Please tell me this is doable and

[MelissaM]

dd will not be scarred for life if she is at home for high school. I never intended to hs her this long. She went to ps beginning in Jan. of this year for the 2nd half of 7th grade. It was our intention for her to remain in ps. That grass looked SOOO green.

 

It did not take long to figure out that the grass is not greener. She will be back home for good (maybe, I think, I don't know...) beginning next week. We are so glad that the nonsense that goes along with ps will be gone, but I am scared. Really, really scared. I've not read, researched, talked with anyone regarding high school. It just never factored that she would be at home.

 

The only reason I even considered her coming home is we were going to enroll her in a private classical school that meets 2 days per week. She has shown no enthusiasm for the school in talk or on either tour. We had a long talk yesterday and she does not want to go to the part-time school. She wants to be "purely" homeschooled.

 

Can anyone help? I feel paralyzed and completely unable to get a feel for what we should do.

[Chris in VA]

What would the classical school cover? Can you do it at home? Does she have the summer off to "detox?"

Do you know what her ideas are as to what homeschooling will look like at the high school level?

You still have a whole year, plus the summer (if you don't school year-round) to get your ducks in a row.

Can she reconnect with friends from homeschooling? Are there other co-op opportunities you might consider?

 

Boy, lots of questions, eh? Ha ha- -another one.

 

I started my homeschool journey with a k'er and a 9th grader, and this is just our third year. I will say I wasn't aware enough to be scared of high school! Really, it's not that bad. Don't expect total independence, do a lot of writing (but ramp up slowly), read some really good books, get the math thing down, and have some sort of idea where she wants to go--at 14, maybe she knows her interests; at 15, her strengths and weaknesses, at 16, whether college is really in her future (2 yr or 4 yr), then go from there. Junior and Senior year, you can decide whether to try to get some college credits in, either thru AP or CC--or not, which is fine. You might want to make sure she gets a taste of community service thru some sort of club or group, and if she can show some initiative and leadership, great.

 

Hang in there. You have an extraordinary chance to bond with your daughter during this time, and to help her guard her heart. It will be alright! Better, even, than alright. She wants you! Hurray!!!

[MelissaM]

She does want me. :) For that I am very thankful. The rewards of longer term hsing is beginning to show. She has been hs for a collective total of 5 years. She went to ps for K, half of third, and half of seventh. I caved each time the youngest hit 18 months. :blink:

 

Answers: The classical school can do way more than I feel able. It feels like she will get more focused instruction with fewer interruptions there. We school year round so I don't want to dawdle in getting my act tgether, but I can take the time I need to plan. She doesn't need detox time but we will take it easy this summer because of all her camps. I don't know what to do about the friend issue. She says she is content with her church friends.

 

The funny thing is dd is not stressing at all. She told me yesterday that I worry too much and she will have a perfectly normal life with or without traditional schooling.

 

.....But what if she doesn't get the math she needs and doesn't get into college and winds up living with me for the rest of her crack addicted life or even worse winds up living in a cardboard box under the expressway with a sign begging help to buy Ripple because she her mother didn't do high school right??????

[Faithr]

If I can homeschool high school, you can homeschool high school! I am the most disorganized, scatter-brained person! I farm out what I can't teach (tutor for math; outside homeschool class for science; community college for foreign languages) and did all the other stuff myself. Now some folks can teach all the high school courses and if you are one of those, go for it, but I do think your dd should understand that if she wants to learn everything at home, she has to pull her own weight. Most high schoolers have SOME kind of outside help, even if it is just an online class here and there.

 

But high school turned out not to be as scary as I thought. Home is a good place for a teen to be in this toxic world. They can bloom in their own time without being weighted down by superficial peer pressure. It is a very rewarding journey!

 

And I second everything Chris in VA said.

[Michelle in AL]

Your daughter sounds wonderful! You can do this. You also have all summer to prepare. Can you take the summer off to prepare?

My favorite homeschool high school book is this: http://www.amazon.com/Homeschooling-High-School-Planning-Admission/dp/1932096116/ref=pd_bbs_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1211030843&sr=8-2

 

It has all you'll need to know I believe.

 

If you like classical, have you thought about Veritas Press' Omnibus or Trisms? Both can be done without a lot of prep work on your part. Many moms read the recommended books in Omnibus, but you don't have to.

 

I think as moms we tend to question our decisions much more than necessary. Your daughter is right, she will be fine.

[Michelle in MO]

She does want me. :) For that I am very thankful. The rewards of longer term hsing is beginning to show. She has been hs for a collective total of 5 years. She went to ps for K, half of third, and half of seventh. I caved each time the youngest hit 18 months. :blink:

 

Answers: The classical school can do way more than I feel able. It feels like she will get more focused instruction with fewer interruptions there. We school year round so I don't want to dawdle in getting my act tgether, but I can take the time I need to plan. She doesn't need detox time but we will take it easy this summer because of all her camps. I don't know what to do about the friend issue. She says she is content with her church friends.

 

The funny thing is dd is not stressing at all. She told me yesterday that I worry too much and she will have a perfectly normal life with or without traditional schooling.

 

.....But what if she doesn't get the math she needs and doesn't get into college and winds up living with me for the rest of her crack addicted life or even worse winds up living in a cardboard box under the expressway with a sign begging help to buy Ripple because she her mother didn't do high school right??????

 

I understand your fear! The only reason we're considering not homeschooling next year is because my husband had health issues in the fall, which are thankfully being resolved. We feel it's time for me to go back to school.

 

First of all, it's a BIG plus that your daughter has church friends! That's something my girls lack in our church situation (which may eventually bring a change of church). Even though she may not need to "detox" over the summer, perhaps just some time away will give her perspective and she may be willing to try the classical school. (As an aside, I would give my left arm to have a classical school or co-op nearby! :D )

 

As far as the math is concerned, you might spend the summer talking to your local community college or perhaps regular college/university to see if there's a talented math student who might be able to help with tutoring. If we homeschool next year, I would definitely do that! I have one in geometry now and one in algebra, and it's getting to be a LOT for me!

 

In our situation, we have health issues, the probability of my starting school in the fall, the huge issue of no homeschool group or co-op, the possible change of church. It seems like you have a lot of positives going for you! I would try to stay focused on those positives and just start some research over the summer into the issues of math tutoring, homeschooling through h.s., etc. Also, you might try re-reading TWTM again. Visit your local cc and see what they advise---i.e., what coursework should you be steering her towards? Do their classes transfer to other colleges/universities? When should you have her take the PSAT, the ACT, the SAT? Is there a guidance counselor at the classical Christian school? Would they be willing to give you some advice and assistance, at least as far as your planning is concerned?

 

The biggest thing is: your daughter wants to be homeschooled, and it doesn't sound like she's fighting homeschooling or you! So, try to relax, spend your summer doing research and looking into things, and you may find even more resources available than you knew about!

 

Best wishes to you and your dd!

[periwinkle]

Of course it is doable:001_smile:

 

Many of us on this board have graduated/are graduating homeschooled students that are not scarred for life. In fact, they sound like a great bunch of fine young men and women:thumbup: Hang out on this board and read about some of them!

 

You have time to prepare, since your dd is only going into 8th grade. Also, there are many, many paths to travel. You don't have to do it all at home (although that is what my oldest ds and I have done, and everything is fine!)

 

Take a look at the guidance counselor thread on the board currently for some ideas and places to start.

 

Hugs to you and your precious dd!

[tnmomofboys]

Melissa, a classical school sounds pretty tempting to me. She would meet some friends and maybe you would too. It is always great to know someone who is slightly ahead of you.

Thank for the link Michelle. I have placed this on my wishlist. My ds will be in the 8th grade next year and every time I mention him going to school for high school, he says "no thanks." He loves being homeschooled, but I get a little scared when I think of high school.

[Susan in IL]

It is doable and she will not be scarred for life. :D

 

Spend some time with her finding out what future goals she has. Involve her in picking curriculum. Go to a conference and bring her along. If she wants to hs, she should be more willing to take ownership of the outcome.

 

Map out a general 4 year plan, then take it one year at a time. Not all of it has to be done by you either. You can do online classes, coops (if in your area), and cc.

 

Breathe, you can do it.

[Nan in Mass]

(in all likelyhood). I keep telling myself that every time I'm scared. It is really scary. Focus on the reasons you are homeschooling. I know that my son would definately get a better education in our public school, but my oldest went through that same public high school, so I also know for us, that "better education" isn't worth the price. Mine are better off at home with whatever education I can cobble together for them. That doesn't mean that I haven't farmed some of it out; mine will do lab sciences and math above algebra/geometry at CC. She's too young now, probably, to think that CC classes sound like a nice idea, so I wouldn't necessarily burden her with the prospect, but you can keep it in mind and not make any sweeping promises to teach her everything yourself. Find some way to really do the math. Remember that ps children spend at least 1 1/2 hours a day on it and make sure you spend a similar amount of time. They also do it twice a day (except weekends). Doing something twice a day makes it easier to remember. Have a plan for learning to write, also. Make sure that your daughter's world grows as she grows and she is involved in the community more and more as time goes along through volenteer work or a job. And read lots of good books and discuss them. Scary as it is, high school is a cool time. You get to see your child growing, be there she does it and do lots of guiding. It is a great time to spend all day with your child.

-Nan

[Storm Bay]

She WANTS to homeschool high school, and that's the biggest key, IMO. The first time I ever was scared about homeschooling was when I started really getting into planning to homeschool high school. I'm still planning on it. Dd is 13. I agree that the book mentioned Homeschooling High School linked above is a good one. I read the library copy and plan to get my own.

 

I can't answer about the part time private school as we don't really have that option. Could you have her try it on a trial basis? Math, sure you can do it. There are many options, including tutors, video classes, etc. My dd learns from a textbook, but I'm not sure what my younger 2 will do when we get there.

 

I don't have any btdt advice, but wanted to let you know that you're not alone in your concern, and I'm not always the most organized person, but I do manage to order most of my curricula on time, which is the main key. Dd does a lot of self-learning (not self-directed, or she'd just stick to science and art.)