Are your kids in school, but you're a HS at heart? - Page 2

[mommy68]

I'm a H/S at heart for sure. My oldest is home right now being H/S and our younger two children are still in private school. However, tuition goes up next year so we are taking them out to be H/S after this year is over. It's tough deciding what is good for our children regarding their education.

[mags]

Originally Posted by InstinctiveMom

((Mags))
I'm glad you found some peace with the decision!
Keep in mind that it's one day at a time. This isn't a permanent thing (either way) that can't be re-thought or adjusted based on the needs of your kiddos and what works best for your family. It's okay (good and encouraged, even!) to try things on and see how they fit. To me, the main point is to be flexible and attentive. If it isn't working, or your "mommy warning bell" goes off (even if things ARE working out), you can change it!

Thanks! You're right about being flexible and that is what I keep reminding myself, that nothing is set in stone. Funny enough, that is how I won over DH originally when we talked about HSing and we agreed that we would evaluate how things were going every yr and go from there.

[Tiffany_PartyOf5]

I havent read all the responses but I feel the same way at the OP. My son will be starting at a public magnet school this fall. I want so badly to homeschool him but I know the type of environment he needs to learn is not what he gets at home. He has a 3 yr old sister, a 2 yr old brother, and a 3 month old brother. He needs other children his age, he needs hands on stuff and with the little ones, its difficult to get him to homeschool meetups and its difficult to do hands on things when the little ones get up in the mix and then he gets mad at them and oh its just exhausting thinking about it lol. We tried pre-k last year and HATED it. Sooo Im PRAYING that this school will work out. We picked it for its magnet program - math, science, and technology - its mainly science though.. they have a room with reptiles and other animals and he is an reptile lover!

[guest^]

I too am updating. Due to more $$$ problems, we are seriously considering putting even our DD in school this fall.Choices and decisions are coming at me so fast,my head is spinning.


mp

[brightonwoman]

Oh wow, I'm so glad I'm not the only one!
I was HS all the way, and DH and I planned that for our kids too...but then life happened and DS1 was 6 before DS2 arrived...DS1 was clearly a social butterfly and was just lonely being home on his own, even when I took him to weekly playgroups, swimming lessons, etc. So at 6 we put him in half-day kindergarten at a charter school. It was a GREAT experience.
Then we had to move for DH's job. Now we live in a teeny weeny town--there are 7 elementary students (yes, that's K-6). They are together in one classroom--sounded great to us! Unfortunately, it has not been so great...
(warning, this is going to turn into a rant!)
His teacher (to put it gently) is a moron. At 2nd grade, DS is one of the older kids in the class (1 K, 3 1st graders, then DS, then 2 older kids who work really independently). He is gifted (he's been tested), and he is clearly not sufficiently stimulated in class. He's been having behavior problems because he's bored, but the teacher thinks it's because he has issues and she wants to keep him in 2nd rather than moving him to 3rd (we bumped to 2nd instead of 1st this year because he was clearly under-stimulated). Anyway, we pretty much told her no way, he will bein 3rd grade. We have been working to stimulate him at home--he's doing multiplication over the lunch table and things like that.
I've thought about pulling him out to HS, but if we do he will be more bored and lonely than ever--there is NO extracurricular opportunity in this town. It's an Alaskan fishing villiage of 60 people. Yes, 6-0.
Here's the real kicker--his teacher, the inept moronic teacher (who couldnt' pass her praxis--the basic "are-we-competent" teacher test required for renewing her teachers certificate): That woman is DH's boss. Yeah, DH is the secondary teacher here, and she is the superintendent and elementary teacher. SO, we can't exactly say anything to anybody because in a town this size, NOTHING is anonymous, and saying something would likely jeopardize DH's job.
We plan to move next year, but right now they have offered DH a grant that is paying for him to get his Masters degree online, and that will boost his pay and we really need it, so we're committed to stay for that. So we have to slog through another year of her...
I considered writing to the school board about her ineptitude...but I think we are the only dissatisfied parents in the town, plus she'd take it personally, and like I said, nothing is anonymous here...
I am seriously considering pulling him out for half days and having him go the other half--DH isn't sure about that, but I think it would allow DS his social time, but also have him with me to get properly stimulated. After all, this woman is clearly not qualified to teach my gifted kid, you know?

/rant.

[mom2ponygirl]

Check out Guerilla Schooling - how to give your child a real education with or without school by Grace Llewellyn and Amy Silver. It does an excellent job of showing that the family is still the primary driving force in a child's education whether they are in school or not. It has many wonderful examples of families who make school work and who find workable comprimises and alternative situations when they don't.

[LauraLoo]

This is a timely thread for me. I spent a good portion of today in the Homeschooling Forum trying to figure out what I would need to get in order to start homeschooling. Funny thing is that, aside from formal curriculum, our home is set up with everything I would need to homeschool and beyond. I guess I've been homeschooling all along and didn't really know it! As I thought about what ds needs, I realized that either way, homeschooling or outside schooling, there would be elements that wouldn't be present. In other words, there is no perfect scenario for us. DS is really in a very good school for him right now, and I'm finding that I am better off supplementing in areas than trying to take on the whole job myself.

I agree with taking it one day, one month, one year at a time as that is what I'm planning to do. The Guerilla Learning book recommended is great