For all those who are not homeschooling

[Jennifer in NH]

or afterschooling: I was wondering what it is that brings you to, or keeps you interested in this board?

I'm not really asking this of people who used to homeschool and have made good friendships here, but of those that never homeschooled. I am honestly curious. Any takers?

and don't get me wrong..I think this board is interesting..I can barely ever go to the K-8 forum without wanting to purchase some new curricula or other.

[Jennifer in NH]

I had never considered the "looking in to it" reason before. That might explain some people. I don't expect there are too many on this board, but every now and again I read what someone says and realize that they do not home school. Just curious though,

[tadah]

OK, I registered just to be able to respond on this topic (and I barely know how to use the forum, so please bear with me). I have lurked here for more than a year. I have gotten the most wonderful recommendations for books and other educational materials from this forum. For people who love kids, education, and family life, what better place? Thanks to all the thoughtful and committed posters.

[SproutMamaK]

I registered when homeschooling was an "option" for us. I wanted to get more info, see what different curricula had to offer, see how crazy Moms went when they dared to do this :lol:, and in general get a better feel for how homeschooling might change our lives. It was so helpful to have a forum to ask any questions I might have, and to feel better armed with the information we needed to make out final decision. If we hadn't chosen to homeschool, I probably would have stayed anyways, to keep getting fresh ideas on what I could do with my kids to make sure they were maximizing the education they would have gotten at school.

[melissel]

OK, I registered just to be able to respond on this topic (and I barely know how to use the forum, so please bear with me). I have lurked here for more than a year. I have gotten the most wonderful recommendations for books and other educational materials from this forum. For people who love kids, education, and family life, what better place? Thanks to all the thoughtful and committed posters.

 

Welcome to posting, tadah! What a great reason for hanging around :D

[cougarmom4]

I guess my dh wonders the same thing...why do I like to spend so much time on this forum when I'm not a homeschooler?!? It does seem a little crazy, perhaps.

 

I call myself a homeschooler-at-heart...and kind of hope for the day that all the stars align and it works for us to jump in. Until that day...I guess I am just an educator-at-heart...I *love* curriculum, I *love* to do educational things with my children, I *love* to hear about what works/doesn't work with homeschoolers, I *love* to learn new things myself. (I've taught ps previously and did homeschool ds12 last year, but for several reasons he went back to ps this year.) Learning together is just such a huge part of our family life...even though we're not homeschoolers.

 

But I think one of the main reasons I've stuck around...I finally found a group of people who care about the same kinds of things I care about!

 

Here's an example: Last year as I was researching the ps junior high, I called two ladies in my neighborhood--I was trying to find an algebra textbook just to take a peek at what is taught before we made our decision about ds attending there. It was MAY...and neither one of these ladies had any clue if their daughters were in Algebra or not. :001_huh: I seriously was dumbfounded...how could a mom not know what math level her kid was at when the year was almost over? But that explained so much to me...I must be the strange one...who knows & cares about what math level my kids are at...no wonder I don't fit in very well irl anywhere!!!

 

Ah...most ladies I meet want to talk about decorating or Twilight or the latest fashion or their recent cruise...(NOT that there is anything wrong with any of that)...but HERE I can talk about things that really matter to me...how to help my reluctant writer, chores, family read-alouds, ways to teach phonics to my preschooler, ideas for books that I can read myself. I also love the non-educational discussions--family vacation ideas, discipline, recipes, etc. Gosh...I learn so much here! It's a great place to spend (waste!!!) a few hours! :D

[mbeaser]

I hung out here for nearly 3 and a half years before I started homeschooling. I was in the Navy before that, so homeschooling wasn't possible, and DS had so many issues at school that we were having to do nearly all his "in-class" work at home after dinner, in addition to the regular homework that *2nd graders* brought home, so after schooling wasn't *at all* possible. I wasn't really sure I'd ever be able to homeschool but finally got to take the plunge a little over 2 years ago. Everything I'd learned from here gave me to confidence to start :)

 

Like a PP said, it was nice to be able to hang out with people that cared about the same sort of things like the quality of education (even if it was being offered at the school, because I couldn't actually homeschool). I learned a lot about homeschool (and bikini waxes, and placenta, and....wow so much more :lol: )

[Twigs]

I am here to find resources for my own self-education - to get the education I never had.

[FeFe]

In August I will be hanging up my homeschooling hat. I've been doing it for eight years but we have decided that everyone will go to public school next year.

 

I will still visit at least one hsing board. I have a lot more in common with some of the ladies than just hsing.

 

Have you ever tried to talk education related things with your non-hsing neighbors? I know not everyone is like this, but often their eyes tend to glaze over and they have no idea what I'm talking about or why I care.

[Jennifer in NH]

Thank you all! great replies. I cannot imagine not knowing what level my child was in math, and as for neighbors...the few we have don't speak to us ever since I mentioned that we home educate our children.:glare: But I cannot talk curricula with anyone who doesn't homeschool, because I have seen that glassy stare one too many times. :001_smile:

 

Jenny

[Ohdanigirl]

OK, I registered just to be able to respond on this topic (and I barely know how to use the forum, so please bear with me). I have lurked here for more than a year. I have gotten the most wonderful recommendations for books and other educational materials from this forum. For people who love kids, education, and family life, what better place? Thanks to all the thoughtful and committed posters.

 

Welcome, and hope this won't be your only post.:tongue_smilie:

 

I also lurked for about 2-3 years before I registered 1 year into homeschooling. I really wanted to learn as much as possible and be well informed, so I spent plenty of time reading the boards and reading every homeschooling book at the library.

 

Danielle

[Ohdanigirl]

But I cannot talk curricula with anyone who doesn't homeschool, because I have seen that glassy stare one too many times. :001_smile:

 

Jenny

 

:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:

[Michelle in MO]

The main attraction to these boards is that I'm still a big believer in homeschooling, even though we don't homeschool anymore. I really believe that homeschooling can give children an optimum education. Of course, we all have to make different decisions for our children, depending upon the circumstances, and have to trust that those are the right decisions.

 

I also enjoy some friendships formed while being a more active member of this board.

[LauraGB]

What a great question, Jenny! I wondered the same thing every once in a while, and now I feel pretty dim when someone gives an awesome answer like:

 

I am here to find resources for my own self-education - to get the education I never had.

 

I really had never considered that, or many of the answers that have been posted. Thanks for sharing your reasons, everyone!

 

Laura (who is not at all new, and can't remember how I found WTM :001_huh:)

[hsmom42]

Our children graduated from our homeschool in 2004 and 2005. I want to spend time now learning things I'm interested in.

 

I love reading the boards because there are so many wonderful new books and curricula I've not heard of - some of which I'd like to use for me.

[PentecostalMom]

Have you ever tried to talk education related things with your non-hsing neighbors? I know not everyone is like this, but often their eyes tend to glaze over and they have no idea what I'm talking about or why I care.

 

LOL...I find this hilarious! All of my neighbors think I am nuts for hsing, as do some of my friends! It's great to know that someone else "feels" this, too!

[serabi]

I registered when homeschooling was an "option" for us. I wanted to get more info, see what different curricula had to offer, see how crazy Moms went when they dared to do this :lol:, and in general get a better feel for how homeschooling might change our lives. It was so helpful to have a forum to ask any questions I might have, and to feel better armed with the information we needed to make out final decision. If we hadn't chosen to homeschool, I probably would have stayed anyways, to keep getting fresh ideas on what I could do with my kids to make sure they were maximizing the education they would have gotten at school.

 

same here. except homeschooling is still only an option for us. we haven't 100% decided yet. :001_smile:

[momof4boys]

SproutMamaK, I love your tagline about being an ignorer of housework, I feel so much better knowing there is someone else out there!:)

[Teachaheart]

I found the old WTM boards several years ago in my first year teaching in a classical Christian school after reading the first edition of TWTM. I lurked, registered (but don’t remember my username) posted a couple times, and gained some wonderful ideas that I implemented in my classroom. Then I went without internet at home and limited access at school for a few years. By the time I searched for the boards again, the new ones were up.

 

I no longer teach in a school setting. I tutor privately instead and enjoy it so much more, which is saying a lot since I loved classroom teaching as well. My current group of students ranges in age from 8 to 24, and they attend public, private and home schools. I teach reading (WRTR, McGuffey's Readers, Webster's Syllabary/Speller, Blend Phonics), math (RightStart, MEP, Euclid’s Elements and various critical thinking books), history (SOTW 2 and The Church in History), vocabulary (a Latin roots approach), Latin (LFC B and Lingua Angelica), piano (John Thompson), and ESL (Oxford Picture Dictionary).

 

When I thought that I might leave classroom teaching for private tutoring, I began lurking on the boards again and decided to register so I could post occasionally. I have learned so much about curricula and methodologies that work with one or two students as opposed to what I am used to using and doing in a classroom. There are so many wise, experienced and just plain entertaining women (and men) on these boards that I can’t imagine being successful without the knowledge I gain here. I even splurged on the new edition of TWTM since the one I read before belonged to the school where I used to teach.

 

For me, teaching and learning are as natural as breathing, and I have always wanted to homeschool my own children. Unfortunately, God has not seen fit to bless me with a husband and children of my own, so I must make do with teaching other people’s children and helping other people teach their own children.