I feel it's best to homeschool, but.....

[septmommy]

Since the day my first was born I was sure I would home school. I have many qualms with the public education system and there are no good alternatives around here. But life didn't turn out as planned. I am a single mom, broke, about to start college, and my ex takes the kids sporadically when he feels like it. I already feel burnt out! I put my kids into school, well honestly, because it was free child care. They hate it! My son is in first grade and is very advanced and my very attached little girl just started kindergarten. They both are bored, they both miss me, they both see how dumb some of the school policies are and they question why that is o.k. I want my children to be home schooled...it makes so much sense. I hate sending them to school. Here's the but....I'm so worn out. Emotionally, physically, mentally. I hate school, but I love the couple hours I get to myself. I don't know how I would survive without them. If I home school I will have to find child care while I am at college. That will eat up any left over $ I have which means I will not be able to afford any child care so that I can just have a moment to myself. Please help, I want to do what is best for my kids, but I don't know if I really can do it.

[zjande]

Man, that's tough. I'm sorry. I can totally hear your frustration & deep sighs come through in your post. I was single & homeschooling for a short time. I ran a home day care business so I could be home with my kids. But that didn't work very well either- I never had any time to actually homeschool, and my near-teen DD just hid in her room all the time.

If you can't possibly afford childcare while you are in school, then do you really have a choice? I mean, as sucky as that is, if the money is not there, it's just not there. You just do what you gotta do. I'm sorry!

[lach]

I feel it's best to homeschool

There is no one "best" way to educate a child. There is only a way that is best for a specific child in specific circumstances at a specific time. And all of those factors can change drastically from child to child, year to year, situation to situation.

You are doing the best you can for your children right now. It's not ideal, and no one is particularly happy. But it is the best you can do, and that is what matters.

And just because your situation is a certain way right now, doesn't mean that it won't change. You're not going to be in college forever. Maybe tomorrow or next week or next month your daughter will discover that she loves her teacher, that she loves reading time, that she loves going to school. Maybe your son's teacher will discover that he's bored and understimulated and recommend him for a gifted program pullout, or give him extra work that he enjoys. Maybe you'll with the lottery

And maybe none of that will happen. And if it doesn't, you have plenty of time to reevaluate. Your kids are still very young. This community is full of people who pulled kids out at ALL ages, even well into high school, and have very successful homeschool stories. Just because you can't provide what is "perfect" now doesn't mean that life is stagnant and that you'll never be able to make the changes that you want to make.

But right now you're doing the best you can, and that's all that you can do. I just wanted to give you a and tell you that though things might look kind of dismal right now, there's no telling what the future holds.

[pigpokey]

You might also consider waiting on college for 4 or 5 years ... by which point they should be able to educate themselves for periods of time so you can do your classes. Meanwhile perhaps you could all 3 work on a business together when you are not schooling? Small business can be a very good learning tool.

[happy1nluv]

Do you have any sort of homeschooling community nearby? Could you do a kid-swap to get some of the childcare covered?

I know I'd love to do something like that and I'm not a single mom... (or, if i knew of someone in your situation, i'd do a weekly playdate for ya just to give my kids friends on a consistent basis...) It can't hurt to ask around and see what happens...

[jeteaa]

After hsing K last year I was burnt out. So we are doing ps 1st this year. My dd1 LOVES it.... and this the same kid who in August when we talked about her going to school had a major break down... "you'll ruin my life if you put me in school.... I KNOW I will hate it..." I'm sorry to hear your kids don't like school though.... do they know how you feel about it? try to focus on the positives of school... and yes there are some! And who knows, you may be able to hs next year....

[MaWhit]

That sounds rough. I don't know what to suggest, but I'll share my experience as a single homeshooling mom of three with an ex who's a deadbeat dad. I, too, went back to school, but I went online. My local college offers excellent online programs, and since I'm local I could also go in and talk to my professors as needed/wanted. I was able to continue working part-time from home, and to homeschool my kids, and I didn't have childcare expenses related to school.

[septmommy]

Thanks for all the responses. I think I am going to have them stay in school until at least Christmas so that I can get on my feet again and then I am going to try to start an informal home school co-op to save on child care costs. I am going to school for nursing and most of the course work can't be done online, but it is a minimal amount of hours every day.