If you ask you children....

[tuzor]

Have you asked your children if they like homeschool? I am curious to hear what other children say. I have asked my oldest son a few times and he says he likes it a little bit but he wants to go to school. :glare:

[nova mama]

The older two have been to public school. From time to time, my mom asks which they prefer. The last time she asked, I encouraged them to answer truthfully and left the room. They said they like homeschool. :D

[Satori]

My daughter loves homeschooling. She shudders thinking of the other children who have to go to school every week day all day. She does go to a school once a week and even though they are the same age (kindergarten), she's working several grades ahead, so she couldn't imagine going to school everyday and wasting her time learning how to form her letters, hehe. But she loves hanging out with her friends and doing subjects we don't officially do at home (PE/music). One day a week is fine for her.

 

She loves homeschooling so much she intends to teach her own children. She teaches my husband and I, and her dolls...

[Farrar]

They like it. They can't imagine going to school. But they also have never known anything else.

[boscopup]

Mine was in private school through last semester. He likes homeschooling better. He remembers being bored in class (he experienced what Satori's description of K is). He gets more playtime at home. I think he also likes being at the top of the social ladder at home. He was at the bottom at school, being one of the youngest in the class and being a geek by nature. :tongue_smilie:

[Irishmommy]

Last year when I asked my dd if she wanted to homeschool or go to public school she said, "You aren't sending me to that plublic school!" I guess my older son had already gotten to her, ha ha. She did then take my hand and tell me that she wanted me to be her teacher (insert proud mommy smile).

[Paintedlady]

My kids love homeschooling and have no desire to go to school.

[tuzor]

Well my ds only experience with "school" was pre-school and pre-k. Of course that was mostly fun stuff. We do attend a co-op so he gets to be around other kids his age on Friday. He did say that he really likes co-op.

[Mommee & Baba]

They like it. They can't imagine going to school. But they also have never known anything else.

 

This is our home too.

 

Just recently my oldest dd has expressed how she'd like to go to an Art class but still be at home for school but not for Art. So now my goal is to find somewhere local to get her into an AFFORDABLE art class. :D

[mom2boys030507]

My oldest will tell you that he doesn't like school, but being at home is better at least he gets more play time. The kids in our neighborhood leave at 7:45 and get home about 3. That is way to long in his mind to be at school. If he isn't going to like it at least he can get it done and overwith and on to the important things in life - playing. Yet, most of his play revolves around stories we have read and the history we are doing :D

[NanceXToo]

My 10 year old daughter went to public school for K, 1st, 2nd, and most of 3rd grade before I pulled her out and started homeschooling.

 

We homeschooled for the rest of third grade, all of fourth grade, and we're almost done with 5th grade, and she says she definitely likes homeschooling better, that it's more fun.

[Flux]

My daughter is 6 and says she likes it. I asked her why, and she says she doesn't want to go to school. Her reason? She'd miss me. I don't imagine that will last forever! She says she likes that we sit and play Mad Libs for a long time. I asked her if there was anything else and she asked me to please just type that she's busy making a lego man and doesn't really want to discuss it right now...

So there ya go:tongue_smilie:

She's never been to a school, so she can't really compare the two.

[mmasmommy]

This is our first year homeschooling. We pulled DS and asked DD (4th grade) if she wanted to come home. She chose to be homeschooled but was disappointed when I started ordering material for next year. She thought she was going back. She is a social butterfly and really misses her friends.

 

I just asked them again. DS - "I don't know if I like it or not" DD - "I like it but there are some things I miss about public school. I miss feeling like I'm in school. I miss knowing what's going on with my friends." :sad: Now I'm sad.

[redsquirrel]

My kids will tell you that they love it. They are like little homeschool evangelicals. I have to stop them from proselytizing.

 

My eldest is in 5th grade. Starting last year I started asking him if he agrees to homeschool for the coming year. I ask him before we file our yearly paperwork. He is old enough to make some decisions about his life.

 

If he truly didn't like homeschooling at this point, I would have allowed him to try a year of public school. According to him, he NEVER wants to go to public school. He gets an earful from his ps friends. He thinks he would be bored and he is NOT impressed with some of the neighborhood children who would be his classmates.

 

Not to mention, public school would seriously cut into his Lego playing and Calvin and Hobbes reading schedule. One has to have priorities.

[Paige]

My older kids have been to public school and they say they prefer homeschool. I ask them if they want to go back and they all give an emphatic no. I'm surprised because my youngers loved school but I think they have more fun playing with each other here. My youngest is only 3 and she went to preschool before we moved last month. She loves preschool so much! She says she wants to go to the big school when she is old enough and I may let her for a year or so if she still feels that way. Kindergarten is fun!

[Dolphin]

This is our first year homeschooling. We pulled DS and asked DD (4th grade) if she wanted to come home. She chose to be homeschooled but was disappointed when I started ordering material for next year. She thought she was going back. She is a social butterfly and really misses her friends.

 

I just asked them again. DS - "I don't know if I like it or not" DD - "I like it but there are some things I miss about public school. I miss feeling like I'm in school. I miss knowing what's going on with my friends." :sad: Now I'm sad.

 

Playdates? My ds best friend has 2 working parents, so I offered to pick him up from school 2 days a week. It earns me a little extra money, ds gets to play with his besty and they have 2 days a week where there son is not in the schools after care program. He also does geography class with us on those days. One day a week he goes to Awana with another good friend from school, he is on Lacrosse with another friend and does Tae Kwon do with 2 of the previous mentioned school friends and 2 others.

 

My ds was in school k-2, this is our first year at home. I asked him what he thought and if he wanted to continue and he was adamant that he was staying home. I asked him why and he said first of all, that he loves having at least 2 hours a day of reading time. He has talked to his friends and they have told him that they only get about 20 min of free reading a few times a week in 3rd grade. Then he told me about writing. I knew he struggled with writing, and we have made great strides this year with his writing. He told me that it is nice that he doesn't have the whole class waiting for him to finish, then being told to take it home and finish as they had to move on. He said that it made him want to cry. That he never feels that way with me.

[Testimony]

The older child loves homeschooling.

The younger child enjoys homeschooling.

 

Blessings in your homeschooling journey.

 

Sincerely,

Karen

http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/testimony

[AmyinMD]

My kids never liked being home schooled until we sent one to PS this year and now no one wants to go except my 4 yo who is a bit jealous of 3 yo ds going to preschool. Part of the problem was family members telling them how much fun school was and now they see that isn't really the case. My 13 yo will be at home again next year and only our 3 yo will be in school.

[MerryAtHope]

I didn't ask at that age. What I did was emphasize the great opportunities. IE, we'd see a school bus out the window picking up kids when we were still in jammies, or we'd be done at noon & I'd comment on the bus at 4. If we went on a field trip I'd say, "isn't it great we homeschool so we can do this?!" and similar things if we went on vacation, to the park, play dates, or anything fun we did on a school day.

 

I never did this, but I've heard of moms doing "school at home" on purpose for a day--having kids sit in their seat at a desk all day, raise their hand to go to the bathroom, stand in line for lunch, recess at prescribed times etc...

 

You might ask your son why he'd like to go to school. It could be something like he wants to ride a bus or have a locker or be around other kids more--if you know what he's missing, you can provide those kinds of opportunities usually. My son went to preschool before we started homeschooling, and what he missed there was this neat hinged bookshelf that had hidden shelves inside when you opened it up. I never did buy something like that, but I didn't mind so much that that was the thing he missed either!

 

As to what my kids say now (at 12 & 14)--they love homeschooling and are glad we do it, and really don't want to go to school. One of mine especially likes the shock value of answering the question, "where do you go to school" with, "I don't go to school," and leaving it at that, just to see what people will say or do! Of course they eventually get it & she will tell when they ask more questions!

 

Merry :-)

[Dinsfamily]

My ds likes homeschooling too. The only time he was interested in attending ps was when he thought it woukd be the same,teacher, class, work, etc., as his play-based preschool. Once I cleared up his mistaken ideas, he was happy to come home. His biggest reasons (at the moment) are:

 

1. He gets to sleep in. He's a late riser and he'd have to be at ps at 7:30. Might as well be torture for him (and me.)

 

2. He can eat and drink whenever he wants within reason. The kid can't go two minutes without a drink of water.

 

3. He would have to do baby math. He was very concerned last year about his best friend's math skills. He didn't understand why they were still learning how to count halfway through Kindergarten.

 

4. No Latin in ps 1st grade.

 

5. He got to learn cursive this year at his request.

 

6. More time to play with his brothers.

 

I will say that it helps that his best friend HATES school. It's not really the schools fault...he doesn't like leaving his house unless it's to go to a friend's house. He hates Costco too whereas my boys think it's only slightly removed from Heaven. When ds complains about our 2 hour school day, I remind him that his bf has been up since 6:45 and won't get home until 3. That's all he needs to be a bit more diligent.

[AvasMom]

With my kids, it depends on which school. If we were to move back to where they spent their first couple of years in school then they'd want to go back and I'd be happy to let them. It was in a great area, high academic standards, new buildings with lots of technology and great books, plenty of diversity, studious kids and families, etc. But not if we moved back to the podunk area where they went for the last 6 months of public school. They much rather homeschool than go there.

[tuzor]

Thanks guys its good to hear that most kids are enjoying homeschool. I believe my son is enjoying his experience as well. I can tell he gets upset when I make him work through the tough spots. Right now the tough spots are reading. Perhaps he feels that PS would be easier. Truthfully it probably would be easier, because the standards are lower. But I will try asking him what he missess if he even knows and see if I can incorporate those into our day.

[robsiew]

My older two went to school for two and one year respectively. They love homeschooling and don't want to go back to school at all. My younger two have never been to school so they don't have quite the perspective. I think they might choose to try school if we gave them the option. I think they would decide pretty quickly though that they have a pretty good deal here!

[TheAutumnOak]

None of my boys want to go to school...My oldest did 1st grade at a private school, but he likes being at home better...The other boys wants what he wants for the time being ;)

 

DH tells them that if they give me problems they are going to school...Everyone straightens up after that :tongue_smilie:

[saja1029]

DH tells them that if they give me problems they are going to school...Everyone straightens up after that :tongue_smilie:

 

Funny, my DH says the same thing.....must be 'Jersey thing;)

 

Both of my kiddos went to PS until last year....and one year later they both say that they love being home and never want to go back again!

[NorCalMom]

My older two went to school for two and one year respectively. They love homeschooling and don't want to go back to school at all. My younger two have never been to school so they don't have quite the perspective. I think they might choose to try school if we gave them the option. I think they would decide pretty quickly though that they have a pretty good deal here!

 

:iagree: Same here. DD went to private school for K & 1st. She loves homeschooling & never wants to go back. DS sees kids on the playground occasionally & that's the only time I hear him say that he wants to go to school. Co-ops and homeschool groups help with that.

[mamatohaleybug]

My daughter likes it better than public school but is still a resistant learner. I think she would just rather watch TV and play on the computer all day. :glare:

 

I, on the other hand, MUCH prefer homeschooling.

[ChrissySC]

"It's pretty darn good. I can watch tv and take break when I want. We don't have bullies. And, we don't have to walk laps or pull sticks, like for not writing our name on something. We don't have to get up at the crack of dawn. You can start whenever you want. Everyday is pajama day at school. You don't have to ask to use the bathroom. Our stuffed animals can come to school. Our cat can sit on the table. We can run in the hallway. We can go outside and do our work. We can pause school and come back to it. You can do schoolwork in the car. We get half days. We get holidays when we want."

 

This comes from two fourth grade best friends that homeschool. I transcribed for you - in between the giggles and laughs. :P

[AuntPol]

My daughter likes it better than public school but is still a resistant learner. I think she would just rather watch TV and play on the computer all day. :glare:

 

 

 

Ditto.

 

Both of my kids have been to school. DD went K-4 and DS K-2. DS has homeschooled a year longer than DD. He loves homeschooling in the terms of "I would rather play video games all day but since I HAVE to go to school, I would rather homeschool." He actually enjoys most of what we do. DD waffles. She wants to homeschool because she doens't want to get up and be at school by 7:30 in the morning, she likes wearing pajamas for half the day. She likes working at her own pace, etc. and doesn't miss homework. However, she is very sociable and misses that daily socialization that school provides and that I can't replicate at home despite us being very busy with activities. She is also very curious about middle school. She wonders what it would be like to have a schedule, a locker, to change for PE, etc. She wants a boyfriend like her public school peers. She sees the gaps between herself and her public school friends widening. She thinks their work looks so much easier (and wonders why it takes them so long to do easier work and fewer subjects).

[joysworld]

My kids have never known anything else. When my ds5 asked to go to school (he saw all the playgrounds and the kids playing out there), I informed him that if he went to school, he wouldn't see me or his sisters all day and that he would have to sit down and work all day until school was over. That sealed it for him:) My dd4 has occasionally asked to go to school for the same reason he did, and he would say 'Noooo, you don't want that. We wouldn't see each other all day:) ' I'm sure as the get older, that may change:)

[Moniksca]

We took our ds out at the end of 1st grade and since then he says he wants to be homeschooled forever. He also asked me to build him a locker for high school, lol. We're not sure how long we'll be homeschooling but I'm glad he's enjoying it.

[kmacnchs]

my girls ask when they will get to go to preschool & when they will get to ride a school bus? (they love riding city buses)

 

i just say, "you go to preschool to learn your ABCs & count to 10 and you already know how to do that!" (that answer sufices for now)

 

i feel a twinge like a bad mamma, keeping them home instead of letting them go to school, like they want...but then I remember they have NO CLUE what school is like (or the school bus ride) and I remind myself that I know what is best for them - NOT public school (ESP. not where we live), let me tell you!

[FloridaMomTo5]

We did PS kindergarten for my oldest dd, and she was bored to tears. She very matter of fact refers to it as the "prison" to her siblings. This is her doing not ours. lol. Every time we drove by on the way to the library she would say to the others, "Look, there's the prison mom rescued me from." I kid you not. This has solidified homeschooling for the other children as the best choice in their eyes. LOL

[sassenach]

I don't ask. For one, it's not an option (for my 2 younger kids). Two, how could they possibly know what they would like better? They have never gone, so there is no info to base their answer on.

 

As they mature, ps may be put on the table. I will ask them if/when it's an option.

[5LittleMonkeys]

My 3 oldest were at the end of 5th, 4th and K when I pulled them out. Since I pulled them out I have asked them several times if they still want to continue homeschooling.

 

Dd13 says that she loves homeschooling and feels like she is actually learning. She loves having time to pursue her own interests and passions. She said I should stop asking her...if she ever decides she wants to go she'll let me know.

 

Dd12 also says that she loves homeschooling but not necessarily all of the things that she has to learn. She loves the freedom to spend large amounts of time on art\craft projects and appreciates being able to learn based on how she retains and produces information best. She is very social though so has said that she might be interested in high school but only if we move somewhere where she could attend a Liberal Arts Magnet.

 

Dd8 likes the flexibility of homeschooling. She loves doing math in the bathtub, read alouds in bed, writing sentences on the back window... She said sitting at a desk all day sounds "exceptionally dull". When I ask her if she wants to keep homeschooling she asks, "Don't you want to homeschool me anymore?" It's so pitiful...I'm not going to ask her anymore.:tongue_smilie:

 

I don't ask ds4...he's oblivious and really couldn't make that decision anyway.

[CanaryMelody]

My daughter likes it better than public school but is still a resistant learner. I think she would just rather watch TV and play on the computer all day. :glare:

 

I, on the other hand, MUCH prefer homeschooling.

 

:iagree:

My oldest DD is a very unmotivated learner as well. But she rather be unmotivated at home rather than at public school. :001_huh:

[Mommy22alyns]

Both girls like homeschooling. They love to be with Mommy (still! :001_wub: ) and understand that it takes them way less time to school at home than it would at a school. They attend a co-op once a week and it's enough for them.

[Aurelia]

I asked Ariel if she liked homeschooling and got an emphatic "Yes!" She has PSed friends and feels terribly sorry for them because they have to spend all day doing school, and then do homework on top of that. Asking her if she wants to go to school has resulted in tears on more than one occasion.

[RootAnn]

"Yes, except for how mean mother is." - oldest

"I think I like it better than regular school." - #2

 

... Honesty from the oldest. Gotta love it. :tongue_smilie:

[Homemama2]

 

:iagree:

[Serenade]

I've asked my kids, indeed, threatened them with going to PS, but they have no interest. I think they realize the benefits, and are not interested in being roped into a traditional school schedule. Mine are in 2nd and 5th, and I am thinking of putting them in PS for high school, but so far, every time I mention it, my oldest vehemently protests. He might change his mind by then, though.

[laundrycrisis]

I don't ask because it's not up to them and it's not open for discussion. I do at times point out the reasons we have chosen to homeschool them so they will have a chance to understand; but I never ask.

 

I think they are both over their desire to go to school. They both wanted to at one time but I believe it has passed.

[WTMCassandra]

I've been thinking about this on and off today. I decided not to ask my children because they have never known anything else. Now, for children who have experienced a variety of school settings, it might be interesting to hear some pros/cons. But in our case, it would be like asking a fish if he likes the water rather than the air. He's too wet to know. A more instructive question for our particular family might be what things they like about homeschooling vs. what they would like to change. Then we could have a discussion on whether changing those negatives is indeed possible.

[tuzor]

I've been thinking about this on and off today. I decided not to ask my children because they have never known anything else. Now, for children who have experienced a variety of school settings, it might be interesting to hear some pros/cons. But in our case, it would be like asking a fish if he likes the water rather than the air. He's too wet to know. A more instructive question for our particular family might be what things they like about homeschooling vs. what they would like to change. Then we could have a discussion on whether changing those negatives is indeed possible.

 

I agree with your perspective completely. I will rephrase the question to my son and take certain things into consideration. I think he is probably curious because so many of his friends go to public school. Oh well I have explained to him that we have chosen to homeschool and we believe its the right decision for our family.

[Gwenny]

Well, I haven't made my way through this whole thread, but I can't take any more of your homeschool-loving kids! Whenever my daughter is asked if she likes school, she will give an emphatic and passionate NO! Of course, my daughter doesn't want to go to public school either. Her choice would be play and read all day, every day. She has also never been to public school so she can't really compare.

 

I wish I too could say she loved it, but I doubt that would ever happen! Every public school mother thinks I'm mean for homeschooling her even though she hates it. I know enough of PS to know that she would like that even less!

[Love2teach0307]

"It's pretty darn good. I can watch tv and take break when I want. We don't have bullies. And, we don't have to walk laps or pull sticks, like for not writing our name on something. We don't have to get up at the crack of dawn. You can start whenever you want. Everyday is pajama day at school. You don't have to ask to use the bathroom. Our stuffed animals can come to school. Our cat can sit on the table. We can run in the hallway. We can go outside and do our work. We can pause school and come back to it. You can do schoolwork in the car. We get half days. We get holidays when we want.":P

 

This sounds just like our house!!!! Especially the stuffed animals and the pauses! Anytime my dd gets curious about "real school" I just tell her she would have to wake up at 6:15 every morning, and then she never wants to try it. She loves waking up slowly and starting when we're all ready. We all really do march to the beat of our own drum too much to conform to PS.

[Tracy]

My 6yo asked me, "You aren't ever going to send me to school, are you?" I was glad that we didn't have an issue, but I sure hope that I haven't contributed to her anxiety about it should she ever have to go.

[NorCalMom]

Well, I haven't made my way through this whole thread, but I can't take any more of your homeschool-loving kids! Whenever my daughter is asked if she likes school, she will give an emphatic and passionate NO! Of course, my daughter doesn't want to go to public school either. Her choice would be play and read all day, every day. She has also never been to public school so she can't really compare.

 

I wish I too could say she loved it, but I doubt that would ever happen! Every public school mother thinks I'm mean for homeschooling her even though she hates it. I know enough of PS to know that she would like that even less!

 

:lol::lol: Refreshingly honest - love it!

[blessedmom3]

I am in minority here . Both of my boys (6 & 7) LOVE school ! After being h-schooled for the last few years, last month they started school for the first time. They love PE, music , art , lunch time , recess . Even math & reading . They both are blessed to have excellent teachers . They love to have new friends. I have to admit , at home we did little PE or art and we did not provide opportunities for them to meet other children , except 2x/week at church which I do not think it's enough . We do not have a homeschool group that is close . They do have karate and piano classes but obviously it wasn't enough . They LOVE every moment of school and were sad when I told them next year (2011-2012) they will stay home again ...:blink:

[mom4him]

No, I haven't. I am committed to homeschool, it is what I believe with all my heart is the best for them. I am the parent.

 

I have to admit it bothers me when I see families go back and forth, back and forth with public school.

 

Be sure what it is that you want for your children and what you believe is best for them. Then be the parent and go with it.

 

I do realize that some times life changes and sometimes the schooling choices need to change also. It does seem to me that at times the parent are just playing with it though.

 

Sorry if this seem harsh. I have had a bit of a day.:D