'Side effects' of homeschooling?

[mommy4ever]

My girls have now been home 6 weeks. We are still on a learning curve. But I would say overall, it's going well. In many areas, I just started over from the beginning, as dd6 learned nearly nothing, and we've found out that some things are simply not taught.

 

Anyway, I have noticed a few things.

 

When we are out, the kids are no longer begging for treats. That was something that drove me crazy. They always wanted candy. And even if there are treats in the house, these 2 aren't devouring them the first day. We even have most our Easter Treats left over. DD11, in particular, even turns offered treats down. I can't remember the last time she asked for soda. They rarely got soda, but that didn't stop her from asking.

 

What else I have noticed is dd6 has slowed down to smell the roses. She plays with TOYS. She runs around in the yard, singing, dancing, creating an imaginary world. Electronics have become an occasional thing. There are even days when she doesn't even use the computer or play her DS. This was something we had to really regulate with all the kids. She is pulling out toys she never played with, and is really enjoying them.

 

DD11 is enjoying the home daycare children. She is bonding with them, they are no longer an annoyance in her life. They are people, she is helpful, sweet with them. Part of her LA involves reading out loud. Right now, level doesn't matter to me, just do it. And she CHOOSES to read to the little people. She will be outside with them, and she is catching bugs and telling the little ones about the bugs, teaching them. She is so much more patient as a whole. Not necessarily with her siblings....:lol: but in everything else. She doesn't feel the need to interrupt as I am saying good-bye to kids as she did before. I feel there is less jealousy from her as well. If I am doing something with one, I'm not getting the 'well when do I get to do that. When do I get to have that?" That makes me happy!

 

So is it a 'side-effect'? Or coincidence? Did you notice anything with your kids when they came home from PS?

[The Girls' Mom]

Great to see isn't it? The biggest thing I noticed (and my girls were 3rd and 6th graders) was that they became KIDS again. They play with dolls, and play together more. I'm closer to my girls now than I've ever been, and actually ENJOY being around them so much.

[Starr]

My dd became much nicer to her db and went back to wonderful play.

[KJsMom]

Isn't it great? My dds play together, they love to be outside, they use their imaginations. They finally got a Wii for Christmas and have used it maybe 15-20 times total since then.

I think for my oldest dd it is a combination of less stress and more time to be a kid. She doesn't have peers at school telling her she is a baby for playing with toys or ridiculing her because she isn't allowed to watch some of the trash that is popular. She is allowed to develop her own personality and interests without the input of public school bullies. I love it!

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

How wonderful for you! Sounds like a much more content family.

 

We've decided to finish out the year at school and start "real" homeschooling in the fall (still plan on doing what I wanted to do in summer with schooling). I can't wait to see what happens with my kids!

[KristenS]

We didn't start in PS, just some mother's day out type preschool stuff, but my kids do some of the same things ... stopping to smell the roses (literally), playing, generally staying 'younger' but not necessarily immature. My 8yo boy still enjoys Dora, and will still admit to playing Elmo games on his V.Smile Cyberpocket. How many 2nd graders would admit to Elmo? (I try to head him off about such things in public, though, LOL.)

 

I love that my kids, while they do squabble a lot, are also each other's primary playmates. They don't think of each other as best friends because they're still young for that concept and they take each other for granted ... but they are pretty close. They do have other friends, though, that they'd give that label to.

 

It's nice to get time to be a family. Over the last year and more, we've added scouts, and this spring Upward soccer, and suddenly our family schedule is INSANE (partly due to all the meetings I have to do to train for cubs and girl scouts and stuff and partly due to practices). I don't see how folks manage to do this on top of PS schedules ... I greatly admire those who pull it off and still have family time. (And I do know families who do this ... they put me in awe.)

[MamaSheep]

My ds is a whole different person. People who know him but don't see him often still express amazement at the change, and it's been 4 years. Dd is more relaxed and self-confident, and happier in general, I think. Her "issues" were not as severe as ds's, though, and the change from "almost there" to "yay!" is just less dramatic than the change from "frighteningly disfunctional" to "I can live with this". If you know what I mean.

[justamouse]

Welcome to homeschooling, ain't it awesome?

[DaffodilDreams]

You put into words what I've noticed in my dd. When she was in preschool, she had no interest in playing. When I decided to keep her home for K, she suddenly discovered playing. I love that she is able to be a kid for as long as she wants.

[Night Elf]

Well, I hate to be negative, but a side-effect of bringing my oldest home after being in school to 10th grade, was a 1-year deschooling process. I've heard of it. I've talked about it. I thought I understood it because my youngest dd has been in and out of school. (The longest she stayed in was all of 3rd grade. All the rest of her elementary years she spent 2 to 3 months in school.) Anyway, I didn't really experience that deschooling process until my oldest dd. A suggested amount is about 1 month for every year in school. That was so on target it isn't even funny. All of her friends are graduating in 2 weeks from public school and she still has an entire year of classes to go. She thinks she can do them and graduate in January. I believe that is too optimistic.

 

Also, I found with both daughters that after they came home, they were happy to homeschool for about a month, and then things went downhill. It's like being out of school caught up with them and they were relieved. But you've gotten to the 6-week mark. Congrats! :)

[michelle l]

Mine are finally curious again. They just stopped everything for about a half-hour to watch a mama robin feed her babies. Isn't it something?:)

[misidawnrn]

I was just talking to another mom at work the other day (she homeschools too and we are both nurses on different floors). I told her I noticed my DD isn't so fidgety since I pulled her out of school. She went to our church school and teacher was very rigid and strict. I am strict too but not so much about school work. It's hard to explain but when I helped at the school I constantly heard "sit forward, don't play with your sweater, no talking," etc etc etc. The kids had little desks with blinders that came out and they weren't allowed to talk to other kids exept on break (30 mins) They couldn't even SEE other kids, they had to look at 3 white walls of their desks. (I HATED THAT SET UP!!!!!!)

She used to come home bouncing off the walls with energy that was pent up all day at school from not being allowed to fiddle with a pencil, put her legs up in her chair etc. It was sooooo bad that I actually tried to give her calms' forte to help (WTH was I thinking??? I am opposed to medicating my children's behavior but the teacher complained so I tried it. It didn't work anyways!

 

Now she has a little desk in the living room with all of her work being done in the living room and the fidgeting is almost gone!!!!!! I don't bug her about fiddling with a pencil (unless she puts it in her mouth) and she can sit however she wants on her chair or at the coffee table or on the floor (usually she is up higher so DD-1 doesn't get her papers) It is AMAZING!

[m0mmaBuck]

I'm waiting for the positives to hit. I'm holding on to hope. My kids fight constantly. DS8 complains that DD4 is too much of a distraction because she is breathing. I don't know how he possibly survived PS if one little girl talking to herself in a corner is such a huge distraction that he can't focus, lol.

[justamouse]

Well, I hate to be negative, but a side-effect of bringing my oldest home after being in school to 10th grade, was a 1-year deschooling process. I've heard of it. I've talked about it. I thought I understood it because my youngest dd has been in and out of school. (The longest she stayed in was all of 3rd grade. All the rest of her elementary years she spent 2 to 3 months in school.) Anyway, I didn't really experience that deschooling process until my oldest dd. A suggested amount is about 1 month for every year in school. That was so on target it isn't even funny. All of her friends are graduating in 2 weeks from public school and she still has an entire year of classes to go. She thinks she can do them and graduate in January. I believe that is too optimistic.

 

Also, I found with both daughters that after they came home, they were happy to homeschool for about a month, and then things went downhill. It's like being out of school caught up with them and they were relieved. But you've gotten to the 6-week mark. Congrats! :)

 

I think you're right-my older ones I took out had to de-school, but my youngers just slipped right into homeschooling. The older ones are just amazingly stressed and need a cool off period to reaquaint themselves with life and to get to the point where they want to learn again.

[DarlaS]

So is it a 'side-effect'? Or coincidence? Did you notice anything with your kids when they came home from PS?

 

That is quite a dramatic change in a short time! You must really be doing something right. :thumbup:

 

It's amazing what a little extra time to get things done will do for a person's disposition. Kids in school can be on such a rough schedule. Are they by any chance getting a lot more sleep? No doubt it's easier to eat better at home too.

 

Just hope it lasts--and don't forget to cut yourselves some slack on the inevitable bad days when it seems everyone got out of bed on the wrong side (mostly that would be me here :tongue_smilie:).

[mommy4ever]

That is quite a dramatic change in a short time! You must really be doing something right. :thumbup:

 

It's amazing what a little extra time to get things done will do for a person's disposition. Kids in school can be on such a rough schedule. Are they by any chance getting a lot more sleep? No doubt it's easier to eat better at home too.

 

Just hope it lasts--and don't forget to cut yourselves some slack on the inevitable bad days when it seems everyone got out of bed on the wrong side (mostly that would be me here :tongue_smilie:).

 

 

Darla, you are partially right. They ARE getting more sleep. We aren't leaving the house at 7:30 to catch the bus. Both have always been a bit night owl-ish. So now, they are going to bed a little later but sleeping until 8, and IMO that is perfectly find, on average they are getting 11 hours of sleep! The youngest IS eating better as she has TIME to eat. She is also a grazer, which she can't be in a school.

 

DD6, has made the transition really easy. She is frustrating to somedays, but what child doesn't have their moments. She is super fidgety some days. But I don't worry about it. Lately during dictation for AAS, I'll say the word, and she makes up the goofiest sentence she can, then laughs for several minutes....and forgets the words...argh..lol. There are times she will not sit to work, she'll whine and fuss, and it's time to go outside! Today she made her 3rd snowman for May. Yes... Snow in may. But she came in fired up and ready to work.

 

DD11 had one of those wrong-side-of-the-bed-days today. She woke with a head ache. But didn't want to do anything to help. Not take a Tylenol, not eat or drink, or lay in a dark room...just determined to be miserable and wanted everyone to do the same. I insisted she lay down for 20 minutes, let the meds kick in. She finally did. Came down a little better in demeanor, but couldn't focus on anything. So today became arts and crafts to her. She practiced her back stitching and made 2 sock monsters. :tongue_smilie: But it made her happy and pleasant, and the headache dissipated.

 

I try to be as patient as possible, i get short sometimes when overwhelmed. I never thought I'd be a homeschooler. Dh never was in support of it. But now he is. I do try to get a little down time. I also run a home daycare, so scheduling is interesting at times. But we're getting it figured out. DD11 is relaxing more and more, going with the flow more. She was sooooo we gotta do work! And of course, the school system isn't inline with the homeschool curriculum, :lol:, so it is somewhat frustrating. But since we have decided that she isn't returning to school anytime soon, that it doesn't matter, the next 2 months are for me to see what she has and hasn't learned so we can plan for grade 6, so she can have a fantabulous year, these next 2 months is research and learning how to do things. So she is doing a short school day, and filling the rest with reading, and crafting.