it would be adequate, the socialization they receive. They also get plenty of social outlets through their church classes, friends', extended family who visit/cousins, going places with their Dad and me, etc. They include their toddler sibling in a lot of their play. Whether it is just those two on their own, or within our family with more kids, it works. Homeschooling and socialization works whether for 2 or more!

[elizawill]

i have 2 children. my dd is 8 and my ds is 5. i can't imagine homeschooling more honestly, just kidding.

fwiw, we've not had any issues really with socialization. my dd has a handful of friends, and that's more than enough. we have playdates almost everyday & i kind of get sick of it honestly.

my ds socializes & has many playmates through church and such, but he only has one real "friend" as of right now. but that has more to do with his personality & his age... not homeschooling. hth.

[elizawill]

Originally Posted by CariOfOz

My 7 &5yo's are totally best friends though, they play together (and with little brother of course) even when we ARE among other kids.. they just include those kids as well

my kids are best friends too. they play great together! i love that!!

[MaWhit]

Three kids, grades K, 2, and 4.