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When you finally made the decision to homeschool....


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how did you feel?

 

I think I'm there, and serious discussions with the major players have begun. Two are on board (one has been pleading to be homeschooled, one loves ps) and my soon-to-be-kindergarten student is "on the fence". My DH is ready for anything. I have support from my parents (who are ready to lend a hand) and homeschooling friends.

 

Now, suddenly, I am both elated and terrified. I'm terrified because I love time alone and I love peace and quiet and a reasonable amount of order. I rarely get it now, and don't see how I will ever get it in the future (my DH works either at home or abroad, each about 50 percent of the time; my parents live an 90minutes away and are in for a day a week, except when they can't...)

 

I'm elated because I think in this way my children will get the rich, enlivened education they crave and need. And I'm elated because I've been agonizing over this for ages and now feel some peace. I'm also elated because this will be exciting and FUN!

 

So how did you feel when you crossed the line?

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Giddy! Refreshed because I knew we no longer had to get up at 6:15 am. Encouraged because my dh and parents supported our decision, elated because we had friends that homeschooled, excited because I love the feel of new books (we used a lot of workbooks the first year and I loved the feel a new workbook). Terrified because I wasn't sure "I" could pull it off. Thankful because I was finally doing something that I felt was so right.

 

Five years later we've been through a gamut of emotions. We moved, some of our friends quit homeschooling, I don't feel so terrified anymore, but I still am just as thankful that we've opted to educate our son in this manner.

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Well, I was relieved to finally have siezed control of something that felt oddly out of control. I also felt like I was bucking the system that everyone else loved and that I would somehow never have a free moment again.

 

Truth be told, I love bucking the system (who knew?!) and I actually find homeschooling to be freeing rather than as something that robs me of my freedom.

 

We have time to be together, know each other, work hard, relax, play, take vacation days that suit us, meet with friend mid-day, experiment with learning an instrument or trying a new activity... This is in stark contrast to what we had before, which was trying to squeeze in time together around homework and exhaustion.

 

So, I think "relieved" is accurate. No regrets. My kids love it, and my oldest who was removed from ps mid-year (during 1st grade) never wishes to return.

 

Walking away is hard, so I think your current feelings are normal...just wait til that "relieved" feeling kicks in and you'll know it was the right choice. :001_smile:

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For me, homeschooling was always the plan, and I couldn't wait to start when my kids were old enough. Once we started first grade, though, everything changed. I'd read TWTM and was totally on board, had spent my summer rounding up curriculum and making library book lists and starting school was kind of...anti-climatic. It was intense and ordinary at the same time. So much work, so time-consuming, so rewarding and yet without the emotion and sense of accomplishment I was expecting.

 

Anyway, all that to say your emotions sound totally normal to me, and you'll probably continue to have them through the beginning of your schooling experience. I don't love every minute of it, but the satisfaction that comes from knowing I'm doing what's best for my kids and being able to take some credit for their amazing accomplishments is totally worth it.

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Honestly, I felt empowered and excited. I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that I wanted to homeschool, and for some amazing reason, I felt completely capable and strong.

 

Now, I've definitely had some low moments, many frustrations, etc., but I have seriously never considered stopping. I am one of those homeschoolers for life (barring some horrible tragedy).

 

I am a homeschooler. :)

 

Welcome!

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Elated, terrified, worried, nervous, and completely relieved. My DH wasn't 100% on board, but it was important to me to have an open mind and hear him out, so I visited one school after another, researched all the ones in the area, and even sent him the a private preschool. I'm SO glad we did even though it was a long, long year. We hated it, and this school was our only viable choice for a school for ds in the future. So, given we didn't like it, it made the decision that much easier. And, last Sunday, Dh let me know that he would only have ds h'schooled, no ps. What a relief.

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I felt the same way. I also couldn't sleep, and I was sick to my stomach.

I still get nervous worrying about things occasionally, but for the most part I am confident in my decision to homeschool.

It makes it easier knowing my oldest doesnt want to ever go back to public school. (My oldest went through ps kindy and one month of 1st grade.)

Good luck, and I hope you enjoy your homeschooling journey.

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I don't even know if I have a right to chime into this thread because my answer is so boring. :tongue_smilie:hehe I've always known that I wanted to homeschool. From the first time that I met someone who homeschooled and found out that we could actually legally educate our children at home I KNEW that it was the only way to go for my kids.

 

When I got married I told my husband that I wanted to homeschool when we had kids. I've always educated her from the time that she was little and it was never an issue until first grade when "school" became mandatory and I had to send in my first letter of intent to the school board. That was kind of scary because all of the years before seemed like a practice run and this was the "real deal". It turns out I had nothing to worry about because she passed her first evaluation (and all the ones since) with flying colors. I love the closeness that my dd and I have as well. For me, there's just nothing better. :)

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Relieved to have finally made the decision. Anxious that my son might change his mind. Excited to be starting out on the adventure.

Making the decision was the hardest part for me- I was concerned I would scar my children for life- homeschooling is ever less known in Australia than in the U.S. and most people are jsut ignorant about it.

 

As for getting time alone, I have found an interesting thing happens when you spend a lot of time with your kids. Well, for me, anyway. They become "full" of attention, less needy and clingy if they ever were, they feel secure in your daily presence- and in return, they become more self sufficient, able to entertain themselves. I remember my son when he was still at school, he would be so clingy when he came home, and irritable and angry. When he started homeschooling, within a few weeks he was a different kid- sweet, happy to potter about in the garden looking at insects for hours.

And remember that in the WTM, it says you must take a couple of hours in the afternoon for a rest and time for yourself while your kids are in their rooms alone with books and activities. I do it, even though my kids are teens now. It means I am not a wreck in the evening, and I get some good reading done.

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I am in a similar situation. We have just recently decided to HS. It has always been in the back of our minds, but the school the kids were in in the Houston area was really good. When we moved to the Waco area, well, is hasn't been too great. We started seriously talking about it when my DD9 came home and asked if she could skip a grade. The district we are in, the kids go to middle school in 5th grade due to space issues. I am NOT sending my 9yo to middle school! Anyway, we made the decision. Both kids are on board, but I was very overwhelmed at first. But I can't tell you how excited I was at the end of school. I feel like a huge weight has been lifted. There were several things that happened and I just could not wait to be done with the schools!

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You know that feeling you get when you are about to recieve something you've always wanted and now someone is just handing it to you? A mixture of disbelief, hope, head exploding joy, and wariness? You want to grab it and squeeze the life out of it, but you're also waiting for the other shoe to drop. That's how I felt. That's how I feel now that I'm getting all my stuff together to renew. Like I've won a fortune, but it all seems to good to be true and any minute now, someone's going to call and say, 'sorry, a mistake has been made....'

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I knew hs was the best option, but I was nervous about actually starting and how it would go. I have a degree in 6-12 math, but had little idea how to teach a child to read! I actually decided to start school in July, just in case it bombed and I had to put dd in ps. I worried about her falling behind. Thankfully K went wonderfully well for us. Dd is an excellent reader and is on level in all subjects. I can't wait to get my hands on the books I want for 1st so i can start making plans!

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You know that feeling you get when you are about to recieve something you've always wanted and now someone is just handing it to you? A mixture of disbelief, hope, head exploding joy, and wariness? You want to grab it and squeeze the life out of it, but you're also waiting for the other shoe to drop. That's how I felt. That's how I feel now that I'm getting all my stuff together to renew. Like I've won a fortune, but it all seems to good to be true and any minute now, someone's going to call and say, 'sorry, a mistake has been made....'

 

This is so true! Your emotions do settle down for awhile, but beware that this will probably all come back up again around back-to-school time. I think that's when it REALLY hit me, when I was in Staples, stocking up on their sale stuff one early September Sunday, and the store was loaded with parents frantically going over supply lists so their kids could be ready the next day. It was totally surreal, and I felt lighter than air as I walked around the store. Then the next day as I watched the bus pull up to our corner to pick up our little neighbor, the same age as DD, for his first day of school, I had a moment of sheer terror, like I'd made this huge mistake and had to go run and dig that bus pass out of the recycling bin :lol: Then the bus drove away, that passed, and I went to make my still-sleeping girls a nice leisurely breakfast :D I think we all still have moments of doubt from time to time (I know I do!), but I'm pretty sure we all believe we've made the right decision for ourselves and our kids.

 

:grouphug: Good luck on the first step of your new journey!

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Peela -- I love your new avatar. :)

 

Relieved to have finally made the decision. Anxious that my son might change his mind. Excited to be starting out on the adventure.

Making the decision was the hardest part for me- I was concerned I would scar my children for life- homeschooling is ever less known in Australia than in the U.S. and most people are jsut ignorant about it.

 

As for getting time alone, I have found an interesting thing happens when you spend a lot of time with your kids. Well, for me, anyway. They become "full" of attention, less needy and clingy if they ever were, they feel secure in your daily presence- and in return, they become more self sufficient, able to entertain themselves. I remember my son when he was still at school, he would be so clingy when he came home, and irritable and angry. When he started homeschooling, within a few weeks he was a different kid- sweet, happy to potter about in the garden looking at insects for hours.

And remember that in the WTM, it says you must take a couple of hours in the afternoon for a rest and time for yourself while your kids are in their rooms alone with books and activities. I do it, even though my kids are teens now. It means I am not a wreck in the evening, and I get some good reading done.

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I hsed kindergarten and that was ok, because my other friends hs-ed k as well.

 

But then I kept going and hs-ed first grade. But my friends sent their kids to school.

 

I felt confident that hsing was for us, but I also felt resentful that I wouldn't have a few hours of free time like my friends were now having.

 

But after the first few months of feeling resentful, I broke through and now I LOVE being with the kids all day. And there are a few hours each day when the kids are content to play by themselves.

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I was sad. We made our decision to hs in the spring so I kept busy all summer researching, talking to hs friends, setting up our work area. However, when the back-to-school ads came out I really doubted what I was doing. My kids wouldn't have backpacks, school bus rides, play kick ball at recess or eat lunch with their friends. It was almost like I was mourning something that would be lost for my children. Weird, huh?

 

Six years later I know this was the better path for my kids. We traded backpacks, school bus rides and recess for family field trip, nature walks, read aloud time and many teachable moments. It has been a great journey.

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Well, I was relieved to finally have siezed control of something that felt oddly out of control. I also felt like I was bucking the system that everyone else loved and that I would somehow never have a free moment again.

 

Truth be told, I love bucking the system (who knew?!) and I actually find homeschooling to be freeing rather than as something that robs me of my freedom.

 

We have time to be together, know each other, work hard, relax, play, take vacation days that suit us, meet with friend mid-day, experiment with learning an instrument or trying a new activity... This is in stark contrast to what we had before, which was trying to squeeze in time together around homework and exhaustion.

 

So, I think "relieved" is accurate. No regrets. My kids love it, and my oldest who was removed from ps mid-year (during 1st grade) never wishes to return.

 

Walking away is hard, so I think your current feelings are normal...just wait til that "relieved" feeling kicks in and you'll know it was the right choice. :001_smile:

 

I had the same feelings!

 

I pulled my oldest out of PS when he finished 8th grade. After 8 years of being mad all the time at the school/teacher/principal/"gifted" educator it was time to take the bull by the horns and get my son in a better environment. I LOVE the freedom we have. It does take some adjustment, but it's so worth it.

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Your mind will be at ease once you settle into the routine.

 

My dd is starting k this year (though we've been working on reading/math for quite a while now), but what has cemented our decision is the fact that AZ is 50th in the nation. Sheesh, not sure we even have a better system here than in US territories.

 

One-third of the teachers on our district got RIF notices. My oldest daughter is finishing HS in public school, and I know first-hand how lax the teachers got after that (and really, who could blame them? I would be too if I felt undervalued and my job was being ripped out from under me.) In fact, dd missed 3 days of school this spring and DIDN'T HAVE ONE ASSIGNMENT TO MAKE UP. No one can convince me that time is properly utilized in ps.

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how did you feel?

 

I think I'm there, and serious discussions with the major players have begun. Two are on board (one has been pleading to be homeschooled, one loves ps) and my soon-to-be-kindergarten student is "on the fence". My DH is ready for anything. I have support from my parents (who are ready to lend a hand) and homeschooling friends.

 

Now, suddenly, I am both elated and terrified. I'm terrified because I love time alone and I love peace and quiet and a reasonable amount of order. I rarely get it now, and don't see how I will ever get it in the future (my DH works either at home or abroad, each about 50 percent of the time; my parents live an 90minutes away and are in for a day a week, except when they can't...)

 

time alone is an art. it requires training and support from all members of the family, who also get to learn that quiet time is something that is healthy. my kids are very well trained to give me that space when i need it, because they know now when i don't get it, i'm not as good a mom. you'll get it, if you're diligent in setting that up as part of the situation from the start.

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Truth be told, I love bucking the system (who knew?!) and I actually find homeschooling to be freeing rather than as something that robs me of my freedom.

 

 

Me too.

 

I love not being stuck with the school's schedule, their curriculum, their rules.

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I did not understand what I was getting us into. I knew only that we no longer could afford to keep the (then only two) children in the Montessori school because my department at work had been eliminated, and I was going to stay home. I knew only that the county school system was not so hot, and that homeschooling probably was the only way to provide a stronger academic education for our children.

 

The ignorance probably was best for us. If I could have seen a "preview film" of our future, I would not have started. Now we homeschool from principles. We do not homeschool because we enjoy it. (Enjoy living with our children, absolutely "YES !" Enjoy homeschooling, absolutely "NO !") I just give thanks for the good days and do my best to provide dd (our remaining homeschooler) with a happy life and a decent education.

Edited by Orthodox6
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It wasn't my idea to homeschool, it was ds14's. We agreed to homeschool for 3 months of his 5th grade year (he had been excelling in public and private schools) and if after 3mths (Christmas break), either one of us didn't like it then he would go back to where he was previously. We both agreed to give it a full 3mths no matter what. After 1 mth, we both new it was absolutely the right decision. Ds loves homeschooling. He hs'd 5-9th and is now considering a highschool magnet program in our area for fall. He has outpaced me and the public/homeschool hybrid we are part of. They have a good swim team and have clubs that I think he may like to be a part of. He really needs a program that can meet his growing education, and this program is a perfect fit for him. We have agreed for him to try it for a term and if he doesn't like it, he will come back home and I will hire instructors/tutors to meet his needs.

 

DD10 came home after private school pre-k and k, at her own request. She has taken classes with the local public school/homeschool hybrid until last year. She gets really really stressed by some teachers or too heavy of a load, and gets migraines because of it, so we took a light year this year and will ramp it up again next year. She is very bright and capable, but obeys every rule to a T. She gets frustrated when other people don't. So the teachers who are the most liberal....are the hardest for dd. She does better in a very strict environment.

 

I do not plan to hs dd2 because right now our personalities are like oil and water. She is amazing for other people and a terror for me. She is a very, very, very bright child and I know that hsing would be a great way to channel that but there is no way we can work together. I know things may change as she gets older, but right now I can not imagine the horrors hsing her would bring. :0( I felt led down a path for my older kids, I don't think it is the right path for her. Sad, but honest. She will attend a small local private school that the older kids went to or possibly either a Montessori or multiple intelligences/learning styles school (this would be perfect for her, but $$$ for me).

 

I say all of this because I look at each year as it comes and try to see what is best for each child. It has been different each year. The time ds spent in private school were great for him. He won "all school" character awards and really found a love for being educated in a Christian environment. I think he found himself there. Dd10 really needs a different approach from ds and I don't think we have really found just the right thing for her yet. We are much closer due to hsing that we ever would have been, but I also see an immaturity in her due to it. We will keep looking for the right thing for her. Dd2-who knows? A lot will change in the next few years.

 

My suggestion is to look at each child separately and see what each child's individual needs are, and go from there. There are plenty of families her who have kids doing different things.

 

To your original question: I feel the newness of it all each year, because each year has been different. I have had kids in various stages of public, private, hsing only, hybrid, and now looking back to public again, every year. Each year has been met with joy of spending time with my kids, and terror of what I am messing up, or will falter on. As I get more experienced, I think I have less anticipation anxiety, curriculum hunting, and more worry about my own failings. I worry more about what I won't do, than what I will do. I think I have had every emotion you can have in regards to homeschooling!

Edited by Tap, tap, tap
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We always knew we were going to do it, so it wasn't a huge change in thinking. Kindergarten went well, I'm excited for first grade, but there are some days I'd just love to ship them off to school. Then, I remember a conversation I had with a friend who's a second grade teacher in our local district. She told me they're changing things around because kids are coming in so low regarding language skills that they're nearly eliminating all science and history until 4th grade and focusing on LA. I was shocked. Esp. coming from a WTM/Classical standpoint where the emphasis is on history. I just keep reminding myself of that, and my enthusiasm for hsing comes back up!

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So how did you feel when you crossed the line?

 

At peace. I had not a soul in my corner, I didn't know anyone who was homeschooling and I knew some of my closest friends would be outraged. This is how I knew without any doubt that it was the right path. I was able to accept that I would not be (initially) supported or admired, which was a pretty big deal for me.

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