hesitancy about homeschooling

[MeganW]

Those who know my story, forgive me for going over it again.

 

I have 5 1/2 year old triplets who would be completely typical if they were a year younger - their motor skills, cognitive skills, social skills, etc. are all about a year behind and have been about a year behind for most of their lives. We have done everything there is to do (remedial programs, therapies, etc.) in an attempt to catch them up to their same-age peers, but it just isn't happening. Because of that, we sent them back this year to a 4 year old preschool program even though technically they were kindergarten age. I have been gently working on preschool/kindergarten things with them at home - the few hours a week they are at preschool is really just to give them some other kids to play with and so on.

 

For next year, my plan was/is to homeschool them, officially declaring them as kindergarteners. But now I am really doubting myself. It seems like everyone else's kids are getting so much out of public school kindergarten. Things that I just would never get around to. Dressing up as their favorite nursery rhyme character. Units on all kinds of neat things that I don't think I would even think of. Show & tell.

 

I am completely freaking about this. I had thought that as long as I covered phonics, handwriting, and math, everything else was gravy. But now I am wondering if my kids are going to be culturally inept. Not classical culture - I mean current culture. Of course, that's part of the reason we are homeschooling - we don't want them exposed to a lot of what is going on in the schools. But it just seems like everyone else's kids are learning so many neat things!

 

Of course my other big worry is that my kids will turn into a pack again. A group that is exclusive and won't play with anyone else and so on. They will be 80 years old and still living together and dressing the same. Agh!!! Help!!!

[2_girls_mommy]

For the extras, you can outsource if you want to. You could do girl scouts, Sunday school, co-op classes, etc. We do all of those, and they provide some of the fun extras that we may or may not get to at home, including outside friendships.

 

 

We used to go to preschool storytimes when my kids were K and 1st (I just talked to the librarian to make sure she didn't mind that they were slightly older..) They did the dressing up and stuff there sometimes too. I also used to take my kids to a local teacher supply store every Sat. morning because they did free crafts there.

[Guest]

Kids learn through play; that's what is going on in a good, developmentally appropriate kindergarten for portions of the day. Some of the play is of necessity structured, because there needs to be some kind of control and structure when you deal with twenty or more kids in one room. There is going to be a wide variety of activities because not all kids will respond to or enjoy any given one (dressing up, for instance, will appeal to lots of kids but not to all).

 

Your kids are going to play whether you structure it or not. Let them have leisurely amounts of time to do what they think up themselves, and then, if you feel the need to enrich them in a more structured fashion, think in terms of setting up open shelves or "centers" that you stock with a more coherent collection of supplies to get them going in a certain direction. You could have a math game corner (ThinkFun has lots of games that teach kids spatial thinking and logic; they're all over Barnes and Noble and in toy stores), a dress-up corner (we got great mileage from thrift store hats and old costumes), an art shelf with supplies like pipe cleaners, confetti, glue, scissors, old bits of wrapping paper, tape, paper plates, ribbon, etc. You could have a science box with a magnifying glass, a bucket balance, cheap plastic beakers, and some basic fun stuff from Steve Spangler Science or something similar plus a nature display of whatever is around your place in the season and possibly a terrarium. Set aside a corner of your yard or fill some pots on a balcony and let them dig, make dams, and plant seeds. It takes up space, it can get messy -- but that's what learning is like for very young children. Play classical music while you clean up at the end of the day or during dinner.

 

And as one other poster said, look outside the house. We also went to a free Saturday craft session at our local teacher supply store for years; went to a free Sunday art-making session for families at the city art museum; went to the zoo, the pet store, the natural history museum, the beach, and the mountains during the school day; and did Brownies and a year of Girl Scouts.

[MerryAtHope]

Your kids are going to play whether you structure it or not. Let them have leisurely amounts of time to do what they think up themselves, and then, if you feel the need to enrich them in a more structured fashion, think in terms of setting up open shelves or "centers" that you stock with a more coherent collection of supplies to get them going in a certain direction. You could have a math game corner (ThinkFun has lots of games that teach kids spatial thinking and logic; they're all over Barnes and Noble and in toy stores), a dress-up corner (we got great mileage from thrift store hats and old costumes), an art shelf with supplies like pipe cleaners, confetti, glue, scissors, old bits of wrapping paper, tape, paper plates, ribbon, etc. You could have a science box with a magnifying glass, a bucket balance, cheap plastic beakers, and some basic fun stuff from Steve Spangler Science or something similar plus a nature display of whatever is around your place in the season and possibly a terrarium. Set aside a corner of your yard or fill some pots on a balcony and let them dig, make dams, and plant seeds. It takes up space, it can get messy -- but that's what learning is like for very young children. Play classical music while you clean up at the end of the day or during dinner.

 

Yes! Making a dress-up box isn't too difficult, and you can add to it as time goes on. Art supplies, manipulatives, educational toys and time--they'll take care of the learning from it! And over time you'll think of things or they will--you'll read something in a book to them and they'll want to do it (I remember reading Archaeologists Dig for Clues when they were early elementary--they went out to the sand box, buried things and dug for them, LOL!).

 

You are an expert on YOUR children--you know them better than anyone else does. You were there when they learned to walk and talk, you've been there for therapy, you've guided them in social situations--and you can continue just doing the next thing with them. You are fully qualified to do this!

 

But it just seems like everyone else's kids are learning so many neat things!

 

 

Honestly--this will always be true no matter what educational method you choose. You'll see it all the time among homeschoolers--someone will be teaching something you're not & you'll feel like you have to jump ship and do their curriculum or change the style of your school or whatnot. I'd encourage you to make a list of things your kids will miss out on if they go to PS instead of homeschooling--because there will be lots of things they'll miss out on, lots of opportunities they won't get for time with you, field trips, social situations with people of all ages and not just their own age, the books they'll read, the time for play and casual learning--there will be lots of things that they either won't have any time for or will have much less time for if you send them to ps, and those are also "missed" opportunities.

 

It goes both ways :-).

 

Praying for wisdom for you as you make this decision! BTW, I've run into several other moms online who have homeschooled triplets over the years--that might be something for you to look into, I wonder if there are any yahoo email groups for homeschooling multiples, that might answer specific questions you'd have.

 

Merry :-)

[robsiew]

Those who know my story, forgive me for going over it again.

 

I have 5 1/2 year old triplets who would be completely typical if they were a year younger - their motor skills, cognitive skills, social skills, etc. are all about a year behind and have been about a year behind for most of their lives. We have done everything there is to do (remedial programs, therapies, etc.) in an attempt to catch them up to their same-age peers, but it just isn't happening. Because of that, we sent them back this year to a 4 year old preschool program even though technically they were kindergarten age. I have been gently working on preschool/kindergarten things with them at home - the few hours a week they are at preschool is really just to give them some other kids to play with and so on.

 

For next year, my plan was/is to homeschool them, officially declaring them as kindergarteners. But now I am really doubting myself. It seems like everyone else's kids are getting so much out of public school kindergarten. Things that I just would never get around to. Dressing up as their favorite nursery rhyme character. Units on all kinds of neat things that I don't think I would even think of. Show & tell.

 

I am completely freaking about this. I had thought that as long as I covered phonics, handwriting, and math, everything else was gravy. But now I am wondering if my kids are going to be culturally inept. Not classical culture - I mean current culture. Of course, that's part of the reason we are homeschooling - we don't want them exposed to a lot of what is going on in the schools. But it just seems like everyone else's kids are learning so many neat things!

 

Of course my other big worry is that my kids will turn into a pack again. A group that is exclusive and won't play with anyone else and so on. They will be 80 years old and still living together and dressing the same. Agh!!! Help!!!

 

I'm not completely clear what you are asking, but I'm surmising that you're still trying to figure out if you want to home school or not.

 

Yes, there are things the PS will do that you probably won't do at home. On the other hand, there is so much more you can do at home that would be impossible in a classroom.

 

If you're worried about "socialization" you can always do some extra activities or find a homeschool group to be a part of. We go to a lot of parks in the summer too where my kids just find other kids to hook up with. They also do spend a lot of time together of course, but really... at this age is that all that bad? They are learning SO much about getting along with others in the safety of their own family. They learn conflict resolution and dealing with things we don't like in others in the safety of a family who loves them. In PS this is not the case. The other kids their age do not love them no matter what and they do not have your children's best interest in mind all the time.

 

For us, the benefits of home school quickly overshadow the few benefits of PS. You have to decide for yourself what is important.

[MissKNG]

- I mean current culture. Of course, that's part of the reason we are homeschooling - we don't want them exposed to a lot of what is going on in the schools. But it just seems like everyone else's kids are learning so many neat things!

 

QUOTE]

 

Ugh, I can't STAND it after my big girl hangs out with her 7 year old ps cousin. All the things she imitates from her cousin drives.me.bonkers. And this, again, is a SEVEN year old I'm talking about!!

 

What are some of the neat things specifically?

Edited December 1, 2010 by MissKNG

[Farrar]

Do you know many homeschoolers? Sometimes when I hang around school parents (and it's pretty rare - I don't know many of them anymore) then I'm like, oh, you did that, wow, that's cool. But for every "cool" thing kids get to do in school, most of the homeschoolers I know get to do ten. Schoolkids take maybe one or two field trips a year - maybe one or two more if they live in a really special district or go to an especially well-funded and programmed school. I don't know any homeschoolers who take that few field trips. The number of opportunities we have to do cool stuff and to seize on cool opportunities just seems to me to be exponentially greater than kids in school. And the gap only gets bigger the older the kids are since the older they are, the more pressure schoolkids have to do well on tests.

 

Yes, it's all just gravy. But there's a lot more gravy available to homeschoolers than schoolkids. And a lot more time to lap it up because there's less time wasted on "teacher talk" and discipline.

 

Btw... can I just say, I think homeschooling multiples rocks. :)

Edited December 1, 2010 by farrarwilliams
btw...

[mom2boys030507]

You can do this! Yes, you can.

 

For me, my main goal is to get my kids reading and enjoying reading. Once this happens all of the other things can happen. We start phonics, math and handwriting in K. That is it. Yes, there are art projects. Sometimes we do science. But our day is phonics, math and handwriting. Once my boys are reading on about a second grade level I start having them read more science and history books and we go from there.

[redsquirrel]

I had the same worries when I started to homeschool. I have two kids and we have always homeschooled. Those first years are the hardest for those reasons.

 

Listen, your children will NOT suffer if you don't make cinnamon-apple sauce christmas ornaments etc, etc.

 

Every school looks great, wonderful, tulips and daisies in kindergarten and first grade. All my friends were telling me all this great stuff that was happening. I was so worried my son was missing out.

 

yeah, well that was then and this is now. Here I am with a 5th grader and all my friends wish they could do what I do. Very often they are not happy with the education their kids get as they get older, they REALLY aren't happy with the culture of the school. They might be interested in homeschooling but now their kid is so invested in the social scene that they could 'never' pull them out (they think). Or, the school work now looks so difficult that they think they could never teach it.

 

I am SO GLAD I didn't put him during those early years. You know what? Those same kids who went to the expensive preschool and the nice kindergarten, they don't remember anything they did in those years. So, they made a bunch of macaroni necklaces and handprint turkeys. Big deal.

 

FWIW, I did one year of 'pre-school and one year kindy with my kids. I did weekly 'themes' and arts and crafts along with reading instruction. I did that because I was so worried they would miss out on all that stuff. I did rainforest week, transportation week, snow week, ocean week, farm week, bug week, etc etc. It was mostly linked to the seasons and I had books and crafts and cooking etc all linked to the themes. It was very preschool like and we had a great time. I also did reading, math and science and handwriting.

 

When we were done, both boys were totally ready for first grade and TWTM. I realize now they didn't miss a thing.

[catz]

Look at your local classes, groups, outings, and resources. Since September my kids have camped at the Mississippi headwaters, been to an orchestra twice, 2 stage productions, 1 8 week hands on science class at the zoo, both take music lessons, take circus classes, do campfire, participate in playgroup, and visit an art, science, and history museum on a regular basis. Other field trips come up too.

 

My son attended 2 years of PS and some of this stuff does look good on paper. But it's usually minutes of the day and the rest of the day they're herded around like sheep. When we were looking long and hard at school choices (we never thought we'd be homeschooling), we discovered many, many parents only want to talk about the positives of their particular schooling choice. My son attended kindergarten and 1st grade. Honestly - kindergarten was "ok". First was awful. And this is at a highly rated public school that carries a waiting list. It ranks 9 out of 10 on GreatSchools.

[Hedgehogs4]

Those who know my story, forgive me for going over it again.

 

I have 5 1/2 year old triplets who would be completely typical if they were a year younger - their motor skills, cognitive skills, social skills, etc. are all about a year behind and have been about a year behind for most of their lives. We have done everything there is to do (remedial programs, therapies, etc.) in an attempt to catch them up to their same-age peers, but it just isn't happening. Because of that, we sent them back this year to a 4 year old preschool program even though technically they were kindergarten age. I have been gently working on preschool/kindergarten things with them at home - the few hours a week they are at preschool is really just to give them some other kids to play with and so on.

 

For next year, my plan was/is to homeschool them, officially declaring them as kindergarteners. But now I am really doubting myself. It seems like everyone else's kids are getting so much out of public school kindergarten. Things that I just would never get around to. Dressing up as their favorite nursery rhyme character. Units on all kinds of neat things that I don't think I would even think of. Show & tell.

 

I am completely freaking about this. I had thought that as long as I covered phonics, handwriting, and math, everything else was gravy. But now I am wondering if my kids are going to be culturally inept. Not classical culture - I mean current culture. Of course, that's part of the reason we are homeschooling - we don't want them exposed to a lot of what is going on in the schools. But it just seems like everyone else's kids are learning so many neat things!

 

Of course my other big worry is that my kids will turn into a pack again. A group that is exclusive and won't play with anyone else and so on. They will be 80 years old and still living together and dressing the same. Agh!!! Help!!!

 

STOP RIGHT THERE and consider what "OTHER" kinds of "NEAT" things they are learning in school. Yes, you alluded to it, but really it is as bad as they say, even in the best schools (a member of my household worked in one of the marquis elementary schools down the road.)

 

My kids are learning tons of neat stuff too. It's not the same neat stuff, but I don't mind if my daughter doesn't like Justin Bieber and my son isn't into X-Box. every. single. flippin. day. My kids play with public schooled kids in the neighborhood and I hear them talking about the stuff they learn. It's fine I suppose, but I think my kids are learning just as well or better... let me just say I'm glad I'm homeschooling.

[twoplustrips]

I don't have any advice as my triplets are only 18 months, but I wanted to say hi to another triplet mom!!

 

Kathy

dd7

ds5

dtriplets1

[skueppers]

I used to worry about the cool stuff my kids would miss in the public school, too. My local elementary school has a highly-regarded spanish immersion program, which you can only enter in K, and that added to my stress.

 

A big problem I had was that school is the "normal" option, so when I would try to compare the pros and cons, the school "pros" seemed more significant than the "home" pros, and the school "cons" had an air of, "but everyone does it" to them.

 

Tuesday, traffic kept us from going home to "do school," so we did some written work at a café, visited a nature center, and went on a nature hike. In the afternoon, my daughter put on a play with a friend, following written scripts and using props from around the house. All before they would even have been home from public school.

 

Today at our little co-op, one of the moms, who spent 10 years in Africa, told west African folk tales and showed the kids how to wrap a skirt out of a rectangle of fabric. They also danced to African music and made beads. Later on, we went swimming. Again, while the public school kids were still in class.

 

Grandma and Grandpa are in town, so tomorrow we're going to an art exhibit with Grandma.

 

I have no regrets at all about homeschooling. She's doing a lot of great stuff!

[kalanamak]

T

 

I am completely freaking about this. I had thought that as long as I covered phonics, handwriting, and math, everything else was gravy. But now I am wondering if my kids are going to be culturally inept. Not classical culture - I mean current culture.

 

Current culture is simple enough you can catch up very quickly. Dressing up as a character never seemed as important to me as being hip deep in a pond with a frog-loving friend, and bringing home our own tadpoles to raise. Or a perfect day at a museum that was no mobbed with kids. Or skiing weekday afternoons. Or 2 hour cuddly reading sessions. When you have a 5 year old who shouts Humbaba in the ancient section of a museum because you've read him Zeman's Gilgamesh 5 times, who cares if they know who Sponge Bob is?

[2squared]

Have you looked at fun unit studies like FIAR and Homeschool Share? We loved those for the PK/K ge (and older). I think they would have what you feel are missing.

[mammaofbean]

i really can't justify 7 hours a day, 5 days a week so my kid can do cool school stuff half a dozen times a year. or so they automatically have a group of 24 friends. that would mean giving up time spent with the few dozen kids dd already calls friends and at least half of her extra curriculars and trips to see family in the middle of february and spending 2 hours eating lunch and staying up late to stare at the moon, etc. not to mention the fact that i can meet her needs academically at her level in the amount of time other kids spend getting ready for school and riding on the bus.

 

and some kids don't like dress-up. mine does, so she does it all of the time, but wouldn't love as much being told what to dress-up in. it is nice having the flexibility and time for kids to create their own cool activities. and you can pick and choose extras based on what you and your kids like.

 

on pop culture, eh, my kid gets more of that than i like sometimes but that is part of hanging out with other kids. i am able to avoid extremely bad influences, but even homeschooled kids talk about icarly and justin bieber.

[Rivka]

Have you looked at fun unit studies like FIAR and Homeschool Share? We loved those for the PK/K ge (and older). I think they would have what you feel are missing.

 

:iagree:

 

The three R's may be all that's necessary, but I think I'd find that pretty flat. FIAR is just right for your kids' ages, and it would give you the culture and fun projects you're missing.

[Sweetest]

Hmm, I'll offer a dissenting point of view... My DD went to public kindergarten and it was a great experience! I have had nothing but bad experiences since with PS (dd went to PS for half of 1st and we sent her back for 5 weeks in 4th - both very bad experiences).

 

My DD's experience at kinder was so wonderful that I now send my ds to a private kindergarten program (we live in a different area now and the PS is very overcrowded, but if I lived in an area with decent schools I would have sent him to PS kinder rather than private).

 

I feel like he is getting so much out of it and it it saving me a lot of sanity. I personally think that Kindergarten is a great way to give your children the school experience without all the baggage that comes along with PS as they get older.

 

My advice would be to give the kindergarten a try if you are really feeling conflicted - you can always pull them out. Kindergarten can be a very positive experience!

[Guest mrsjamiesouth]

The good thing about homeschooling is that you can go at thier pace. There are tons of things you can teach them before they can read and write.

The truth is that they will miss out on neat things that happen in public school, but on the other hand they will get to do lots of things that ps kids don't get. We spend hours outside, they wouldn't get to go outside as often if in ps. My oldest went to K and 1st grade, I was VP of the PTA and room mom. I saw background issues that most parents don't see. If the teacher was PMS'ing than a lot of times she wouldn't take the kids outside because she didn't feel like it. They also miss recess if it rained the day before, is 40 degrees or colder, and if it is too hot.

 

We do co-ops, skate day, classes at the zoo, baseball, gymnastics, and many neat field trips.

[ChandlerMom]

I suspect a lot of ps parents rave about all the "neat"stuff because they are dealing with their kids being gone all day. I'd feel sorry for them if they couldn't come up with some "neat" things to feel good about! It's also part of the culture saying "being home with mom isn't good enough."

 

I think what you describe is a VERY common feeling most of us probably had starting out. Just remember, no one is going to know, love, or care for your children as much as you do. Kindergarten is a lot about learning to sit still and be bored (I remember K well, and was NOT good at sitting still and being bored, lol). The teacher is trying to get the class from different backgrounds and prep levels "all on the same page," which probably makes it the most traumatic year of school if you aren't "average".

 

The best advice I got from a HSing teacher friend was "don't sweat kindergarten."

 

As for neat activities, there are tons of books and resources out there. Just remember, what seems neat to us isn't the same as what is neat to them. My DDs fav Thanksgiving activity is still tracing their hand and turning it into a turkey, despite all the more elaborate projects I bring out! Knowing your own children means you'll be sensitive to this.

[G5052]

I had a blast with mine when they were little. We did a lot of field trips, a lot of art, and a lot of outside play and nature studies. I basically followed their interests as we went, so it took a little work along the way but no up-front planning. If they were into a subject, we followed it with books and projects until they moved to something else. Along the way they did the 3 Rs for academics, but the rest was informal, interest-led.

 

No regrets now!

[christine in al]

through Kindergarten because there was a very good option for them.

 

Then they came home for school. easy peasy. gave me another year to explore curricula and philosophies.

 

I suggest you go visit the school without the kids. and get a feel for what it's like. Do they love kids ? Is it a peaceful and orderly environment? or crazy and wild fun? Do they respect kids as people?

 

You can do anything you want every year.

 

As a matter of fact, my two are going for the spring to the local Montesorri school just for the spirng, to give them variety and breadth of experience and a rest from me and for me to rest, and deep clean the house before we carry on for the next 4-5 years.

 

Be at peace, visit the school, meet other homeschoolers around, and you can always, have them do Kindergarten, and then just bring them right back home starting in 1st. If they have good buddies in Kindergarten, you may need to work to maintain playdates after K( at least for a while) , but you'll be moving them into new friendship opportuinites with other homeschoolers.

 

Christien in al

[skueppers]

I had an experience today that seems relevant to this discussion, so I thought I'd toss it in.

 

We had a truly awful morning. It included, among other things, a thirty-minute kicking, hitting, stomping tantrum in the middle of an art museum. Yes, this is my school-age child, not my preschooler (he was terrific!)

 

At 1:45, I was able to have a serious talk with my daughter about the rest of our plans for the day, and to my great surprise, she was able to hold it together long enough to have a real conversation instead of another fit. Because we were able to work together, I opted to continue with our plans for the day, which went beautifully. From that point on, the day was lovely.

 

During the first 7 1/2 hours this kid was awake, she spent about 2 hours being miserable and in ways that made everyone around her miserable, too. In the last 5 1/2 hours, she was a joy to be around.

 

If she'd been in school, I would have had much less time with her, and probably wouldn't have gotten to have the good experiences that helped make the bad ones seem less awful.

[stripe]

I would definitely incorporate play into your kids' day; in fact, their very three-ness makes it more likely they'll have someone to do these long

 

However, I think there are just different personalities. I have relatives who are retired elementary school teachers -- they make lovely displays and do all sorts of amazing, fun, cute stuff. I am more of a teen person in that regard. I am not a cutsey kind of person. But I still try to come up with fun stuff for my kids to do! Ha. Try doing some drawing and art stuff, and more play time, and I think you won't feel so ... severe and academic!

[birchbark]

Along the lines of those who shared how important unscheduled playtime is, I would recommend the book Simplicity Parenting. It may put your "missing-out" fears to rest. The author does a great job of demonstrating how "less is more" when it comes to raising creative, well-adjusted children.

 

I also would agree with others who said that the benefits of homeschooling far outweigh the disadvantages.

[mama27]

Those who know my story, forgive me for going over it again.

 

I have 5 1/2 year old triplets who would be completely typical if they were a year younger - their motor skills, cognitive skills, social skills, etc. are all about a year behind and have been about a year behind for most of their lives. We have done everything there is to do (remedial programs, therapies, etc.) in an attempt to catch them up to their same-age peers, but it just isn't happening. Because of that, we sent them back this year to a 4 year old preschool program even though technically they were kindergarten age. I have been gently working on preschool/kindergarten things with them at home - the few hours a week they are at preschool is really just to give them some other kids to play with and so on.

 

For next year, my plan was/is to homeschool them, officially declaring them as kindergarteners. But now I am really doubting myself. It seems like everyone else's kids are getting so much out of public school kindergarten. Things that I just would never get around to. Dressing up as their favorite nursery rhyme character. Units on all kinds of neat things that I don't think I would even think of. Show & tell.

 

I am completely freaking about this. I had thought that as long as I covered phonics, handwriting, and math, everything else was gravy. But now I am wondering if my kids are going to be culturally inept. Not classical culture - I mean current culture. Of course, that's part of the reason we are homeschooling - we don't want them exposed to a lot of what is going on in the schools. But it just seems like everyone else's kids are learning so many neat things!

 

Of course my other big worry is that my kids will turn into a pack again. A group that is exclusive and won't play with anyone else and so on. They will be 80 years old and still living together and dressing the same. Agh!!! Help!!!

 

 

Well, I don't have triplets but my youngest 4 are very close in age. 8,7,5,4. My 5 yo still doesnt know his alphabet. My 7 yo is still struggling with reading 3 letter words.

OTH, my 8 yo is reading chapter books, my 17 took a college class when she was 16 and passed with a 95.

My kids have taken a variety of classes, not in public school, including painting, Tae kwon Do, basketball, soccer, horse riding lessons, dance, photography classes, etc.

5 of my 7 kids would rather play/hang out with each other or a VERY few close friends. By few I mean 1 or 2. lol The other 2 kids are VERY social and would spend every moment doing something with someone.

The point is YOU are the parent YOU can teach them all kinds of neat things while allowing them to grow and develop at their own pace.

They really won't be 80 and dressing the same. lol wait till they are teenagers and you will be saying please dress the same!!!!

But so what if they only play with each other right now? They are 5. Still babies, imo.

See if there are homeschool groups in your area and go to park days. They will enjoy that a lot more than educational classes (aka public school). Besides, weren't WE always told we are not in school to socialize but to get an education? ;-)

[stripe]

I would definitely incorporate play into your kids' day; in fact, their very three-ness makes it more likely they'll have someone to do these long

 

<-- what happened? I never ended that sentence.

 

Anyway the point was that they will have playmates and can create lots of things.

 

I have been reading Simplicity Parenting. It certainly does advocate the "less is more" approach. I am not entirely sure it works exactly as written for homeschoolers (unless you are a die-hard Charlotte Mason fan) -- too many of us have WAY too many books -- but it is very thought-provoking.

 

I think it can be fun to observe kids playing with lots of stuff and complicated play equipment, but often kids are at least as happy with a cardboard box, and potentially way more creative. So don't get bogged down by not having the complete school-like home.

[birchbark]

I have been reading Simplicity Parenting. It certainly does advocate the "less is more" approach. I am not entirely sure it works exactly as written for homeschoolers (unless you are a die-hard Charlotte Mason fan) -- too many of us have WAY too many books -- but it is very thought-provoking.

 

 

Very true on the book point. It reminds me of what one homeschooling blogger said: "I am a minimalist in all things but children and books." :D

[MeganW]

I've been in touch with our local HS group, and have talked to a number of the members with small children. I think I've decided that people on this forum are setting SUCH a high standard! I think I've decided to go for it, knowing that with the guidance here, I can do a great job and do it better than the public school, without feeling like if I can't do 18 math programs, 42 reading programs, along with handwriting, hands on twice-daily messy science projects, SOTW activities, 2 languages, and hours reading, that that is OK! :)