Do you have a plan?

[whiteisle]

My kids are 6.5ds, 4.5dd, and 18mth ds.  We are a one income family.  Things get tight more often than not.  But keeping ours kids out of school is something we are committed to.  So we make it work.  I have over the last year delved into a couple of curriculums for them but I'm moving back down the scale towards unschooling again and though I'm happy with this choice I have discovered a new concern.

What if?

What if the worst happens as in, what if something were to happen to me before my kids are able to really hold their own?  Not necessairily be adults but old enough to not need round-the-clock supervision.  DH would have to keep working so staying home to unschool wouldn't be an option.  Chances are he would put them in school feeling he had no other choice. 

I haven't found my solution yet as I just thought of this.  We have my parents next door but I don't think it wise to assume they'll be around.  And maybe school is the back-up........but I'd rather not if it could be helped at all.

So, do you have a plan?  What if something major rocks your unschooling boat?  What's your back-up?

[pinky]

I have life insurance.  Although I don't have an income that would need replacing, if something did happen to me, we'd want dh to have the flexibility to quit his job and stay home.  Just like we have life insurance on dh so that if something happened to him, I wouldn't have to go back to work.

[Serendipity]

Originally Posted by pinky 

I have life insurance.  Although I don't have an income that would need replacing, if something did happen to me, we'd want dh to have the flexibility to quit his job and stay home.  Just like we have life insurance on dh so that if something happened to him, I wouldn't have to go back to work.

Yep, us too.

[SundayCrepes]

Life insurance here as well. My husband is very against the school system here. However, I don't know that he would have it in him to do the homeschooling. My suggestion has been that, if that's the case, he enroll the kids in a private school here that is pretty much unschooling in a school setting.

[whiteisle]

Yes, we have the life insurance as well so the financial part isn't the problem I'm concerned about.  It's the ability to continue to allow them to lead an unschooled life while DH works.  That's what I haven't figured out yet and was wondering what others might have come up with.

[kathymuggle]

He could use the life insurance to hire someone that stays home with them and US them while he works.  Finding the ideal person may be easier said than done, and he would have to give some guidance on what USing is  (does he have a firm grasp on what USing is?  Some discussion and literature might be in order if he does not).  

[SundayCrepes]

I babysit a little girl so my son will have someone to play with on a regular babysit. Because this benefits me, I do not charge them. She will be going to school in the fall. When she does, I have considered offering to babysit a homeschool child or two while their parents work. You may find there are other homeschoolers who would be willing to do the same.

[Stacey B]

I hate thinking about what ifs, but if there was a reason we couldn't keep ds home there are a few open/democratic schools in our city, one is even public. Still it's a freaky thought.

[annakiss]

I'm pretty sure that if the worst were to happen, my children would have to go to school. If we both died, their new guardian certainly wouldn't unschool them. I'm not really worried about that. I understand that we wouldn't be able to maintain our ideals because our whole life would be altered. Oh well. It happens. I'm pretty sure I'd be more upset about the loss of my husband than the loss of unschooling and vice versa. Just sayin'.

[mattemma04]

I would hope my guardian would allow my kids to choose. I would hope that they could do an online charter instead of being put in a PS.My kids are in Montessori,and if they were removed I would hope they would be hsed or signed up for an online charter.

[incorrigible]

I worked long and hard as a single mom to set up a (small but enough to survive off of) stable income. Rental incomes, investments, etc. Actually, we're all living off that right now. Dh is learning a lot about homeschooling and how we do things. If just he passed, the kids and I would be back to where we'd always been. If just I passed, dh would have lots of support and the finances needed to keep homeschooling the kids. He's not bright with money though, so he might have to work part time to make ends meet anyway. Just the kids we have now, they're old enough to stay home alone for part time work. If we have more though, he'd have to live near family so someone could watch them. Hopefully his family. Mine is horrible with little kids. They just don't seem to see them as living breathing people until they're old enough to be cynical. lol

If both of us passed, though, the kids would go to my sister. They'd be very well taken care of. They'd go to the best, most creative, alternative private school my sis could find. We have LOTS of friends in that area that would step up to help out in little ways here and there. The same way they did when I was raising the kids on my own for so long. My investments would be available to her, but she may not even need them. She is fairly well off. Whatever didn't get used for schooling or other enrichment, she'd put into a trust for the kids. The only issue that's up in the air is church. It depends how the leadership of our church in her area react. She will support the kids being raised in our religion, but won't actively participate. She'll drop them off and pick them up on Sundays and from activities, or arrange for someone else to. She'll encourage them to participate in religious holidays and things with other families, if someone else in the area is willing to include them. She doesn't really even actively participate in her OWN religion. She's certainly not going to in someone else's. lol

I second the sentiment that if the kids are orphaned, there are really much bigger issues to deal with than homeschooling.