Moving and starting to homeschool... am I crazy?

[MommyMMM]

Here is some background: I have 3 children, 8yrs, 20months, and 3months. We currently live in Florida and it just isn't working out. DH hasn't been able to make enough $ to pay the bills in a year and we are at the end of out ropes. My 8y/o goes to pubic school (3rd grade) and has been since KG.

So here is the plan: at the end of our lease (Feb. 28) we are going to put (mostly) everything we own into storage and move to Ohio to try to make it. We will stay with family for a bit until something works out. Worst case scenario, we move back and live with my MIL. We will pull my DD from public school and I will homeschool her.

Am I crazy? My family keeps telling us we are stupid and that we are destroying our kid's lives. I think that homeschooling her is our best option right now. They keep telling us that we need to split us up so that she can stay in public school until DH finds a job and she can transfer. Or that we need to get enough work from her teacher so that she doesn't "fall behind" then put her back in school once we are settled. I think that it makes more sense for us to be closer as a family through these difficult times.

[kittie313]

With the current state of Ohio schools, I wouldn't move to Ohio and enroll your child.  You are MUCH smarter to homeschool while you live here IMO.  In fact, we moved from a small town here in central Ohio to the small city we live in now just a few weeks before ps started for the school year the year my oldest was to start K, and it was the best choice we could have made to hs her the first half of that school year (the worst choice we made was putting her in the local ps for the second half of her K year).  She was able to adjust to the new home and community and meet our neighbors without the added stress of a new school.  If we had thrown her into ps at the start of the school year while we were still unpacking from the move, she would have hit overload on the changes and probably melted down and gotten expelled for a violent outburst (she has some quirks that show up the most when in a new environment, she's mellowed a lot though since we pulled her from ps and started hsing again last school year)

I'm a BIG fan of hsing when in the midst of a move to help with transitions.  In fact, since you know you are moving I'd suggest possibly withdrawing NOW to start hs'ing before you move so that your 8yo has that predictability already in place and isn't adjusting to hsing along with living in a new state and climate.  But I am not familiar with Florida's laws.  Also, may I suggest that befor eyou move, you get your notification letter and such ready so that the day you arrive with boxes at your new address you can register with the district?  Have the letter in an envelope all ready to just drop in the mailbox that day.  You can get a form to use for notification at www.cheohome.org to print off and just fill out and sign, easy peasy.  Welcome to Ohio!

[Savoir Faire]

I did this almost 2 years ago this Spring...we had to move out-of-state due to a layoff and a new job elsewhere.

I always say give yourself a year in your new place to feel like it is home. It takes about a year to get *with it* in homeschooling.

I say go for it...but go slow. Making TWO HUGE life-changing things like this at one time is hard...but it is definitely do-able. Just give yourselves time to adjust.

[MrsJewelsRae]

Sounds good to me!  There is nothing in 3rd grade that she will miss that she can't get caught up on later!  I cannot believe that your family would suggest separating from your 8 yr old for the purpose of SCHOOL!  Hello priorities!  With the excellent curricula available out there and the one on one teaching your child will likely be learning far more at home in one week then they learn in several weeks at school, plus her education is taylored just for her needs by someone who loves her and knows her best - YOU!  Have fun, Happy Homeschooling!  :)

[LauraN]

As bad as Florida schools are, there is no way you can do any worse than they're doing. It's almost guaranteed you will do tons better. And if what the pp said about Ohio schools is true, then it sounds to me like not homeschooling would be neglectful. If you feel you need to convince your family, search this forum... There have been many posts on the subject of convincing husbands and other family that homeschool is a good idea.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[MommyMMM]

Thanks everyone for the advice and encouragement. I am definitely going to start home schooling very soon. I am actually getting really excited about it. And if my family can't accept it, then that is their problem. These are my kids and I am going to do what I know is best for them!!

[sleet76]

We have been a year in our new house/city/state this week!  We moved from Illinois to Wisconsin, and homeschool. Homeschooling made our move so smooth and easy--we were all together, we spent great days in our new home together, and we didn't have to enter into a new school situation on top of the stress of moving.  My kids are doing great (ages 7, 5, and 3), and at this point, I have no plans of ever entering them into school.  Good luck with your move!

[mattemma04]

You SHOULD homeschool for the rest of this school year while you check out options here in Ohio.Putting kids in school midyear is not always good.You can check out your local homeschool groups.When I moved to our place the first things I looked for was;library,parks,gyms for swimming,and homeschool groups. We don't hs anymore,but I still keep up with the group in case we return.

We are in Mahoning county Ohio in case you come to this area.Housing is cheap here.Decent home you can buy for 50k or less,and that is not in a *bad* area either. Is your dh interested in trucking? My dh went with a company that taught him to drive a big rig. We are able to make it on his income alone.

[mattemma04]

I think living with family will be the hard part. I pulled my kids from public school midyear. I had them both take an IOWA test in the spring through Piedmont Services to show they were right on target. I think testing is lame,but it shut up many *concerned* family members.