Have you doubted your ability to hs?

[nadia105]

I have been going back and forth about hsing my kids (4.5, 3 and 3 months) basically since my first was born. My dd will be kindergarten age next year, so it is decision time. We have good public schools in my area, but something just doesn't quite sit right with sending my kids off to them.

The one thing I worry about with hsing is my ability to do it well. My Dh and I both have bachelor's degrees (mine in Spanish, his in history) and enjoy learning, but the fear of hsing 'wrong' is still there for me.

Did you have the same doubts? What helped to calm them? Any suggestions are welcome.

[AnnR33]

I had tons of doubt and angst over it but read Dumbing Us Down by John Taylor Gatto and all these feelings went away

I also really started to think about 1 teacher teaching 22 kids or more and gearing the lessons to the "average" student. I realized there was no way my son would get an optimal education that way and that I could do better just by meeting his ind needs.

My son may not be able to do a power point presentation (apparently they do that in 2nd grade here : I can't even do one!) but he's learning what he needs to know just fine.

[KoalaMama]

There are a couple of things that lead to this not being an issue for me. First, I believe that children want to learn and given an environment rich in opportunity/support they will thrive because of their own desires. Second, I have met many teachers from a variety of school settings and grades and none of them have anything to offer that I don't have, and many (many, many) of them have far less. I don't mean that as a slight against teachers. I'm just pointing out that they're only people, just like you and me.

No one will love or understand your children to the same degree that you will. If you feel called to homeschool you will absolutely do well with it.

[mom2ponygirl]

Originally Posted by AnnR33

My son may not be able to do a power point presentation (apparently they do that in 2nd grade here : I can't even do one!) but he's learning what he needs to know just fine.

Besides, if you have powerpoint on your computer, he'll play with it one day and have it figured out in no time.

[mom2ponygirl]

I had many doubts before we began - daily. The first year I had doubts weekly. Now, starting our 4th year - not very often. Connecting with our local hs group helped me get started. Lots of people to bounce ideas off of, lots of great kids who were doing well, and heck, even people who didn't seem cut out to do a very good job homeschooling and their kids were great, too! I learned there a lot of ways to homeschool and you'll find your family's individual path and rhythm and you will be just fine.

[ABand3]

I just finished reading an article in the latest home education magazine about our culture of 'experts'. You are the expert of your family, you've managed to help your children learn to walk, talk, jump, turn pages in a book, etc..... You are still the expert on your kids, and you will continue to be able to help them learn, even as the learning gets deeper.

Homeschooling is less about teaching and more about helping kids learn. IME, if you can drive your kids to the library and answer their questions, they'll be making out better than in a good public school. You are the best person to provide the learning enviroment your kids need!

ETA: Yes, I've had doubts. Reading has helped a lot, and just focusing on what they ARE getting at home, versus what they might be missing from school. They are getting time to be kids, to play, invent, discover, build. That doesn't happen much in schools, and it's not something that's easy to recover if you give it up too soon.

[Alana]

Me....never.


Yeah right.

Ive doubted hsing for a few yrs now. I wavered back and forth and back and forth, and really really doubted if I could handle it, if it was best, if it was...whatever. Ive had sleepless nights over it.



Then something happened.



Dh decided we NEEDED to put the dc in school because of my lack of confidence and because he didnt want me to be so stressed out. He just wanted to be able to relax, go horseback riding, hike, be a room mom, etc. He was tired of coming home to a stressed out woman.

I said ok...but my heart was hurting. Then I tried to find our lease agreement for our home. Couldnt find it. Then I hopped on MDC...and read a weird thread about the Puff the Magic Dragon song...started BAWLING my eyes out...thinking about how fast the dc are growing up and I dont want to miss any of it.

I emailed dh to appeal to him one last time about hs'ing...even sent him the Puff song (he didnt quite get that part ) Dh agreed to one more year of schooling, and if they are at grade level on their assessments at the end of the year, then we will continue.

Because I almost lost it, and I spent some miserable days thinking of everything we will miss out on if the kids are in school...and what THEY would miss out on....I now 1000% completely appreciate homeschooling. We signed up for some homeschool classes, are getting more involved...Im using CAlvert this year, and it is the crutch I need, and I know they are getting an awesome education.

Ive read all the books, i never got the warm fuzzies or more firm in our hsing decision....they made me waver all the more. It truly took almost losing this opportunity for me to appreciate it.


BTW...we never had a signed copy of the lease, the landlord was supposed to mail us one...and never did. I prayed about hsing alot...and "I wonder if that was God's way of keeping me in check and doing what we are supposed ot.

[mags]

Yes, I have doubts. We are only doing preschool HS right now, which is easy, but I still have doubts. First of all I am so nervous about teaching my kids how to read. Don't ask me why, I feel like this is a HUGE hurdle for me overcome, like teaching a child to read is a really big deal or something. I can't even remember how *I* learned to read, so I have no clue why I feel this way. Otherwise, I am ashamed to admit it, but I do worry about the socialization. I am lucky I have two boys close in age, so they are great playmates, BUT I want to make sure that I provide enough socialization for them. My oldest son is an extremely social child, I am a bit of a homebody, so I feel like this is something I need to pay extra special attn to. I also worry about high school. Will they continue to HS or will they go to traditional school, but that is more of a very vague worry. My kids are bright, I keep reminding myself that as long as I keep things interesting for them, they will continue to learn and expand their knowledge.

[LeftField]

I met a Mom at a hs picnic who had been homeschooling her two daughters for at least 5 years. She was very relaxed in methodology and a very mellow person in general. She said that she *still* doubts herself at certain times even though her children are clearly thriving. That made me feel a lot better. Even veteran homeschoolers sometimes have a brief moment of panic or contemplate that they may not have it "together" like others appear to. It's Ok to feel this way and it will pass.

[dharmamama]

Originally Posted by nadia105

Did you have the same doubts?

I never had doubts. Public schools are charged with providing the minimum education mandated by law. I'd have to try really hard to do worse than that.

I believe that my kids will do better academically and socially simply by living their lives in a normal fashion than they would by being cloistered in a room with same-age peers.

However, academic excellence is not really a reason that I've chosen to homeschool. I'm not hoping that my kids will be geniuses. I'm hoping that they will be happy, well-rounded people, and I believe that homeschooling will afford them a better opportunity for that than schooling will.

I guess it depends on what your goals are as to what your fears are.

dm