Husband's thoughts about homeschooling

[Jenny in GA]

After starting this thread, I thought it would also be interesting to start a thread about husbands and homeschooling in general.

 

What was the main thing that attracted your husband to homeschooling? What is his favorite thing about homeschooling?

 

Were the two of you in equal agreement from the start, or was one of you more "pro-homeschooling" than the other?

 

Has he ever had doubts, and if so, what helped him?

 

Was there ever something that made him have a definite shift in his perspective about homeschooling? If so, what was it?

 

How often does he look at the kids' work? When he does, does he usually give feedback about what he likes, or what he thinks they should be doing differently?

 

What does he consider to be "proof" of your family's homeschool success? Is he waiting for that proof? :001_huh:

[elegantlion]

After starting this thread, I thought it would also be interesting to start a thread about husbands and homeschooling in general.

 

What was the main thing that attracted your husband to homeschooling? What is his favorite thing about homeschooling?

 

My request to homeschool instead of getting a job to afford private school. :D I think his favorite thing is that he now feels ds is getting a good education. Ds and dh have similar personalities, learning styles, (okay they're almost carbon copies) and dh hated school. A traditional classroom stifled his learning, he learns better while moving, ds is the same way.

 

Were the two of you in equal agreement from the start, or was one of you more "pro-homeschooling" than the other?

 

I asked to homeschool and he had to think about for a month or so. He agreed to commit to 3 years up front. We thought we would put ds back into private school at that point. Now we see no reason to do that.

 

Has he ever had doubts, and if so, what helped him?

 

He never told me this up front, but his hesitancy to commit right away was that he wasn't sure I would take it seriously. After a year he finally told me that and told me that his fears were unfounded. In my defense I had several friends that homeschooled and he wanted to make sure it wasn't just some trend to jump into.

 

Was there ever something that made him have a definite shift in his perspective about homeschooling? If so, what was it?

 

I don't know if there was a definite shift, but being able to spend time with ds is important. We love the flexibility.

 

How often does he look at the kids' work? When he does, does he usually give feedback about what he likes, or what he thinks they should be doing differently?

 

He does look at some work, mostly stuff I show him. He only offers feedback if I ask. I always give a year-end update and I do a goal sheet for the beginning of the year.

 

What does he consider to be "proof" of your family's homeschool success? Is he waiting for that proof?

 

My dh and I share the same opinion of standardized testing and we aren't required to do it, so we don't. Proof for him shows up in their conversation when ds offers some new information he learned, how well ds can interact with all age levels, and his growing maturity.

 

Dh handles many of the non-academic teaching, he is very involved in the education of ds, not just the book part. :D Does that make sense. I guess dh is teaching him how to be a man and I'm teaching him how to be smart (not that those two don't go together:tongue_smilie:).

[jld]

Dh grew up in France and went through the French school system. He was more or less traumatized by the rigor of it, with its surprise written exams on Monday mornings, and "selections" starting in 6th grade. He believed it was better to learn through projects, and after reading Emile, by Rousseau, was convinced that learning without school was the way he wanted his future children educated.

 

We had only been dating a few days when dh told me he wanted us to breastfeed and homeschool our children. I remember thinking, "Well, I guess this means we're getting married." I was teaching in a public school at the time and the thought of giving it up was pretty appealing. So I decided to take him up on his offer.;)

 

He has never wavered in his homeschooling resolve. He is always supportive, and always encourages me when I am doubtful. He regularly mentions how proud he is of the kids and me.

 

Sometimes he encourages the kids to read more French, or, in the case of ds10, to do some math. He keeps mentioning to dd14 that he would like her to do some programming.

 

I think for dh, homeschooling is part and parcel of family life, like breastfeeding or a full-time mother. He wants the kids to grow up to be stable and responsible, and do work they enjoy.

 

I know he's sad about the French school system. He says France is ruining its young with so much emphasis on school, even at a young age. He doesn't believe in schoolwork for little kids (up to 8 or so). He really thinks they should just play.

[delaney]

totally foreign concept to DH. He seems okay with elementary but not higher. He can't let go of the accepted standards of the upper grades like the social ones-prom-banquets-sports teams....I think he still has the lingering "weird" kids thing in the back of his mind. Granted there is a family in DSs scout troop that is..well....weird and they homeschool. But like I told him, the parents don't come across like social maniacs so I think they are a bit odd all on their own-kwim? I am hoping that when he sees how well DD #2 does 1st-5th that he will agree that keeping them out of PS is okay. They all do scouts and another activity(girls do competitive dance and boys do travel soccer), plus we go to church and live in a large neighborhood. Not a chance that they will be socially odd.

[Pamela H in Texas]

I read your questions to hubby and these are his answers (minus jokes)

 

What was the main thing that attracted your husband to homeschooling? less peer pressure

 

What is his favorite thing about homeschooling? learning at own pace

 

Were the two of you in equal agreement from the start, or was one of you more "pro-homeschooling" than the other? We were probably equal

 

Has he ever had doubts, and if so, what helped him? yes, at one point. time.

 

Was there ever something that made him have a definite shift in his perspective about homeschooling? If so, what was it?no

 

How often does he look at the kids' work? when wife wants backup When he does, does he usually give feedback about what he likes, or what he thinks they should be doing differently? a little

 

What does he consider to be "proof" of your family's homeschool success?now, dd's early college success. Along they way - their individual progress and following interests.

[bbsweetpea]

My husband is almost ore on board than I am. Of course he is not the one teaching though.

 

We both did very well in Public School (he was in the top 3% of our class) but were BORED. I think back to all the times I was held behind in stuff because other kids had to catch up. I did not want that for my kids. I wanted them to learn at their pace. We talked it over one day after I decided to hold back my oldest (do to developmental issues) and we both agreed 100%.

 

My husband would love for me to home school all the way through High School. His favorite thing about it is that we are not on a public school schedule. We are night people in this house and getting up before 8 am is CRAZY talk. :lol: He also loves that we school pretty much year round. It allows for more time off when we need it during the typical school year. He enjoys the field trips and hands on learning the kids get and the fact that it is not all just book work.

 

My husband only looks at the kids school work when they show him something. He is here most of the time while we are having school (since he works evenings) so he see's what we are doing. I do wish he took more of an interest in how well they are doing and would help me with curriculum decisions.

 

I need more proof on how well they are doing than he does. If he see's growth in their knowledge and skills he thinks it is going fine. I wish I was more like him.

[Lisa in the UP of MI]

I lucked out in this respect. DH was the one who suggested homeschooling to me before we got married. He did not enjoy his time in school (except his senior year) and was actually homeschooled for several years in the middle. MIL still homeschools the 4 youngest kids. The only concern that he has had is how I'll get everything done. Sometimes dd shares with dh what she is learning and other times he will ask.

[chaik76]

I started off by showing my dh articles about homeschooling and by the time my oldest was six weeks old, he agreed with me. The huge turn came when a child wasn't allowed to do something for a science fair in public school...I honestly forget what exactly happened now.

 

He's always been positive and we've discussed the options of what is best for each child. We used a public charter school (brick and mortar) for our oldest for part of last year. He likes homeschooling because it gives our oldest, who is asynchronous in his academic development (very ahead in a couple of subjects, right on target for the rest) a chance to work exactly where he is in all subjects and still have a lot of time to pursue his special interests. We homeschool primarily for academic reasons. We decided to homeschool when we were living in a large city, but knew that we had good school options available if we wanted them. We now live rurally, and although the schools aren't dangerous in any way, they are academically disadvantaged.

 

My husband knows about the kids work because I talk about homeschooling incessantly. I love researching curricula, homeschool methods, talking about what we are doing, etc.

 

My oldest son will often tell what we are doing if it is something exciting.

 

We both think that standardized tests have some use, but that they're not necessary in the lower grades...so we will only use standardized tests during the grades required by our state in elementary school.

 

My husband doesn't require "proof" of the success in our homeschool because he can see it just by being around the children every day. He's also been involved in co-ops we've gone to (teaching a science class for early elementary...he's a Chemistry professor) and this year he'll be teaching a forensic Chemistry class for eight homeschooled children.

 

Has he ever had doubts? Sure. We both have. Neither of us think homeschooling is the only valid school choice...we both think that kids do best in the school environment that works best for them. Which may mean that some of our kids are homeschooled and some aren't.

 

Last year, when I was sick, we both had doubts. And we put our oldest in school for a while. It was the right decision. This year he's home again and we're all very happy with that decision.

 

However, I have an eminently reasonable and logical husband. He looks over everything, thinks logically about what is the best thing to do and what the best outcome will do, and most importantly; is always willing to listen to why I think something will work or not work; and to go over all the points of that with me.

[patchfire]

We jointly began looking into various educational options in the area when our oldest was still a baby. We had both had the experience of being utterly bored in well-regarded schools, and wanted to make sure we found something appropriately challenging and nurturing both. For various reasons, we kept coming back to neoclassical homeschooling. I think we had officially made the decision by the time dd was 2. I still think he views it as a less expensive alternative to private school, but I could be wrong. ;) I do know he appreciates the lack of stress in the mornings as well as the homework scramble in the evening; he hears about these things from his co-workers.

 

Our oldest both excels in some areas and has some difficulties in a couple of others, so I think he has seen how easy it is to work with and around those issues via homeschooling, in a way that an institutional school might not.

 

I wish he would look at the kids' work more often. He is in charge of dd's read aloud books, which they do together at night, and he's been participating in ds's phonics lessons, but overall, he leaves most of the decision making and implementation to me. Sometimes even when I ask for an opinion!

 

I don't know what he would consider a success as far as homeschooling. If pressed, I suspect he'd say he doesn't know either.

[Donna T.]

After starting this thread, I thought it would also be interesting to start a thread about husbands and homeschooling in general.

 

What was the main thing that attracted your husband to homeschooling? What is his favorite thing about homeschooling?

 

My husband thinks that sending children out of the home and away from the family for a large portion of their day and many years of their lives is unnatural and unnecessary. He doesn't think that the schools teach them the kinds of things that he wants them to learn. I think his favorite thing about homeschooling would be that he is in control of their educations and it promotes family unity.

 

Were the two of you in equal agreement from the start, or was one of you more "pro-homeschooling" than the other?

 

Yes, total agreement from the very first conversation.

 

Has he ever had doubts, and if so, what helped him?

 

Was there ever something that made him have a definite shift in his perspective about homeschooling? If so, what was it?

 

How often does he look at the kids' work? When he does, does he usually give feedback about what he likes, or what he thinks they should be doing differently?

 

Maybe once a week. Yes, he does give some feedback but he doesn't scrutinize. He praises them for what has been done well and encourages them to try harder in certain areas. He asks me how they are doing much more often than he actually looks at their work. He is really BIG on teaching life skills like gardening, how to manage money, how to do chores without grumbling... so he normally trusts me for their academics and he works with them in other areas.

 

What does he consider to be "proof" of your family's homeschool success? Is he waiting for that proof? :001_huh:

 

He doesn't care about proof. This is just who we are and what we do.

[Dmmetler]

DH is the primary reason DD went to parochial school K this year-because he was concerned she'd miss too much by not going to "school". However, by the January conference, her teacher was clear that, basically, she was only keeping DD from being bored by letting her draw and read on her own, and that DD wasn't moving forward, and actually suggested that we home school, where I could meet DD at her level.

 

So, there we go. He's still unsure about it, but is willing to try it for 1st grade and "See how it goes"-mostly because of the school suggesting it-and because he prefers me to be at home most of the time as opposed to working, and there's really no reason for me to stay home if she's in school-so he gets what he wants this way.

[kpupg]

What was the main thing that attracted your husband to homeschooling? What is his favorite thing about homeschooling?

 

Were the two of you in equal agreement from the start, or was one of you more "pro-homeschooling" than the other?

 

Has he ever had doubts, and if so, what helped him?

 

Was there ever something that made him have a definite shift in his perspective about homeschooling? If so, what was it?

 

It's kind of a long story. DH was adamantly opposed to the home schooling I proposed when our kids were little -- I think primarily because he feared it would cause additional tension within the family -- being "stuck" with each other all day and all. We compromised by sending them to a well-regarded Catholic school. By the time our older child was in 4th grade at that school, the school was no longer a good thing. That child suffered intellectual and social starvation that year; the younger child was being breezed through without really understanding what was being taught. When we tried to work with the teachers to provide solutions, the teachers were not open to anything that would mean additional effort on their parts. Because of these issues, by the summer following that school year, DH's attitude had shifted sufficiently for him to agree to try home schooling for one year and then re-evaluate. By Christmas of the trial year, having observed how things were going (especially the LOWER level of tension within the family) he told me that we would be home schooling clear through.

 

I guess his favorite aspect of home schooling is that the kids really are learning, and learning at their ability levels. And, as bad a day as we can have sometimes, the tension level really is lower now than it was when the kids were in an institutional school.

 

 

How often does he look at the kids' work? When he does, does he usually give feedback about what he likes, or what he thinks they should be doing differently?

 

What does he consider to be "proof" of your family's homeschool success? Is he waiting for that proof? :001_huh:

 

Until just recently, DH did absolutely nothing and showed no interest in the actual school work. It was my job, not his.

 

Recently, our dd13 began having trouble with her math ... due entirely to a bad attitude ... so DH has taken over her math instruction for the time being. DD can do everything in her lessons, and she WILL do it for DH, but not for me right now ... :001_rolleyes: DH is happy to share his love of math with her.

 

As I said above, once DH observed that the kids were learning, and the family relationships were actually improved over the previous norm, he has been on board. I guess that's his proof.

 

Karen

[kewb]

Interesting questions.

What was the main thing that attracted your husband to homeschooling? What is his favorite thing about homeschooling?

The main thing that attracted him was that our ds was having problems with bullies at school to the point where he developed trichotillomania. After looking at all the options I said "Let's bring the kids home. We are not going to screw him up any more then the school already has. If it doesn't work they will go back to school." What really sold him in that story was the fact that it was not an all or nothing decision. We have the freedom to evaluate.

His favorite thing is being able to take the kids to a weeknight ball game or stay up late and watch with him without having to worry about how they will get up for school the next day.

 

Were the two of you in equal agreement from the start, or was one of you more "pro-homeschooling" than the other?

Totally not in equal agreement. It took 2 years for him to get where I was. It was the trichotillomania that made him realize we had to do something.

 

Has he ever had doubts, and if so, what helped him? He has doubts all the time. Discussion is what helps him. We have long and numerous conversations when doubts creep in. That and spending time with his kids.

 

Was there ever something that made him have a definite shift in his perspective about homeschooling? If so, what was it? Seeing how happy our kids are.

 

How often does he look at the kids' work? When he does, does he usually give feedback about what he likes, or what he thinks they should be doing differently?

He rarely looks at their work. Sometimes he will discuss what they are learning with them. He never voices likes or dislikes. No, that's not true. Sometimes he will comment on something that went well or talk about something he would like to incorporate and he does send me field trip ideas on occasion.

 

What does he consider to be "proof" of your family's homeschool success? Is he waiting for that proof?

The proof is in how our kids are in relation to our nieces and nephews. He likes the differences he sees between them.

[Aubrey]

After starting this thread, I thought it would also be interesting to start a thread about husbands and homeschooling in general.

 

What was the main thing that attracted your husband to homeschooling?

Is this multiple choice? I guess the main thing was how terrible my ps ed had been, both acad & socially & wanting to spare my dc that. I didn't know much about hs until I met Aub, but I knew I didn't want my dc in ps.

 

What is his favorite thing about homeschooling?

The fact that my kids have had the opportunity to do all these sc experiments that most kids don't ever get to do. And the 4yr historical approach that the WTM takes. I really like that a lot. (He's a hist major.)

 

Were the two of you in equal agreement from the start, or was one of you more "pro-homeschooling" than the other?

It was something we agreed on before we decided to marry.

 

Has he ever had doubts, and if so, what helped him?

Before we were married, before actually hs'ing, I did have some doubts, because I knew people (1 kid) who had hs'd & had been taught absolutely nothing about anything. I knew Aub well enough to trust that she wouldn't do that to our dc.

 

Was there ever something that made him have a definite shift in his perspective about homeschooling? If so, what was it?

I guess I was more on board w/ it than I was before--or more adamant about it--after reading a book about giftedness & realizing how important hs'ing might be to that group.

 

How often does he look at the kids' work? When he does, does he usually give feedback about what he likes, or what he thinks they should be doing differently?

Probably once a week, at least, they show me what they've done. I give praise & encouragement to the kids, but I don't think I give a lot of feedback to Aubrey, except to tell her that I think she's doing a great job generally, which I tell her frequently.

 

What does he consider to be "proof" of your family's homeschool success? Is he waiting for that proof?

The proof is in how much our children know. They're beyond their age level in all subjects, & they've assimilated so much of the information they've been taught that it amazes me. It shows up in their play, they read hist/sc encyclopedias for fun, & I think by the time they're graduated, they'll have a very deep understanding of the world & how it works.

[Impish]

After starting this thread, I thought it would also be interesting to start a thread about husbands and homeschooling in general.

 

What was the main thing that attracted your husband to homeschooling? What is his favorite thing about homeschooling?

Diva was having a horrendous time being bullied, both by peers and her teacher. When he was home early one day and saw the upset Diva walked in the door with...that was the final straw.

 

His favourite thing about homeschooling is the freedom it brings the kids...that Diva isn't stuck doing just one thing, bored out of her mind, and can be taught on her level, where ever that might be.

Were the two of you in equal agreement from the start, or was one of you more "pro-homeschooling" than the other?

I was more pro in the start.

Has he ever had doubts, and if so, what helped him?

He has doubts all the time. But when he insisted on bringing some of Diva's writing to work to show a co-worker how well homeschooling works and why we do it...I'd say that he's in it for the long haul...he sees the work Diva does.

Was there ever something that made him have a definite shift in his perspective about homeschooling? If so, what was it?

Again, he sees the difference in our kids. Plus, we talk about the huge difference we both see in ps kids vs hs kids.

How often does he look at the kids' work? When he does, does he usually give feedback about what he likes, or what he thinks they should be doing differently?

Every now and then. He recently insisted that Diva do some Canadian history and geography...not where we're at in the history cycle, but if it relieves his mind...lol

What does he consider to be "proof" of your family's homeschool success? Is he waiting for that proof?

 

Again, the change in Diva, the quality of her work has been the 'proof'. Plus we had to do a standardized test that showed her way above her peers.

:D

[Parrothead]

What was the main thing that attracted your husband to homeschooling?

It is the ultimate private school. Dh was adamant that dd would go to private school. She was ready for some type of age appropriate formal academics at 3.75 years old. Since she was an October baby every school I called wanted to put her in the class with the 2 year olds. That defeated the purpose of putting her in school for academic reasons. I looked into alternate school options and that was when we learned about homeschooling. We started homeschooling when dd was 3 and 11months old. She was reading 6 months later.

 

What is his favorite thing about homeschooling?

That we are not slaves to the PS schedule. We can (if we have the money) travel with him when he travels for work. Or if he has days off in the middle of the week we can do something as a family.

 

Were the two of you in equal agreement from the start, or was one of you more "pro-homeschooling" than the other?

I think i was a bit more pro homeschooling. As in "I can do that!" Dh was okay with it since it seemed the best option for dd at the time. She still has that little problem with her birthday. We are afraid that if we tried (not that we want to) to put dd in PS she would be held back a grade solely because of her birthday.

 

Has he ever had doubts, and if so, what helped him?

No, no doubts.

 

Was there ever something that made him have a definite shift in his perspective about homeschooling? If so, what was it?

I think dh was on board from the beginning, but he really became adamant that we would home school when someone tried to say that we couldn't. When we were in Montana, the legislature tried to pass a horrid homeschooling bill that would have made it virtually impossible to homeschool in Montana. Dh was looking into an alternate career path so we could move to a homeschool friendly state because no one was going to tell him how to raise and educate his child.

 

How often does he look at the kids' work? When he does, does he usually give feedback about what he likes, or what he thinks they should be doing differently?

He used to look at it weekly. Now not so much. He looks at it when I make him help me sort everything for he portfolio. Big projects that he can't miss seeing he looks at until I find an appropriate home for them.

 

What does he consider to be "proof" of your family's homeschool success? Is he waiting for that proof? :001_huh:

I suppose the proof is that we are moving forward every day. Dd is thriving and succeeding. Our family is happy. Even though we started out homeschooling for academic reasons, we have realized that not everything is about academics. The well rounded child has a chance to succeed in academics, and extra-curriculars along with socially, and morally.

Edited February 8, 2010 by Parrothead

[Dobela]

Interesting questions!

 

What was the main thing that attracted your husband to homeschooling? He wanted religious control for the first few years of our children's lives. He was a school volunteer even before we married and didn't like what he was seeing.

What is his favorite thing about homeschooling? The flexibility it gives us on a day to day basis to spend time with him as his schedule allows. He also likes that we spend so much time together as a family.

 

Were the two of you in equal agreement from the start, or was one of you more "pro-homeschooling" than the other? He was more pro-homeschool. I was teaching in public schools and thought I would be content working while they were in classes in the schools I worked.

 

Has he ever had doubts, and if so, what helped him? Never any doubts on his part. Many doubts on my part though. What helped me was to look back on the successes and positives I had found.

 

Was there ever something that made him have a definite shift in his perspective about homeschooling? If so, what was it? When he was coming home to a very meesy house and a constantly stressed out wife, he did consider public school seriously.

 

How often does he look at the kids' work? When he does, does he usually give feedback about what he likes, or what he thinks they should be doing differently? He rarely looks at their work. When he does he gives lots of feedback. Usually we share the best so he can really be happy and encouraging. When our children are struggling I will usually share that in private with him so he can find ways to encourage those areas without them being presented as 'bad' in front of the child.

 

What does he consider to be "proof" of your family's homeschool success? Is he waiting for that proof? Proof is that our children despite being 7 years a part are very close. Our son is comfortable in any situation and doesn't classify people by age/grade/clothes.

[Kathleen in VA]

What was the main thing that attracted your husband to homeschooling?

 

My husband's sister was homeschooling before we got married and the church he was member of at the time (and which we are still members of) had many homeschooling families. Our pastor homeschooled his children. Dh knew before he met me that we would homeschool our children.

 

What is his favorite thing about homeschooling?

 

That we are obeying God's command to raise our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

 

Were the two of you in equal agreement from the start, or was one of you more "pro-homeschooling" than the other?

 

Agreed from the start.

 

Has he ever had doubts, and if so, what helped him?

 

Nope.

 

Was there ever something that made him have a definite shift in his perspective about homeschooling? If so, what was it?

 

Nope.

 

How often does he look at the kids' work? When he does, does he usually give feedback about what he likes, or what he thinks they should be doing differently?

 

He works two jobs so is not here as much as he'd like to be, but he does monitor their work informally. He is the one who pointed out to me, for instance, that dd10 needed to focus on spelling. All my others are natural spellers; she is my creative speller. :)

 

What does he consider to be "proof" of your family's homeschool success? Is he waiting for that proof?

 

He isn't really looking for proof. He would never consider sending them to public or private school so proof of success is really a non-issue here. Our family is very close, our children are delightful (most of the time) and this is just our lifestyle.

[lionfamily1999]

What was the main thing that attracted your husband to homeschooling?

His son's bad progress report, coupled with his own ps experience.

What is his favorite thing about homeschooling?

That ds can go at his own pace, is no longer bored, and we don't have to deal with teachers that believe questions are distracting.

Were the two of you in equal agreement from the start, or was one of you more "pro-homeschooling" than the other?

I brought it up, but he supported me. Neither of us expected ds to be hsing in 3rd grade. Once the summer hit and ds was working on Greek 2 and showing so much progress, dh said it would be a waste to put him back in school.

Has he ever had doubts, and if so, what helped him?

At first, but the school situation was bad enough that we both gave hs a chance. He still thinks we too hermit-like, but has realized that he's pretty hermit-like himself :lol:

Was there ever something that made him have a definite shift in his perspective about homeschooling? If so, what was it?

Seeing ds' progress and now, Luke's starting to read. His older son can carry on intelligent conversations and as far as history goes, they keep up with each other (dh loves history), but ds leaves a lot of the adults we know in the dust :p

How often does he look at the kids' work?

He's starting reading our Weekly Report blogs and I hang a lot of the work up. Sometimes if something's particularly great I'll drag it out to show him.

When he does, does he usually give feedback about what he likes, or what he thinks they should be doing differently?

Oh yes, dh is very opinionated.

What does he consider to be "proof" of your family's homeschool success?

Ds' progress in Latin, Greek, Math and History as well as his new conversational skills and confidence. Our wall flower has become the life of the party :D

[chaik76]

DH is the primary reason DD went to parochial school K this year-because he was concerned she'd miss too much by not going to "school". However, by the January conference, her teacher was clear that, basically, she was only keeping DD from being bored by letting her draw and read on her own, and that DD wasn't moving forward, and actually suggested that we home school, where I could meet DD at her level.

 

So, there we go. He's still unsure about it, but is willing to try it for 1st grade and "See how it goes"-mostly because of the school suggesting it-and because he prefers me to be at home most of the time as opposed to working, and there's really no reason for me to stay home if she's in school-so he gets what he wants this way.

I think it's great that someone at the school is able to recommend what they really think will be the best educational choice for a child!

[Dmmetler]

I think it's great that someone at the school is able to recommend what they really think will be the best educational choice for a child!

 

I have to say that this is one thing I love about her current school-they are very focused on finding a "good fit" for the child, and that they're realistic about what they can do. In some ways, it would be easier to make the jump if they weren't so nice.

[coralloyd]

What was the main thing that attracted your husband to homeschooling? What is his favorite thing about homeschooling?

 

His own school experiences; the fact that I was hsed; and the fact that he is a self taught, self motivated person (this has shaped his ideas about what education really is).

 

The freedom it gives us as a family to do what we want. We are going on a rv trip in March for 2 months ;).

 

Were the two of you in equal agreement from the start, or was one of you more "pro-homeschooling" than the other?

Equal agreement :D!

Has he ever had doubts, and if so, what helped him?

 

No.

 

Was there ever something that made him have a definite shift in his perspective about homeschooling? If so, what was it?

 

How often does he look at the kids' work? When he does, does he usually give feedback about what he likes, or what he thinks they should be doing differently?

 

At dinnertime the kids tell him what they learned that day. He never asks to see their work. He does help me make choices on curriculum, when I am stuck or it is not my area of expertise (it's his).

 

 

What does he consider to be "proof" of your family's homeschool success? Is he waiting for that proof? :001_huh:

 

That or kids are learning, are learning how to learn, and have a passion to learn.

[FO4UR]

After starting this thread, I thought it would also be interesting to start a thread about husbands and homeschooling in general.

 

What was the main thing that attracted your husband to homeschooling? What is his favorite thing about homeschooling?

He served as a youth pastor in a church with about 50% HSers. The proof was in the pudding.;) He saw real teenagers, HSed all the way up...and they were normal and happy and healthy and going to college to work in the field of their choice. It was easy to say "we want that for our kids someday."

 

He would probably say his favorite thing about HSing is the flexible schedule. He holds odd hours and would not see the dc much at all if the only hours THEY were home were after 3pm. Plus, we take advantage of places like zoos and children's museums when the rest of the kids are in ps.

 

Were the two of you in equal agreement from the start, or was one of you more "pro-homeschooling" than the other?

 

By the time we actually had a kindergartner he was completely on board. I am probably more dedicated to it...of course, I'm living it while he's at work so I HAVE to be LOL!

 

Has he ever had doubts, and if so, what helped him?

 

We all have our doubts. He truly wants the best for his kids.:001_smile: It helps that our local schools teach fuzzy math and phony phonics...and it helps when the kids are proud to show him their work.

 

Was there ever something that made him have a definite shift in his perspective about homeschooling? If so, what was it?

 

The day our (then 2yo) daughter read his T-shirt. He sat her up on his lap and was saying "daddy - Ella" trying to get her to say "Ella - Daddy" and she pointed to his t-shirt and said "/c/ /o/ /l/ /l/ /e/ /g/ /e/" :001_huh::lol:

 

How often does he look at the kids' work? When he does, does he usually give feedback about what he likes, or what he thinks they should be doing differently?

 

He sees their work often! They are always proud to show him their good penmanship or their mastery of a tough math page. He is generally the encourager when it comes to the kids work. He will tell ME if he's concerned about something (like ds7 writing half of his numbers backwards...still). He sees me assessing and planning a lot. I talk his ear off about how *this* is going very well this week, but I need to shift our routine to beef up *that*...and honestly, knowing I'm aware of the issues and have a plan of attack is all he needs. Plus, he knows if he starts a HSing conversation that he'd better block out an hour or two bc I can talk forever about #1 my dc and #2 every tiny facet of HSing them.:bigear::lol:

 

What does he consider to be "proof" of your family's homeschool success? Is he waiting for that proof? :001_huh:

 

The proof is in the pudding. Our ds7 is reading and spelling inspite of vision problems (he'd have to pretty much fail 2nd grade to get help in a ps system....the same VT therapy I give in 10min per day...BEFORE failing anything) The dc love listening to read alouds, and remembers with vivid detail almost everything. He knows our dc are getting mentally "fed" with good books, real science and nature, and have the time to play.

 

Dh and I have a running joke about our ACT scores....he scored 1 pt higher than me, yet I got quite a bit more scholarship $ based on my lower score....who's the smartest???:tongue_smilie: SO, I guess we put very little stock into a test score, unless it counts for something tangible. We would like to test our dc occasionally, but not to line them up next to their age-mates (no valuable purpose in that in elementary school)....more for the purpose of pinpointing strengths and weaknesses and guiding our future decisions on currics and scheduling.

[Dayle in Guatemala]

After starting this thread, I thought it would also be interesting to start a thread about husbands and homeschooling in general.

 

What was the main thing that attracted your husband to homeschooling? What is his favorite thing about homeschooling?He loved the freedom of homeschooling to teach our dc with curriculum that backed our religious beliefs as well as the freedom for our dc to participate in real life outside of school.

 

Were the two of you in equal agreement from the start, or was one of you more "pro-homeschooling" than the other?He was FAR more pro-homeschooling than I. It took a few years of actually homeschooling before I was on board as well.

 

Has he ever had doubts, and if so, what helped him?He has never doubted our decision to homeschool and has often bolstered me when I had my doubts!

 

Was there ever something that made him have a definite shift in his perspective about homeschooling? If so, what was it?Nothing. From the very beginning he was absolutely sold on homeschooling.

 

How often does he look at the kids' work? When he does, does he usually give feedback about what he likes, or what he thinks they should be doing differently?He asks the kids about their day and looks at the projects that they finish. He gives me feedback when I ask for it. He listens patiently to my endless musings about homeschooling and what new curriculum I've found, or what isn't working. He's wonderful that way!

 

What does he consider to be "proof" of your family's homeschool success? Is he waiting for that proof? :001_huh:

The fact that we do it every day and that the kids are thriving is proof enough for him!

[myfunnybunch]

What was the main thing that attracted your husband to homeschooling? What is his favorite thing about homeschooling?

 

He didn't much care one way or the other. He was most attracted by the idea of getting to sleep in, seriously. Not in quite the way that sounds, lol, but because it allows our family to set our own schedule. He works at home, so his favorite thing is having us home all day.

 

Were the two of you in equal agreement from the start, or was one of you more "pro-homeschooling" than the other?

 

I was pro-homeschooling before we had children. He was uncertain.

 

Has he ever had doubts, and if so, what helped him?

 

He couldn't picture what it would be like. I truly understand all of those ps parents who say/think, "I could never do that," because he truly could not imagine what it would be like. Once he saw how it worked, he was on board.

 

The other thing that helped was the middle school our oldest attended. Ugh. It was combination of a mediocre school and a child who couldn't organize herself. What a nightmare. Two years of homeschooling for her, witha focus on both academics and organization and personal responsibility, and a very successful return to high school convinced him that homeschooling can be whatever we want it to be.

 

Was there ever something that made him have a definite shift in his perspective about homeschooling? If so, what was it?

 

Seeing how our children are progressing and seeing our daughter regain some of her confidence and her self.

 

How often does he look at the kids' work? When he does, does he usually give feedback about what he likes, or what he thinks they should be doing differently?

 

He never looks. Sometimes I tell him, or I'll involve him in a math- or science-oriented activity. He's a math guy and likes the math and science emphasis.

 

What does he consider to be "proof" of your family's homeschool success? Is he waiting for that proof?

 

We're happy and our kids are educated. :) He's not waiting for us to prove ourselves.

 

Cat

[s.z.ichigo]

What was the main thing that attracted your husband to homeschooling?

He's not home right now to answer, but I'd say that he's mostly unhappy with the quality of PS education, as well as unhappy with the social climate. He (like me) has no tolerance for disrespectful bad attitudes.

What is his favorite thing about homeschooling?

Our daughter not behaving like the wretched brats he sees every day at the mall.

 

Were the two of you in equal agreement from the start, or was one of you more "pro-homeschooling" than the other?

Totally equal. Neither of us considered PS as a possibility, even before we discussed it.

 

Has he ever had doubts, and if so, what helped him?

If either of us has had doubts, it was me on days when it became just a little too much.

 

Was there ever something that made him have a definite shift in his perspective about homeschooling? If so, what was it?

Nope

 

How often does he look at the kids' work? When he does, does he usually give feedback about what he likes, or what he thinks they should be doing differently?

He trusts me to make the decisions regarding school. He looks at her work periodically, or when we show him, but not to approve or disapprove.

 

What does he consider to be "proof" of your family's homeschool success?

The proof, for him, is the quality of her curriculum, and that she never has trouble learning what's put infront of her. Comments from family and even strangers regarding her fantastic behavior is also a good sign.

[....]

My husband is Korean (and they are ALL doctors), so you can only imagine...

 

He will go along with anything I feel strongly about and this was one of those things.

 

He's been home while we've done schoolwork a few times and all he can say is, "WOW, I didn't know that until 5th grade".

 

Our 2nd grader is extremely unusual and he's been aware of that for a while now...it was probably just a matter of time before we would have to put her in a private school (which we can't afford).

 

He's a staunch supporter now after watching my son jump 2 grade levels in reading (in 6 months).

 

My kids have asked to keep homeschooling, my husband likes to be able to see them if he has a day off (or comes home early) and our family atmosphere is a thousand times more relaxed than it was before... :D

[hsbaby]

After starting this thread, I thought it would also be interesting to start a thread about husbands and homeschooling in general.

 

What was the main thing that attracted your husband to homeschooling? Me:)

What is his favorite thing about homeschooling? Social aspects

 

Were the two of you in equal agreement from the start, or was one of you more "pro-homeschooling" than the other? I wanted to give it a try and he was supportive.

 

Has he ever had doubts, and if so, what helped him? Nope:)

 

Was there ever something that made him have a definite shift in his perspective about homeschooling? If so, what was it?

 

How often does he look at the kids' work? Only when I make him:)

When he does, does he usually give feedback about what he likes, or what he thinks they should be doing differently? He's usually impressed. He doesn't give me advice on how to do things differently...he knows I put a lot of effort in to what we do and he trusts in my abilities as a teacher.

 

What does he consider to be "proof" of your family's homeschool success? Is he waiting for that proof? :001_huh:

I guess his proof would be that our kids are progressing academically and are social, happy people.

[Mary in NJ]

After starting this thread, I thought it would also be interesting to start a thread about husbands and homeschooling in general.

 

What was the main thing that attracted your husband to homeschooling? At the time, he was in seminary. He felt that homeschooling would allow us to go to the mission field.What is his favorite thing about homeschooling? We are in the military and move frequently. We have lived in eight houses since we started homeschooling. The kids have had the same teacher, principal and curricula. Heck, they have even had the same bookshelves, desks, and rulers.

Were the two of you in equal agreement from the start, or was one of you more "pro-homeschooling" than the other?My husband was far more in favor of homeschooling than I. He even had a folder in his desk with homeschooling articles and the few homeschooling resources available at that time.

 

Has he ever had doubts, and if so, what helped him?Recently, he said that if there were a church denominational school where we live, he would consider sending our oldest child to the school. A couple of weeks later, she was diagnosed with diabetes, type 1, and he said that home is the best place for her.

 

Was there ever something that made him have a definite shift in his perspective about homeschooling? If so, what was it?

 

How often does he look at the kids' work? He only looks at the work I assign them, when I ask him to review it. The work that he assigns, he reviews all of that work.When he does, does he usually give feedback about what he likes, or what he thinks they should be doing differently?He thinks that one of the children should spend more time in handwriting.

 

What does he consider to be "proof" of your family's homeschool success?The fact that they think that reading is a form of entertainment. We allow the children to explore their interests (after school work is complete). One child is VERY interested in politics. After school work is done, he is allowed reasearch current topics that appeal to him in the political world. One child is a visual learner, so he records creative writing onto a tape player. He can visualize the most amazing things, and then put it into words. The other child is contemplative. She is interested in law. She explores different aspects of becoming an attorney. The kids think that these activities are cool. My husband thinks it is because they are homeschooled. Is he waiting for that proof? :001_huh:

 

 

Just our two cents.

[prairie rose]

What was the main thing that attracted your husband to homeschooling? What is his favorite thing about homeschooling?

 

My dh tolerates homeschooling, sees now that good things can come from it, but if something were to happen to me and I could no longer school them myself, he would have them in ps in a heartbeat.

 

Were the two of you in equal agreement from the start, or was one of you more "pro-homeschooling" than the other?

I've always been more pro homeschooling than him. He allows me to homeschool our children because it's important to me and is the bright spot in my day. ;)

 

Has he ever had doubts, and if so, what helped him?

Yes, he had doubts and he still has doubts but he also sees children who are happy, can think for themselves, stand up for what is right and can speak intelligently on a variety of subjects. I'm happy, the kids are happy and doing well....he doesn't see a need to fix it if it's isn't broken I guess.

 

Was there ever something that made him have a definite shift in his perspective about homeschooling? If so, what was it?

 

No, not really....well, he did insist that oldest ds go to school first and see how it went. The schools in that area weren't that good and dh decided to let me give the homeschool thing a try on a year-by-year basis since we tried it his way and it didn't go exactly as planned.

 

How often does he look at the kids' work? When he does, does he usually give feedback about what he likes, or what he thinks they should be doing differently?

 

The kids show dad their work all the time or sometimes we are still working when he gets home if they have been dawdling. :glare: He looks it over, asks them questions, praises them if they did well (like if they got 100% and they are showing him excitedly that they got 100 on the first try) if they missed something and I let the mistake stand or we haven't corrected it yet, sometimes he will go over it with them. But these are things he would do regardless of how they are schooled. ;) If I'm having a bad day or just running behind and I ask him to look over some work with one of the kids or supervise "homework" (that dawdling thing again :lol: ), he will do it no different than if it were work from a ps that he would need to help them with.

He doesn't really want to teach them like I do unless it's a topic of interest for him and then he's more than happy to explore with them. But he does seem to enjoy if I leave some kind of "homework" now and then for him to help with just like regular ps kids have. Not everyday but just a couple of times a week so he kinda gets a glimpse into their schooling that way. ;)

 

What does he consider to be "proof" of your family's homeschool success? Is he waiting for that proof?

Well, like I said, he sees everyone is happy and healthy and learning so that is proof enough for him. In regards to your other thread, my dh doesn't see testing as the be all, end all. He knows that tests can be flawed and that we aren't teaching the test like many schools do but we also far exceed the schools in some areas so traditional testing wouldn't tell us much that we don't already know.

 

I do want to reiterate since it was only mentioned once in the other thread. DORA and DOMA are not homeschool tests. In the school district we lived in before we moved here, the ps used these tests to monitor student achievement. We were able to use them through the schools. We just contacted the school for a user name and password and we were able to administer as often as we wanted. Yes it is endorsed by homeschooling activists but that's only because it's an easy and cost effective way to assess homeschool children who don't have the luxury of a school district who allows them to participate in the program.

 

Having read most of your threads on this board and other boards, I'm not sure your dh will ever be fully on board. Some dh's are like that. I don't ever expect my dh to be fully on board but I am grateful that he gives me the oppportunity to homeschool. He asks that I be open to ps should it become neccessary and I am fine with that. We even did a public charter school for a few years that allowed us to homeschool but provided oversight and a certified teacher helped us put together our game plan and was always available for questions and help. There are some national charter schools like this that would allow you to enroll no matter what state you live in, it would be pricey but your children would be both ps and hs, perhaps a "best of both worlds" scenario for your situation that might calm your dh's fears since a certified teacher would be working with you and he could express his concerns to the teacher if need be.

 

Bottom line, what I see from my computer screen, is that you are trying very hard to win dh over and make him see that homeschooling is the absolute best thing for his children but sadly, he may never see it that way. He may never jump on the bandwagon and say "Gee, homeschooling is great and absolutely the best way to educate our children! I'm so glad I let you do this." Some dh's won't even consider homeschooling, won't even give it a shot. Your dh is giving you the chance so I would take the ball and run with it and do everything in my power to make it a good experience for all involved, including dh. ;)

 

Good luck. :grouphug:

[dirty ethel rackham]

What was the main thing that attracted your husband to homeschooling?

The fact that I was interested in it and he trusts my instincts on most parenting things. ETA: Also, he knew about my experiences with bullying and what happened to his older brother. Although he didn't personally experience it, he knew the terrible effects it could have on a child.

 

What is his favorite thing about homeschooling?

He loves the fact that his kids are not jaded about learning - that it is still cool. He also likes that our kids have such close, loving bonds.

 

 

Were the two of you in equal agreement from the start, or was one of you more "pro-homeschooling" than the other?

It was my idea, but he was on board very quickly (like after I took him to a parent meeting about it he was completely for it.)

 

Has he ever had doubts, and if so, what helped him?

He started having doubts last year when ds16 had some issues with time management and was getting belligerent with me. Dh also saw that I was overwhelmed. I knew that ds had issues with depression and putting him in school was the worst possible thing we could do at the time. I convinced dh that counseling was a better way of dealing with it and college classes would help him with accountability to someone else. I showed him that there was more than one solution to the problem.

 

 

Was there ever something that made him have a definite shift in his perspective about homeschooling? If so, what was it?

Not really. I think having us talk about our long term plans of gradually getting them to take classes away from us helped ease his long term fears.

 

How often does he look at the kids' work? When he does, does he usually give feedback about what he likes, or what he thinks they should be doing differently?

Early on, he never really checked their work, but would look at things if they came running "Daddy, Daddy, Look what I did!" He has attended every homeschool function he could - history nights, plays, conferences. Lately, he has been checking ds16's physics work because I just couldn't help there. He does ask the kids more how much they got done that day.

 

What does he consider to be "proof" of your family's homeschool success? Is he waiting for that proof? :001_huh:

My oldest's SAT scores were some proof that I hadn't totally screwed them up academicallly. We had always been concerned about our boys being poster children for poor socialization as they are shy, quiet kids. But I have to keep reminding him that they are very much like I was, socially. Dd is the complete opposite - she makes friends wherever she goes. That convinced him that this was more of an innate issue rather than a homeschooling issue. He was never concerned with whether or not our kids were being classically educated (I don't even think he knows what that means.) However, he is convinced that they are getting a better education that we did (and he went to a more elite high school than I did.)

[LibraryLover]

My dh has always been very supportive. We've always seen eye-eye on parenting. He comes from a very gentle home that did not spank and who valued music and books and family. He has caught babies at home, changed cloth diapers, read to the children, played music for them. etc :) We talked hsing for years until we finally did it. ;) He's always been on- board, thankfully. I don't know how I could manage if he wasn't. He's never been outcome-based about it-- looking for 'proof'. We have one kid at college, one kid in high school, and two at home. He thinks all his kids are awesome in their way (He is more patience than I am. If I fret about something, he is always reasurring that we are on the right track), and is glad everyone is happy and thriving. That's all he cares about. He also likes the tone of our home -- esp when kids are layin' about reading, or chatting about books or movies or ideas. He's never more content than when all of his kids are home, lolling about. lol He also loves it when his oldest child calls to talk to him about his classes at uni. One change he'd like to see: The schooled kid being home more. He's heavily involved with music, lots of classes and performances and such. He misses him, so dh donates a bit of time to the music program. I like that he can work at home a lot; he can be with the hsers & me during the day, and then head out some afternoons to work on props, planning etc for ds' music interests. None of us likes it when dh has to travel. :(

Edited February 9, 2010 by LibraryLover

[melissel]

What was the main thing that attracted your husband to homeschooling? What is his favorite thing about homeschooling? Were the two of you in equal agreement from the start, or was one of you more "pro-homeschooling" than the other?

 

I was the one who led him into HSing, because I wasn't happy with the state of our PSs (they're OK, not horrible, but not great) and because I wanted to do it. He reluctantly agreed to try it out for our K year, and we've been doing it since. His favorite thing is the flexibility in our schedule. He works weekend and is off during the week. He'd never see the kids if we weren't HSing. Plus, he was convinced that he could and would get the kids ready in the mornings if we chose to send them. Well, for the past 6 months or so he was supposed to be in charge of getting them up and ready to go to preschool/babysitter. I'm sure you could imagine how quickly that went downhill :lol: I think that was a real wake-up call for him (no pun intended). He stopped insisting that he could do it after that.

 

Has he ever had doubts, and if so, what helped him?

 

Yes, but not so much about HSing--more about our ability to hang onto our marriage while HSing, because I was working 30 hours a week, and the whole thing wasn't balancing well. I'm leaving my job soon though, and I expect things to be much better.

 

Was there ever something that made him have a definite shift in his perspective about homeschooling? If so, what was it?

 

We use RightStart Math, and he read something about how math is taught in some Asian countries (with the abacus) and why it's a superior method, and came home to tell me about it, all gung ho. I showed him what we were already doing, and he was kind of blown away that I was on top of all that. It impressed him, and he's been talking about it ever since. He also read something else by an author he really respects (maybe it was The Element? I can't recall) who said something along the lines that a true fire for learning can't be built in group settings and that HSing is the best way to do engender that. It wasn't a HSing-oriented book at all, so for him to hear about it in that setting really spoke to him.

 

How often does he look at the kids' work? When he does, does he usually give feedback about what he likes, or what he thinks they should be doing differently?

 

Rarely, but with our lives so out of whack over the last year, there hasn't been a lot to look at. Plus, our kids are young, so there's not a lot produced. But he does listen when I talk to him about why I choose what I choose, and he's satisfied that I know what I'm doing. It's what keeps him from complaining when I buy what he thinks is too much curriculum :D

 

What does he consider to be "proof" of your family's homeschool success? Is he waiting for that proof? :001_huh:

 

Hmmm...good question! I think he is satisfied simply by watching our girls and listening to them talk and reason. They're both very verbal, so it's easy to gain an understanding of their general intelligence and knowledge just from living with them on a daily basis. When they're older, he might be looking for more concrete things (test scores, etc.), but at this age, we're more concerned with broader reasoning and a grasp of basic skills. He is a mathy guy, though, so I know he'll be paying attention on that front as we go along.

[joannqn]

What was the main thing that attracted your husband to homeschooling? What is his favorite thing about homeschooling?

 

It started when my daughter wanted to go to school when she was four but couldn't enroll. She wanted to learn to read so I started homeschooling her. When it was time to register, she was ready for 2nd grade but the school wouldn't consider accelerating her. He supported not forcing her to sit through a couple of years of learning nothing so I simply continued what we were already doing. Now, he likes that we can teach at their level and that they don't get "socialized" into a world view that we don't agree with.

 

Were the two of you in equal agreement from the start, or was one of you more "pro-homeschooling" than the other?

 

I think we were pretty equal from the get go.

 

Has he ever had doubts, and if so, what helped him?

 

He had never expressed any doubts; however, he has expressed concerns because his perception is that they play and are on the computer more than they do school. He wasn't aware that we follow a non-standard schedule so when he started being home during the day more often he didn't know why we weren't doing school. We also finish all of our curriculum before June despite a short school week. Finally, my kids test two years ahead in their worst subjects (and higher in others), respectively.

 

Was there ever something that made him have a definite shift in his perspective about homeschooling? If so, what was it?

 

No shift was needed.

 

How often does he look at the kids' work? When he does, does he usually give feedback about what he likes, or what he thinks they should be doing differently?

 

He only looks at their work when I tell the kids to show him something they did that day, usually a project or a writing assignment. He gives them kudos for the good job. He doesn't get involved beyond that.

 

What does he consider to be "proof" of your family's homeschool success? Is he waiting for that proof?

 

We're required to test annually. We knew the kids seemed to be doing well before then but the testing showed us they were doing in better than we knew.

[sadiegirl]

my husband was totally in favor of us homeschooling the kids when we started(at Pre-K and K)

Now, at grades 7th and 8th, he has concerns about lack of activities offered in the town we live in...pop.16,000 and little to no activities for kids in middle school age. no support group that really offers a connection with families of similar interests.

He would like to have the kids "experience" a classroom setting before hitting college so we are considering a private Christian school when younger son hits 9th grade(the school begins with 9th and we want both to go at same time rather than leave one at home!)

He is great support and proud of what I have done as a teacher. He leaves it all to me as far as school and that is ok by me. He teaches them life skills and is a very interactive parent.

[bluemongoose]

What was the main thing that attracted your husband to homeschooling? My DH is "gifted" and had a hard time in PS as a child. When he saw our DD was very similar to him he was concerned she would be dumbed down in PS. We also wanted a larger family, and that meant we couldnt afford private school for all of them. What is his favorite thing about homeschooling? The ability to tailor the education to meet the needs of the student.

 

Were the two of you in equal agreement from the start, or was one of you more "pro-homeschooling" than the other? I think we both came to the realization that this was the best choice at the same time. I was the one who decided to commit through high school first.

 

Has he ever had doubts, and if so, what helped him? He was unsure about High School because I am not strong in math and science and though he is, he works long hours. When I showed him programs like Chalk Dust for Math and BJU DVD series for Science he felt better about High School. He has the time to be the go to man for questions, but not to be the teacher.

 

Was there ever something that made him have a definite shift in his perspective about homeschooling? If so, what was it? Cost...

 

How often does he look at the kids' work? When he does, does he usually give feedback about what he likes, or what he thinks they should be doing differently? Yes, he often looks at their work. He asks at the dinner table what we worked on today. Sometimes they have pictures, projects, or writing they want to show him. He likes going over their work with them. He rarely has feedback for me about my curriculum choices. He trusts me to just get it right:)! But I do go to him for input about curriculum choices in subjects he is stronger in.

 

What does he consider to be "proof" of your family's homeschool success? Is he waiting for that proof? That they are learning. He also notices other children our kids ages and can see a difference sometimes. He gives me credit for it , but really it is his genes that made them so smart!:lol:

[lionfamily1999]

What was the main thing that attracted your husband to homeschooling? My DH is "gifted" and had a hard time in PS as a child. When he saw our DD was very similar to him he was concerned she would be dumbed down in PS. We also wanted a larger family, and that meant we couldnt afford private school for all of them. What is his favorite thing about homeschooling? The ability to tailor the education to meet the needs of the student.

 

Were the two of you in equal agreement from the start, or was one of you more "pro-homeschooling" than the other? I think we both came to the realization that this was the best choice at the same time. I was the one who decided to commit through high school first.

 

Has he ever had doubts, and if so, what helped him? He was unsure about High School because I am not strong in math and science and though he is, he works long hours. When I showed him programs like Chalk Dust for Math and BJU DVD series for Science he felt better about High School. He has the time to be the go to man for questions, but not to be the teacher.

 

Was there ever something that made him have a definite shift in his perspective about homeschooling? If so, what was it? Cost...

 

How often does he look at the kids' work? When he does, does he usually give feedback about what he likes, or what he thinks they should be doing differently? Yes, he often looks at their work. He asks at the dinner table what we worked on today. Sometimes they have pictures, projects, or writing they want to show him. He likes going over their work with them. He rarely has feedback for me about my curriculum choices. He trusts me to just get it right:)! But I do go to him for input about curriculum choices in subjects he is stronger in.

 

What does he consider to be "proof" of your family's homeschool success? Is he waiting for that proof? That they are learning. He also notices other children our kids ages and can see a difference sometimes. He gives me credit for it , but really it is his genes that made them so smart!:lol:

I wish there was a "the public school made me do it!' club for hsers. Dh's situation, similar to your dh's, coupled with ds' experiences (similar to your dd's) is exactly what led us to this hs. I'm glad for it now, but this time last year....... I was positive we were between a rock and a hard place.