Do you homeschool your children?

no, I don't home school but I'm very interested in it

No.

Wow, Jill-this is very interesting. Please keep me informed since I just did an article asking the same thing...Too funny....

My daughter's only 14 months old, so it's not really an issue yet.

Our school system is rated "excellent" by the state, so I probably won't. However, if I feel that the schools are not meeting her needs for any reason, I will look into it.

The question's moot for a lot of people. It must be nice to be that well off.

We haven't done it, but we are leaning towards starting the kids in homeschooling when they hit High School. We think they would be more challenged and less distracted (by the HS antics) at that time. I have heard of a program called Becca/Bekka, something along that line that is very helpful. They can get plenty of socialization from team sports, church activities, ect. Good luck!

I homeschool!!
We did K5 and !st grade in a private christian school that closed and decided to continue at home after that instead of going to public school.

The best part of homeschooling in my opinion is the one on one for your child that they can't get in public school because the teacher just doesn't have time.

There is a lot of info available out there.

I can point you to the requirements for your state if you email me and tell me what state you are in.

Brenda,
It is Abeka, they used that at the christian school my son went to and we've used it part of the time at home too.
http://www.abeka.com/

Nippy, we're NOT well off. I owned my own business until recently when we made the decision to sell the business so I could stay at home with my son. My husband works full time and money's tight sometimes, but we decided that my son's well-being and him getting one-on-one attention was more important than financial gain. I'm sorry if that concept is foreign to you. But, please don't assume that families with a stay at home parent are "WELL-OFF" because more often than not, that's NOT the case at all.

In my area that's simply not true. It's not a matter of sacrificing for the children; it's a matter of eating and living indoors.

I agree Jill, I am far from being well-off, but my child getting a good education without th eexterior negative influences, and the safety factors makes it worth me struggling if need be to make sure they get what I feel is best for them.

We are not well off at all.
Living on one income can be rough.
We basically live paycheck to paycheck but we get by.
Being with my son as he grows up and his education are more important than an extra car for us.

I agree Randy. In our area, there have been several kidnappings recently and attempted kidnappings as well. Four of these happened at an elementary school nearby. So, I have to wonder how safe my son would be at one of these schools.

We live in a top rated school district. So, our kids go to public school. I think it's great for them to get "out" and have to listen to others (teachers) and interact with the kids!

Even though I am a SAHM, our kids will go to public school and I won't homeschool them.

But, what works for us won't work for others, etc...

I just heard a mother talking about her son's high school and the guns that are carried to school and the fear of who would get shot when, and the drugs sold in the parking lot there. She said she prayed for him every day that he'd be ok.
Well, I do believe in prayer but if it were my kid he would not have been going to that school.
I can't believe how out of control public schools seem to be.

I guess I'm just sensitive about the question. Our daughter finished high school in '99. If she were in grammar school today and we were living in the same house we were living in then: 1100 sq ft, no central heat, one bathroom, lower middle class neighborhood, we'd have to earn at least $80 to $100K. The Bay Area is very different from most of the rest of the country.

Having one income wasn't an option.

My cousin has homeschooled her kids, and they have done well. One thing she did do was make sure they were involved in social groups, like little league.

He will be a lot smarter than the other kids. I am so glad all my children are grown.

I homeschool my oldest and afterschool my younger ones. The no child left behind act has left all the gifted children high and dry.

Nippy, you are right about cost of living in different parts of the country.
We could not live on what we are here in SW MO in the Bay Area. No way would that work.
Nor could we do it in Boston or Chicago.
He'd have to get a better paying job if we lived any of those places.

Wow. Alot has been said here. But basically every situation is different. What works for one family won't necessarily work for another. I think it's great that you are trying to find out more information and weigh the pros and cons to home schooling. But it's not necessarily for everyone and people shouldn't be put down for not being able to do it. Just as people shouldn't be put down for staying at home with their kids. I do. Partly because I didn't want my whole paycheck going towards somebody else raising my kids and for me to even work part time, I would need somebody to watch them and I just don't have anybody. Yes, we struggle and there is nothing that I can do about it because there is no way for me to work. Each situation is different and nobody should be judged for what they choose/have to do.

BTW, good luck making your decision. And sorry for the rambling.

I did home school for about 3 years. My kids never seemed to listen to me. But maybe I misread what was really happening. What was good about it was that they refuse to go along with things merely because of tradition. They don't do flock mentality.

So many issues. I could be available to get to the heart of each issue that did come of up at school. I never assume that teachers know it all or control everything. I have to hear everyone's argument. My 2 daughter knew I was listening. I never did the same thing for my son all those years ago. However, they all seem to like me o.k. now. I got to watch my kids grow inside their own personalities rather than fitting to a role of stereotypical behaviour.

My girls feel alienated because they grew up in a place where guns were never the issue for them learn each day. In Toronto, where I grew up, I worry for the kids who attend highschool and have to check their backpacks because of the threat of weapons. However, when they did return to a school environment, they were not subjected to bullying (not successfully). No one in their right or wrong mind seemed to want to seriously interfere with mine--It was similar for my son (in Toronto) but I didn't wait to see if it would ever be a problem. We all left the big city.

My son does a much smaller city environment. And his wife teaches in a very small town where student intimidation is not likely to be a problem.

My own Mom worked while we were growing up. No matter what I have done, my life is relatively structured being available to be there to call everyone's number. My favourite approach is to keep a low profile; but if you back me in a corner, I offer to go public to involve everyone who has children who might want to participate or see how things go on behind the scenes. No on seems to want to go there with me. Hmmm... What it something I said?

Nope...but I will consider it when Caitlin gets a little older

Jill, I homeschooled Kolten, from the middle of his kindergarten year until fifth grade. He was super shy and school was making it worse for him. He was physically ill every day because he had seperation anxiety. It was pitiful, and I hated putting my baby through that, so i pulled him out. It was always understood he had to go back by time for Jr. High, but he decided in 5th grade he was ready. We stuck to a schedule and his routine was structured, just as if he were in public school, but he got to work at his own pace, and he thrived. When he decided to go back to school, at the age of 11, he tested out on an 8th grade level. He adjusted well going back, takes all honors classes and is educationally more advanced than the majority of his peers. Homeschool was awesome for us. I was and am able to give him an excellent education here at home. However, living in a very rural area, it was difficult to give him social interaction. That is my only regret. He does really well with adults but feels intimidated by kids his own age. I do know though that if we had lived anywhere other than where we did for the first part of his life, that too would be a non issue. It was a really backwards little town. Had we of always lived here it would have been okay.

That being said, I tried to homeschool Klayten for kindergarten, because it was so easy with Kolten. He was proof positive that some kids, ya just have to send to school! lol No matter what I tried I just couldn't hold his attention or make him want to learn. He went to public school and they never had a bit of trouble out of him. Just further evidence that every child is different! lol

If I had kids and was able to work from home I would home school mine- and make my hubby listen too!

I think it's good for kids to be around other kids, it helps them to learn how to socialize. How do they learn that by being home with mom all day every day?

James, kids can be involved in social groups outside of school. They can play and socialize with children in the neighborhood, or friends they meet at play groups or through sports classes, etc. For instance, my son was actively involved in a gymnastics class (that was NOT through any school) and made lots of friends there.

I think that parents need to realize that you send your kids to school to LEARN, NOT to make friends. Making friends and socializing should NOT be your main goal when you send your kids off to school.

I don't homeschool but I do work with my child on things that the schools do not cover well enough.

You learn a lot more in school than basic education. Interactions with others. Tolerance. I taught my son a lot before he went to school. He started high school today (my baby!). He's in all honors classes and went to public school the whole way through. Not sterling schools. Yo can't just drop the kid off at school and expect them to come out the other end perfectly education. You have to contribute as a parent. I gave him additional mental stimulation at home, if he wasn't challenged enough at school. Of course, home schooling wasn't an option for us because I've raised him since age 2 as a single mother. His father is a non-entity at this point.

All my girls went to public school

I'm concerned that homeschooling creates sheltered children. Children need to be exposed to all walks of life and then some in order to compete in today's society. My oldest went to all public schools and my youngest went to parochial schools.

Do you homeschool your children? I am just starting to hs my daughter this year. We'll see how it goes... although I know quite a few who homeschool and enjoy it.
What influenced your decision to homeschool? I was hs'd from 6th grade to graduation and loved it. I did not miss out on socialization, as I had plenty of friends around and at church to see often. So that is the biggest influence.
What are the pros and cons? Pros: I control what my child learns and can keep out the bad influences of peer pressure, etc. and it's cheaper than public and/or private schools ~ Cons: They can end up being too protected from the "world" and miss out on how to handle issues as they get older. But that's where it is up to me and dad to make sure they learn the good and bad of life.
Where did you go for information about how to do it properly? I am actually protected by my church's academy. They handle the legal aspects of it, so long as I turn in the records of schooling. And if I have an issue or question, I can go to them.
Do you have any advice for parents considering homeschooling their children? Look into a local Christian academy as an "umbrella" or "extension" and go for it! I personally think it is up to the parents to raise their children. And the more they are with parents, the more they learn from us instead of "friends."

I home-schooled my youngest child for a year, ninth grade. I took her out of school because she was getting into trouble. She hated me for it, but she stopped getting into trouble. She fought me because she missed her friends. Eventually, things settled down, and she began to learn. She found something she was good at, and began to excel. She's college-bound now. It was the best thing I ever did for her. I still teach home-schooled children Latin and writing.

You don't have to go it alone. And home-schooled children are far more normal and well adjusted than most other kids I meet. There are co-ops, where parents with expertise, say in Algebra, teach classes for parents who don't have skills in that area. Everyone helps out. It's a great thing for the child if you can do it.

I allowed my daughter to go back to school on the condition that she stay out of trouble. She had one problem, and she was warned that the second problem would be her last. She is way too social for her own good. I let her go back because there were things that I was not willing to learn in order to teach her. Biology has changed in the last 40 years, and I don't want to know all that stuff! I am very glad I did home-school her for the time I did.

Yes. I homeschool our 3 boys, ages 10, 12 and 13. I wouldn't have it any other way. We just adopted these boys and what they have learned from their classmates and their experiences is horrible.
I love what homeschool has done for them.
If you can homeschool then do it.
Teach your children what they should learn instead of them learning what they should not learn in public school.

www.storyboxbook.com has some great stuff to help teach children. As a mother of four I couldnt recommend it more. Check out my blog at http://arewenearlythereyet.wordpress.com to read what my family and I have been up to!

I'm a homeschooling mom of four children and I must admit that some of these posts about homeschool children not being socialized always make me laugh. (literally!) :)

My oldest is 14, soon to be 15, and if he was any more socialized, I'd need to purchase a meter for the car and charge him by the mile! Most who assume that homeschoolers are unsocialized are simply misinformed. Almost sadly so.

My children play soccer, take dancing, attend a weekly co-op (which I direct) that has over 100 children involved in it, the oldest is a debater with the NCFCA and went to SC and NC qualifiers. My oldest two also take band at Converse College, a VERY well respected music college through-out the US and compete in the solo and ensemble that is held nation-wide,in every state. Although my children aren't involved in it, there is also a local homeschool basketball team that has beat every public and private school around. One of the homeschoolers on that team just received a scholarship to Clemson University to play basketball.

My children have also traveled outside the Continental US and are very aware that the world is a big place.

Again, the sad, pathetic arguement that homeschoolers aren't socialized is just....well, sadly uninformed. Most people who say those kinds of things have never actually held a real conversation with a homeschooler. They merely watch "Wife Swap" and assume that for profit reality show is REAL! lol

That aside, statistically, homeschoolers test, adjust, work and acclimate MUCH better than public school children. No offense to those that use the state funded system, but those are still the facts. These finding show that because kids are SO inundated with peer pressure that they rarely have the time, or learn the ability, to focus on their education and TRUE extra curricular activities that benefit them, long term. This doesn't apply to ALL public schooled and private schooled children, but many of them. I'm sure we each remember that feeling ourselves, if we attended public school. Sitting there wondering if "that boy" or "that girl" was going to show up today or if we were wearing the "right" thing and didn't actually hear a thing the teacher said. How's that important to child development? Seriously?

I don't think ALL families should homeschool. I don't think all parents are organized, or self motivated enough to educate their children well. However, if you know that you are, then I encourage you all the way!!! All the misinformed "socialization" arguements in the world can't make up for the education and life lessons that your children can and will learn with appropriate homeschooling.