My children are going to PS...

[blessedmom3]

That's it! I cannot do it anymore . I decided to put them in school and they are starting next week.

 

It is too overwhelming to teach a 7, a 6 and a 4 1/2 yo . Plus a 2yo on the plate!

I heard negative comments about the PS here in US but I want to experiment it myself. I cannot believe it's that bad . I was schooled in Europe and loved it! It cannot be that different here in the richest country in the world, right?

 

I am the introverted type and I need alone time to refresh whcih I don't get being with them 100% of my time. I am very frustrated and depressed. I yell at them and get angry too often and I am just not organized enough to homeschool. I guess it takes certain type of personality --and A LOT of patience to do that which I realize I lack. They also need friends . We do go to church and Awana but they still have no close friends. No any other activity outside the home.Clubs like boys scouts are too far and there are not any HS groups close either .

 

The problem is that my 7 yo is doing 3rd grade work , my 6 yo almost finished 1st grade and my 4 1/2 is finishing K work now. They are all reading many grades above ( the oldest reading at 8th gr) . They told me that my 7yo will be in 1st grade because of his age( born after the cut off in Sept. 1st) and my 6yo will be in K. My concern is that they won't be challenged at all if they do not go one grade ahead and they won't enjoy school. I wonder if the teacher will give them at least appropriate work to do, not just 2+2 .Otherwise they will forget everything they have learned and will be terribly bored !

 

Is it possible to do that? Anyone who experienced a similar situation?

[simka2]

I've actually heard this as being one of the main reasons people pull their kids out of ps in the us.

 

I hope you find a teacher that is willing to give them work at their level. Most of the time that does not happen. Sorry.

 

Again, it could happen...you might want to post this on the accelerated board, and see what their perspective is.

[Rosy]

Someone who is teaching 30 kids really can not accommodate one who is many grade levels outside of the norm. At best, some teachers might allow them to work at their own level on the side (i.e. after they're done with what everyone else is doing). Some won't.

 

If you are committed to sending them to school, you might find out if your district has a gifted/talented program and have them tested. Even then they won't necessarily be able to self-pace, but the teacher will be better equipped to deal with differing abilities. If they pass, that is. Not all smart kids do.

 

If you decide to reconsider homeschooling, there are many here who could share tips on schooling kids who are close in age, dealing with toddlers, kids working at different levels, etc. You probably could reduce your load substantially and still keep them challenged without wanting to run screaming from the house every day. But of course that's up to you and only you can decide what's best for your family.

[twogirlsmommy]

I would push for their appropriate grade levels. Here I had a friend whose kids went to PS after HS. One of the kids went into the grade she was working in even though by age she should have been a grade below. They gave it a "trial run" and it worked out great. Maybe your school district would be willing to do the same thing.

 

Also, maybe a charter school, like K12, where you don't have to do the curriculum planning, would work for your family?

[boscopup]

You'll have to talk to the individual teachers, as they're all different.

 

I pulled my son out of private school because he couldn't work at his own pace in the school. It's just the nature of the system. You have 15-30 kids in a classroom of varying abilities, and the teacher is only one person. They might break the class into groups (as my son's first grade teacher did) to do some more concentrated work at a different level, but they still had to do all the regular work, and then do some extra work on top of that.

 

But... you might find that your kids love it and your school works with you. All schools and teachers are different. This may be a rich country, but that doesn't necessarily equal great education. :tongue_smilie:

 

You might also check out the afterschooling board. I had to afterschool math while my son was in first grade (before I pulled him at Christmas).

[Laura Corin]

My experience of public-style school was that differentiation was very hard for the teacher. With thirty in the class, she was trying her best to bring the lowest third up to the middle, so the top third was largely ignored.

 

That said, going to school this year has been the best thing for my boys. They are in a school with smaller class sizes, however, and which incorporates differentiation and (in older grades) streaming.

 

I do understand your need for peace to recharge: I found that the only way to cope was to take time for myself after lunch every day. The boys had to nap or read quietly, while I escaped to my bedroom. That must be hard to juggle with four children though.

 

Best wishes with your decision,

 

Laura

[TracyP]

Have you considered after schooling? That would keep them going forward since their ps classrooms will probably not be able to provide them with any challenging materials.

 

One more thought, have you considered taking the rest of the year off? Require 60-90 minutes of "quiet time" each day where the only appropriate activity is reading, writing or coloring. Do this during naptime and it would give you some time to yourself. Let dc do math drills on the computer several times a week. You will be amazed at what they will learn. I know your mind is probably made up I just wanted to throw it out there.

 

:grouphug:Good luck with whatever is best for your family.

[----]

Sounds like your mind is all made up. I hope your decision brings the results you're hoping for. Good luck!!

[PeterPan]

Well you definitely need to do whatever is best for you, but all I could think as I read your post was that February strikes again. Clearly you haven't been doing a bad job, as they're all advanced academically. You could take a whole month off and hurt NOTHING. You sound burnt out. I think it's ok to want that time to yourself. Do you have a way to work that out? Do you have a mandatory quiet time every day? Do you know JW, SWB's mother did, ALL THE WAY THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL? Hahaha, can you imagine? Seriously, she put them all in their rooms for several hours every afternoon.

 

You have to make things work for you. I hope whatever you do works out well.

[iona]

:grouphug: it is frustrating :grouphug:

btw i get angry and yell at my kids a lot, i have no patience and i always want to be alone. i sometimes wonder if it is the best thing for them to be with me all day.:grouphug:

[Staceyshoe]

:grouphug: It sounds like you've really had your hands full! If you are very concerned about academic level at PS, you can request testing for giftedness or subject/whole grade acceleration. We did this with ds before starting ps K (which he did at age 4). The test scores made a huge difference to the school system. If you decide on a whole grade acceleration, be aware of how that will affect them athletically and socially in the years ahead. HTH!

[Eleni]

Build a good relationship with their teachers.

 

My kids are in PS this year for the very first time, and they love it! It has been a great experience for them, and has given me time to recoup from the past 2 years of caring for a mom with cancer and her death. I do "afterschooling" with them, to fill in the areas I am not feeling the school focuses on well enough.

Overall though we are very happy with our PS experience.

[lionfamily1999]

My concern is that they won't be challenged at all if they do not go one grade ahead and they won't enjoy school. I wonder if the teacher will give them at least appropriate work to do, not just 2+2 .Otherwise they will forget everything they have learned and will be terribly bored !

 

Is it possible to do that? Anyone who experienced a similar situation?

Like another poster said, this is why a lot of people take their children out of ps.

 

Hopefully, the novelty of the situation will keep them busy while they wait for their classmates to catch up.

[mommaduck]

Best of luck to you. I went to many various schools across the US. ONE good experience out of them all. The rest were nightmares. My husband went to several schools and he has horror stories to tell as do his relatives that went to different schools. In another area of the US, my siblings on one side were totally lost in the system and I now have one brother that is an illiterate adult. When I came back to the states, after having been in an academically accelerated private school, I was bored to tears and got into trouble for working and reading ahead of the class.

 

You want to experience it for yourself, go ahead, wish you luck, and won't try to talk you out of it. Because we know that being a wealthy country means everything is just wonderful here, right? We don't have homeless, we don't have anyone losing their jobs or homes, we don't have an overcrowded foster care system, we can't possibly have a broken education system (not trying to be nasty...simply making a point ;) )

 

I DO understand your frustration to a point. PARENTING is hard. Parenting multiple young children is challenging. Being parent and teacher is a challenge. I do understand that. I sent my oldest to a good private school this year. I MIGHT send my second oldest next year. SOME parents have managed to deal well with a public school (between a combination of staying involved and having a school that MIGHT work with the parent, though few and far between). What we have taken on is a big commitment. I won't criticize you for your feelings, but please don't think that everything is wonderful and dandy here in the land of the free. You may be solving some issues, but bringing on others (even with private school, we've run into a couple of bumps that we wouldn't have had homeschooling). It all comes down to, is the trade off worth it to you and your children. Only you can decide that.

 

Peace and blessings.

 

 

PS: as a previous poster mentioned, tis the season for feeling burned out. In fact, it's why we used to school spring through autumn and take the winter off. Winter was a horrible time for schooling for us. I'm considering going back to that schedule this next year.

Edited February 9, 2011 by mommaduck

[Flux]

I really wish I could think of something positive for you regarding public schools! I remember YEARS of picking my cuticles, daydreaming, nodding off, and being told to put my head down on my desk (what you had to do if you finished your work early). Close your eyes and imagine if you were in charge of educating 30+ kids in first grade. Would you differentiate instruction for one of them? What if 5 of the kids needed differentiation? If it were me, I would teach them how to sit still and wait, just out of necessity. You might end up with an amazing teacher, it happens, certainly not as a rule, though.

 

On the positive side: your kids might really enjoy playing with all the other kids. The quieter time for you might allow you to re-charge your batteries so you can after-school them a bit in order to give your kids a little challenge. I hope someone else can come up with some other positives for you. I hope you get what you need out of it. If it works and is better, great! If it ends up worse, then probably your perspective will have changed and you will come up with a solution.

 

:grouphug: though. I only have 2 kids, and they drive me bonkers at least half of the time. I hate when I am over-worked, angry, and yell too much.

 

Have some chamomile tea. I always think I want (need:)) coffee or wine, but those things don't help with anger too much!:tongue_smilie:

[forty-two]

WRT differentiation, even if this year's teacher accommodates them, next year's might not. My sister's 1st grade teacher let her self-pace math - she ended up halfway through the 3rd grade book at the end of the year. So what did she do in 2nd? 2nd grade math, again :glare:.

 

(But even then you'd have had several months' rest, which might make all the difference :grouphug:.)

[HappyCamper]

I doubt the teacher will provide materials at your children's level, BUT you can always afterschool. That's what I do and I LOVE it. Time for me and I look forward to working/being with the kids. And look at the time they spend in school as review/cementing earlier concepts. Children will learn lots more than math facts in school, e.g. on Groundhog Day, the teacher might provide a science lesson re: groundhogs, a geography lesson re: Pennsylvania, etc. I saw many wonderful lessons while volunteering in the classroom. If the school refuses to put them in the ability-appropriate grade, you might also be able to request half-days. . . . . Good luck!:001_smile:

[3andme]

It sounds like you really need a break and sometimes you just have to try another option to know if it's better. Even if it doesn't work out, you will have some time to regroup and reassess.

 

I would strongly push for your children to be placed in a higher grade level (2nd & 1st) if you believe they can do the work. They are on the border line age wise as it is.

 

In my experience, you shouldn't expect any individual accomodations unless your child is working below grade level. Given limited resources and the push for testing, very little attention is generally paid to students who need to be challenged.

[shinyhappypeople]

:grouphug:

 

Do what you feel is best. This doesn't have to be a permanent decision, unless you want it to be. If PS doesn't work out, you can always pull them out again. Or you may be blessed with a great school and good teachers. You just never know!

 

Best wishes to your and your DC :D

[LittleIzumi]

I'd definitely find out about any gifted program or how they handle skipping grades once your children have shown the teachers what level they are at currently. Also talk to the individual teachers they will have if you can. SOME schools are nice, some are awful. It just depends. If her name is pulled dd will be going to a FAB charter school in the fall & I'll be afterschooling her, and I'll see how it actually works out for her in practice. :grouphug:

[Dmmetler]

:grouphug:

 

I hope it works for you. My guess is that the novelty and adjusting to school will be OK through the rest of this year, even if your DC aren't challenged, and that this will give them time to show what they know and to hopefully get the supports they need in place for next year. My DD was fine in school both years she was there until about November, and about the time she started to really struggle with the level of the work being too low, Christmas provided needed novelty, since they started program rehearsals, field trips, and a lot of special activities. It was the 2nd semester that was tough.

 

 

DDs school was more than willing to accommodate up to what they could manage. They didn't mind placing a child in K early when it was obvious pre-K wasn't a good fit, didn't mind putting a 4 1/2 yr old into a reading group with advanced 3rd graders that was doing 5th and 6th grade level books, and suggested a grade skip to 3rd grade at age 5, with additional enrichment in math and reading. It was the fact that DD really wasn't ready to be with kids that much older than she was, and was getting very frustrated with herself because she physically couldn't keep up with her friends that caused us to pull her and homeschool, not that the school wasn't willing to try. If she'd been more accelerated and less "gifted kid with both strong and weak areas", I think the school she was in probably would have worked for her. It's entirely possible that your DC's school will be equally willing to work with you and with your DC.

[Farrar]

I would think of it this way - if they're that far ahead of their classmates academically, then you can not worry about it. You can just say, hey, let's see how this goes. Maybe they'll learn other things - intangible things about friendships and being in a group, or about subjects or topics you never taught. And maybe you'll luck out with amazing teachers who can differentiate. Then you can always re-evaluate in a year or two and see where things stand. If they're bored and the novelty has worn off and so forth, you could consider homeschooling again.

[agst1967]

I can totally relate!! I am an only child...with 5 kids!! I need alone time, I crave alone time!!

 

But, I will tell you, the very reason I pulled my DS8 out of public school last year was exactly the fear you have! He is well above grade level, a well-behaved kid, and very personable!!

 

Teachers spend so much time with the kids who are struggling, or have behavior problems, that it is often the bright kids who get left behind!

 

My DD(17) will graduate this year from PS (she's always been in it) and she is #1 in her class...and she said that is the frustration she has always had. The schools are so concerned with teaching to "tests" for funding that they spend all of the time getting those at the low end of the scale UP to the other kids...there is just nothing left for those at the top! She has taken many AP classes online just to keep herself challenged!!

 

I would say, if your kids are that advanced, you could afford to take some time off and just BE for awhile! Let them read, explore...go have some FUN for the rest of the year!! They will certainly not fall behind!!

 

Whatever you decide, good luck!! :grouphug:

 

Alicia

[trying my best]

i wouldnt sugest to push the kids upper grade level in PS. Our relative had bright kids doing several grades higher at home. One year they put them in Christian school which upon request put them in the grade above their age (based on knowledge). That was a bad decision. The boy was 9 i think and he was placed with kids who are 10 and 11 in his class. He did fine in school - he was still getting all As. But the environment was horrible. Being younger they still have that golible attitue and older kids are more mean, and more bossy. They imidiatly started picking on that poor little boy. Even though it was Christian school that boy was coming home with black eyes from time to time.

I also have a 5 year old who would go to K next year. He is finishing 1st grade now at home. Placing him in 1st grade next year can be dangerous i think because of sweet age he is now - very trusty, very golible and very sweet. Age of 1st grade is 6-7 and they are very territorial, attitude-ie, and mainly more rough than he is.

 

So thats a big decistion for you. YOu dont want the conflict of age maturity be in a way and that comes from placing a sweet kid into upper age group. Yet you dont want your kids to go to school to waste their time.

 

You just have to see. I would give it a try time. At the end you will see if it worth it :)

[melmichigan]

Everything will really vary by state, by district, by school, and even by classroom. I would definately look into any laws and testing governing placement if your children are that far aheah. I pulled mine from PS for all the concerns you mentioned, but, we are not in a state with gifted laws and the school district isn't willing to accomodate outside of the norm. We had a few teachers willing to try and differentiate (the word the school loves to use) but it is just very difficult with so many students and NCLB.

 

Best wishes with what works best for your family. (I have the winter blahs right now and would love to just throw in the towel, but I also know that if I persevere until spring it will be better. :))

[BBG580]

Just wanted to give you some support! I do think it is an enormous job to homeschool and not every parent is in a situation in which it is the ideal choice. My daughter is actually doing really well in public school this year and we love, love, love her teacher. All public school experiences are not bad and not all homeschooling experiences are good. Each situation is unique.

 

I hope they are able to accommodate your children. My daughter is an average student in K (she was a young 5 starting and had no traditional preschool - we were Waldorf inspired with her) and a lot of the kids in her class were 6 when the year began and had had years of formal preschool so were already reading. There are others in her class that could not identify the letters in the alphabet. There are 26 kids in her class with one teacher and one aide, so the kids who need the most remediation get the most help and the kids who are "ahead" spend a lot of time in groups with parent volunteers. I do think that the children who are ahead are not being challenged well though my daughter is being challenged. I don't think most public school districts do formal gifted testing until 3rd grade unless a child is practically a prodigy and it is apparent that they are far, far ahead of their peers.

 

Good luck! I hope the transition is smooth for your family. Peace, love and warmth in a home environment are worth a whole lot in my book and it sounds like you need to get back to those basics. :grouphug:

[Targhee]

They told me that my 7yo will be in 1st grade because of his age( born after the cut off in Sept. 1st) and my 6yo will be in K. My concern is that they won't be challenged at all if they do not go one grade ahead and they won't enjoy school. I wonder if the teacher will give them at least appropriate work to do, not just 2+2 .Otherwise they will forget everything they have learned and will be terribly bored !

 

Is it possible to do that? Anyone who experienced a similar situation?

 

We pushed for grade advancement with my oldest DD when she went from HS to PS. We got it, much to the chagrin of the teacher. She actually made the year hard for my child emotionally, and me. But then we moved and were at a new school and they didn't say anything because we had a transcript from the last school with a successful school year - she was simply placed in the next grade. I would hesitate to push too much from grade advancement if your kids are not emotionally strong. It's a huge adjustment to go into the classroom. The kids can't just go to the teacher for everything, they have to learn to use their peers as resources. Also, crowding can cause pecking orders to form - the more kids, the more likely that there will be social posturing and even bullying. That's harder for younger kids to deal with, especially if they haven't been in that situation before. For many reasons, I wouldn't suggest advancing them more than one grade, even if they are working at a higher level. I think the best thing is to talk with the teacher to make sure that she/he can meet their needs as best as possible. It will be an adjustment.

 

I just wanted to add that I can understand your stress. We put kids into PS when we moved and DH deployed with the military. We kept them in for another year even after he came home. We after schooled (not too strenuously). Now that things have calmed a little around our house, and they are all a couple years older, we are going to go back to HS, though I think I may put my preK in a montessori school part time, then begin K with her in our HS.

 

Best wishes.

[luvtheOzarks]

My concern is that they won't be challenged at all if they do not go one grade ahead and they won't enjoy school. I wonder if the teacher will give them at least appropriate work to do, not just 2+2 .Otherwise they will forget everything they have learned and will be terribly bored !

 

Is it possible to do that? Anyone who experienced a similar situation?

 

That's why Jesse Wise homeschooled her kids--her story is in the front of TWTM book.

 

I've also heard that from other families, too. I know our public school are about 1 year behind our private schools in my neck of the woods.

[5LittleMonkeys]

If they are that advanced then you've been doing a GREAT job of homeschooling them! I just wanted to put that out there to tell you that you should be very proud of what you have accomplished with them so far.

 

First, aside from the academic aspect of it...if you feel you need to make a big change to preserve (or repair) the relationship between you and your dc then don't hesitate. Don't even worry about the academics right now. Recoup, relax, get your house back in order, get your mind and your heart back into a peaceful place, then start working on repairing your relationship with your dc. STOP being the teacher and just be their mommy. Once you are all in a good place then re-evaluate and decide what you want to do.

 

Secondly, I think the above could be accomplished in several ways. Your dc are so far ahead that you could easily un-school for a while and pick back up next fall if you decide to continue to homeschool. If you decide at that point not to homeschool any longer then your oldest could go into 2nd and your younger could go into 1st and not be as far off from their skill levels. Now, if you are at the point where you just have to have them all out of the house for awhile (no shame in that) then yes, putting them into ps now is your best option, but as I said above, I wouldn't worry about the academics right now.

 

Regardless of how you go about it, based on the tension in your post I would say that you need to stop being teacher and get back to just being mommy right now. Mommy hat should always come first, imo. :grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

[Haiku]

I have a dd16 who is in public school. She has an IEP due to learning disabilities and is supposed to be given differentiated work. Honestly, it doesn't happen. The school has several hundred kids in it (it's a small high school), and it's just not possible to make sure that every child is given what they need (or even what they are obligated by law to be given) ... even when there are special resource teachers whose job it is to make it happen. (Dd16 actually attends a very good college-prep school, run by a local university ... she is given a lot of help, but it's the generic help given to all the students there, not the specific help in her IEP.)

 

I'm sorry to say it, but I would NOT hold your breath about your kids getting appropriate work for their level. Advanced kids are often just seen as aggravations in a school setting because they throw off the curve and don't fit with the plan.

 

I would encourage you to take some time off from homeschooling and just enjoy being with your kids before you take the step of putting them in school. The end of winter is a hard time ... everyone is a little stir-crazy. I don't think it's the best time to make the decision to quit. In six weeks things will be different!!

 

Tara

[Haiku]

I was schooled in Europe and loved it! It cannot be that different here in the richest country in the world, right?

 

 

I have lived in Western Europe and in America. I have to say, yes, it IS that different. Schools in America don't resemble schools in Europe very much at all.

 

Tara

[blessedmom3]

If they are that advanced then you've been doing a GREAT job of homeschooling them! I just wanted to put that out there to tell you that you should be very proud of what you have accomplished with them so far.

 

First, aside from the academic aspect of it...if you feel you need to make a big change to preserve (or repair) the relationship between you and your dc then don't hesitate. Don't even worry about the academics right now. Recoup, relax, get your house back in order, get your mind and your heart back into a peaceful place, then start working on repairing your relationship with your dc. STOP being the teacher and just be their mommy. Once you are all in a good place then re-evaluate and decide what you want to do.

 

Secondly, I think the above could be accomplished in several ways. Your dc are so far ahead that you could easily un-school for a while and pick back up next fall if you decide to continue to homeschool. If you decide at that point not to homeschool any longer then your oldest could go into 2nd and your younger could go into 1st and not be as far off from their skill levels. Now, if you are at the point where you just have to have them all out of the house for awhile (no shame in that) then yes, putting them into ps now is your best option, but as I said above, I wouldn't worry about the academics right now.

 

Regardless of how you go about it, based on the tension in your post I would say that you need to stop being teacher and get back to just being mommy right now. Mommy hat should always come first, imo. :grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

 

 

Thank you so much for this! That is what I feel I am missing : just being a mom, play more , read more , hug&kiss more . I will definitely reconsider in the fall depending how the school goes.

 

Thank you all for your support and thoughts .

Many of you mentioned 30 students/class. Here in Florida (or perhaps in our district?) they have a law that does not allow more than 18 children for K and 20 for higher grades. But most classes at our elementary school do not have more than 15-16 kids . I went there and counted them! Even so I realize it is not one on one but as someone mentioned they need to learn social skills , be in a group and have someone else teaching them , other than mom while I relax drinking a coffee in peace. When they will come home, I will be a happier mom and give them the quality time and love they need , while when they will be at school , I can focus on my younger ones . Right now no one has a quality time , it's just too much to do ...Well , I hope HS will work for each one of you ! I will be back if PS does not work. :)

[blessedmom3]

Also many of you mentioned gifted program -I don't feel my kids are gifted. Maybe just very smart and we have been working the way SWB suggests -reading a lot , teaching reading early , etc.

 

I will not put them more than 1 grade above because even if they could do the work , they are emotionally immature and I am also concerned about bullying .

[Merry]

just be a mommy. Take them on field trips, do some cooking or other fun projects with them and read aloud to them. Then reevaluate at the end of the month. You could still put the kids in school in March if you still feel the same but you would have had the time with your kids at least which you won't again until summer. And if you change your mind and want to continue homeschool, you wouldn't have lost that much time in their schooling. They're still little. As the others mentioned, February is a tough month.

[ElizabethB]

:grouphug:

 

Make sure you are going over the Dolch words phonetically, and find out which words they will be teaching when. It is possible for students to regress when presented with sight words as wholes even if they were previously sounding them out.

 

http://www.thephonicspage.org/On%20Reading/sightwords.html

[MamaBear]

Sometimes you just got to do what you got to do. Isn't it awesome and a blessing that we have choices when it comes to educating our children and no one is standing over us dictating what we HAVE to do. I know that states vary as far as reporting and testing but at least we CAN keep them home if we so choose.

Good luck to you and your family:)

[Crimson Wife]

Thank you so much for this! That is what I feel I am missing : just being a mom, play more , read more , hug&kiss more . I will definitely reconsider in the fall depending how the school goes....Even so I realize it is not one on one but as someone mentioned they need to learn social skills , be in a group and have someone else teaching them , other than mom while I relax drinking a coffee in peace. When they will come home, I will be a happier mom and give them the quality time and love they need , while when they will be at school , I can focus on my younger ones . Right now no one has a quality time , it's just too much to do ...Well , I hope HS will work for each one of you ! I will be back if PS does not work. :)

 

Trying to say this gently, but I think you've got a bad case of the "grass is greener" syndrome. I agree with the others who say that you sound burned out and in need of a temporary break from HS.

[redsquirrel]

Homeschooling isn't a job, it's a lifestyle. It really is. It isn't for everyone and no one should do it if they don't like it. It doesn't make you a better mom or a better woman if you homeschool. Is it a different life? Yes. Is one better than the other? I honestly don't think so.

 

I think you can be a wonderful and involved mother who sends her kids to school. I think you can make sure your kids are getting a great education.

 

I would rather your kids go to school and have a happy and involved mom than be homeschooled by a miserable person who is filled with resentment.

A happy, functioning family should always be the goal.

[charlestonmom03]

Homeschooling isn't a job, it's a lifestyle. It really is. It isn't for everyone and no one should do it if they don't like it. It doesn't make you a better mom or a better woman if you homeschool. Is it a different life? Yes. Is one better than the other? I honestly don't think so.

 

I think you can be a wonderful and involved mother who sends her kids to school. I think you can make sure your kids are getting a great education.

 

I would rather your kids go to school and have a happy and involved mom than be homeschooled by a miserable person who is filled with resentment.

A happy, functioning family should always be the goal.

 

:iagree:

[boscopup]

Trying to say this gently, but I think you've got a bad case of the "grass is greener" syndrome. I agree with the others who say that you sound burned out and in need of a temporary break from HS.

 

:iagree:I think it might actually be a good break for you, so you can see what the grass is like on the other side. It may be a better fit for you, or it might be awful and you'll bring your kids home at the end of the year. Either way, you'll know for sure what it's like and will be able to evade "grass is greener" syndrome in the future. ;)

 

I don't know if you'll be able to get your 4.5 year old into school. In my state, it's near impossible. My parents tried to put me in K at 4 since I'd done 4 year old preK at age 3, was reading, was writing other children's names, etc. I was clearly ready for K academically. My parents had to stick me in another preschool and call it "day school" because I knew I'd already graduated from 4 year old preK. :lol:

 

Anyway, if your kids are bored the rest of the year, they at least won't be getting behind. Putting them in school can be treated like free daycare so you can take a break. :D

[5LittleMonkeys]

Homeschooling isn't a job, it's a lifestyle. It really is. It isn't for everyone and no one should do it if they don't like it. It doesn't make you a better mom or a better woman if you homeschool. Is it a different life? Yes. Is one better than the other? I honestly don't think so.

 

I think you can be a wonderful and involved mother who sends her kids to school. I think you can make sure your kids are getting a great education.

 

I would rather your kids go to school and have a happy and involved mom than be homeschooled by a miserable person who is filled with resentment.

A happy, functioning family should always be the goal.

 

Oh my goodness! These are wise, wise words!

[elinnea]

Teachers spend so much time with the kids who are struggling, or have behavior problems, that it is often the bright kids who get left behind!

 

 

 

:iagree:This is one of my top reasons for homeschooling. I was bored to tears sometimes in ps and I know my kids would be too.

[lisabees]

Homeschooling isn't a job, it's a lifestyle. It really is. It isn't for everyone and no one should do it if they don't like it. It doesn't make you a better mom or a better woman if you homeschool. Is it a different life? Yes. Is one better than the other? I honestly don't think so.

 

I think you can be a wonderful and involved mother who sends her kids to school. I think you can make sure your kids are getting a great education.

 

I would rather your kids go to school and have a happy and involved mom than be homeschooled by a miserable person who is filled with resentment.

A happy, functioning family should always be the goal.

 

:iagree: Best wishes OP. I have two in school, two at home. There are wonderful opportunities in ps. I hope your kids enjoy! :)

[musicianmom]

Not to point out the obvious, but you'll still be at home all day with a 4-year-old and a 2-year-old who suddenly have no big siblings to play with them?

 

And you really think you'll have time for a cup of coffee? Not without the assistance of PBS, lol. My oldest goes to a enrichment program once a week, and that is the LONGEST day of the week for me. Her siblings are lost without her.

 

Since you're not going to get child-free days anyway, why not just "unschool" for awhile and just be Mommy? They won't stagnate academically any more than they would in an inappropriate grade level in PS.

 

I guess I just don't see where this is a win for you, and it's definitely a loss for your older kids.

[gfengel]

I can totally relate!! I am an only child...with 5 kids!! I need alone time, I crave alone time!!

 

But, I will tell you, the very reason I pulled my DS8 out of public school last year was exactly the fear you have! He is well above grade level, a well-behaved kid, and very personable!!

 

Teachers spend so much time with the kids who are struggling, or have behavior problems, that it is often the bright kids who get left behind!

 

I'm right there with Alicia! I'm a recovering only child with 3 kids. My older two are 17 months apart in age and my youngest just turned 4. For me, homeschooling is a constant juggling act!

 

And, there are days when I would like to pull all of my hair out! If I had a dollar for everytime I yelled at them, I would be a rich, rich woman. A good day for me is NOT yelling at them every 15 minutes.

 

But, I took my kids out of public school for the exact same reasons that Alicia did. The teachers were spending so much time teaching to the kids in the middle and trying to bring the ones who were struggling up to the federal standard that the bright children were usually left to fend for themselves. I couldn't do anything for anyone else's children, but I could help mine.

 

As another poster said, maybe you could just take some time off from homeschool. Just resolve to keep them home and do absolutely nothing for a month or even two. Or, you could give the public school a trial run and see how it goes. If nothing else, it would give you a much needed break.

 

Best of luck to you!!! :grouphug:

[Amy Jo]

Well you definitely need to do whatever is best for you, but all I could think as I read your post was that February strikes again. Clearly you haven't been doing a bad job, as they're all advanced academically. You could take a whole month off and hurt NOTHING. You sound burnt out. I think it's ok to want that time to yourself. Do you have a way to work that out? Do you have a mandatory quiet time every day? Do you know JW, SWB's mother did, ALL THE WAY THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL? Hahaha, can you imagine? Seriously, she put them all in their rooms for several hours every afternoon.

 

You have to make things work for you. I hope whatever you do works out well.

 

:iagree: - it sounds like you are doing a great job! But I'm sure you will do well in a different situation too. Can you do a private school or maybe a simple system or charter school? Best of luck!

[hsmom]

I have not read all the replies, so sorry if this is a repeat. Now here you test in. Can you request that they test your children before they get placed in classes? I feel for a child who is doing 3rd grade work and can read that far ahead that going back to 1st would be a disaster! JMO

[delaney]

My thing about afterschooling is that is sounds like a great idea but there is no WAY that I would ask my kids to sit and do more work on top of all the mundane junk they have pushed at them all day long in our PS. They have too many activities in the afternoon and evenings to even think about adding extra stuff. Sending them back to PS is just not an option for us. I wish every morning that my older 2 would come home but they are set in what they are doing and I don't want to rock their boats. I have a 2 year old that is right now on my lap driving me nuts but in a few months he will start to pull away and engage in things on his own and become less of an issue. As for now I look at it like this:

I have 24/7/365 for the next 8 years to get my oldest DD where I want her. The next one is only in 1st and way above grade level so she will just continue along without much from me. The 4 year old is just not interested in sitting much right now and that is fine with me. He will be a late bloomer and that's okay. I don't feel pressured by a "graduation" date or the need to push them off to a 4 year college. Life is short and I would prefer these crazy days surrounded by them than push them out the door to spend their days with a stranger. I would unschool for awhile since they are so young and just enjoy!

[Eleni]

Trying to say this gently, but I think you've got a bad case of the "grass is greener" syndrome. I agree with the others who say that you sound burned out and in need of a temporary break from HS.

 

Maybe, but after hitting MASSIVE burnout myself, it is nice to have the day to write, and clean and organize my house, meet friends. When the kids come home Im usually pulling something I baked out of the oven. PS isn't perfect, but they aren't all horrible. Of course there are things I want to be different with the school, and I don't necessarily agree with the system, but the some families, utilizing PS can be like pressing the reset button and creates some balance.

[boscopup]

My thing about afterschooling is that is sounds like a great idea but there is no WAY that I would ask my kids to sit and do more work on top of all the mundane junk they have pushed at them all day long in our PS.

 

Afterschooling isn't as easy as it sounds, so this is a good point. I afterschooled math, but that was all we could do, and it was only because the private school didn't give a lot of homework. Talking to friends around here, the public schools give a good hour worth of homework even in K and 1st grade. :tongue_smilie:

 

My experience with afterschooling was that really doing *anything* (homework, afterschool work, etc.) was horrid after school. That time between him getting home from school and dinner being on the table is the worst behavior time for the younger two, so it was really hard to even get homework done. This was another reason I wanted to homeschool. I figured it would be SOOOOOO much easier to do this stuff during nap time or at least in the morning when the littles were more content, rather than right before dinner (and there wasn't enough time after dinner, since they play with daddy and then are off to bed at 7pm so they get enough sleep). For us, this has been true. Homeschooling has been way easier for me than taking him to and fro to private school and dealing with the homework afterward. A bus situation might have been easier, since naps wouldn't have been messed up. That just wasn't an option.

 

So I would recommend to the OP to not try to afterschool right away. Just do the PS thing, get that break, and then if you feel you need to add something, you can give it a try. But just don't expect to be able to get in a lot of extra stuff. It will really depend on how much homework they have, and also don't forget that they'll probably be exhausted at the end of the day (expect attitude issues due to this!!!).