Hi, I'm new and could use some advise

[mumto2]

Hi everyone,
I was so glad to find this messageboard that I've spent the last 48 hours reading almost every last post!

I have two young children - Orlando, 6 and a half and Bianca, 3 and a half.
Orlando has had a dreadful time at school over the past 18 months. He has changed schools and been identified as gifted and accellerated a year which has helped a little in the academic side of things. I'll spare you the details that I'm sure you can imagine, but basically he doesn't want to go to school. We have friends that homeschool and Orlando is begging me to school him at home aswell. I'm giving it serious consideration and would appreciate any input.

I've already started the wheels in motion by not enrolling Bianca at school for next year - we're in Australia and pre compulsary schooling starts at 4. I'm a teacher myself so I feel that I *know* exactly what goes on during the day and can fully understand why Orlando can't stand it. However we have only been with this school for 8 months and I know they think they have been very accommodating for Orlando with the accelleration and the IEP and staff training and so on.

So I don't really know how to broach this with the school in a favourable way so that we may access them in years to come if our circumstances change and we have to send the children out to school - we have already done the groundwork here and I just cannot bear to imagine putting any of us through that again.

I want to homeschool without burning any bridges I may need (not want) in the future. Any ideas???

Bethany

[saphire]

Hi Bethany. So you are considering hs, a request from a child is quite a motivator, and I urge you to follow your insticts. Learn as much as you can about the hs laws in your local, so when (if) you take your child out you know your rights and general procedure. You can be honest about removing your dc from school without being hurtful. You can say something like you just want to try it, you need more family unity, he needs a break. You don't have to knock school, its just not working for him now. After he's out and at home you can begin learning about all the different approaches to hs and see what is the best fit for your family, and while you're learning, he'll be de-schooling. Good luck to you!

[Wilhemina]

Hi!

I don't think chosing to homeschool is necessarily a slap in the face to the school. Some individuals might take it that way, but you can approach it with a positive, "Orlando feels like his needs will better met at home. I really want to honor that feeling. I think it is vital to his confidence that he has ownership over his life as a learner. All the changes he has endured, though they were for the best, I'm afraid have left him feeling out of control of his own environment and destiny. We are going to do this for a while, and I am certain that whatever the outcome Orlando will grow and mature simply by having his needs recognized and met."

I'm not suggesting you actually say these things, but just go into any interaction with the school as though you assume they will have no problem with your decision and only be thrilled that you are going to provide the best for one of their charges.

I don't know what is required of you legally, but I would also suggest avoided any lengthy discussion about the whys and wherefores of hsing if you can. Show no doubt or hesitation about YOUR decision, ykwim?

Good luck to you - sounds exciting! BTW, my daughters are the same ages as your dc.

[Openskyheart]

Bethany,

I was in a similar situation to yours several years ago. My son really wanted to homeschool, and we really wanted to try homeschooling with him, but my dd was in the same school, and didn't want to homeschool. We had decided to let each of them choose, and because my dd chose to stay in school, I had to keep a good relationship going with them. I decided to meet with my son's teacher, and the head teacher together, and explained that I appreciated so much all their accomodations, and their genuine care for ds, but that it was clear to us, as I'm sure it was to them, that ds was still not thriving. I said that we wanted to give homeschooling a try for a year to see how it worked out. And I asked if they would consider taking him back as a student after a year, if that seemed to be a better choice at that time.

Of course, they had to say yes, because they are a private school, and because our dd was still there! But still, making it sound like a temporary solution (and at that point, we were stepping into new territory, and really did want a fall back if we found homeschooling didn't work out) left the door open for us to come back, and communicated to them that we had nothing against the school, or the teachers.

Good luck! You're doing the right thing. Homeschooling has been the best decision we've ever made with our kids. Oh, and, a little over a year ago, our dd decided to homeschool too.

Laura
Mom to ds10 and dd8