Poll: when did you consider yourself a homeschooler?

[Aubrey]

Mandatory school age--in TX, that's 6, so not until 2nd grade (1st time he was 6 by Sept) for my oldest did I feel completely "legit." LOL

 

Technically, I was reading WTM when oldest was in utero, but I felt like a faker the first time I came to the boards & so left & waited until he was 5ish.

[Virg]

When I bought an actual curriculum and decided for sure that this is what we were doing forever.

[HS Mom in NC]

I considered myself a hser when I began academics. My oldest was a very early reader, so when she started learning letter sounds at 4 we had begun academics and were therefore hsers.

[Hannah C.]

I technically voted wrong...but to me, homeschooling means "teaching the child at home" - regardless of age. I was homeschooled when I was 4 years old, because I was being taught at home. :)

 

I should have voted "I'm a student" though, since I haven't actually started hs'ing yet.

[Pretty in Pink]

I considered myself a homeschooler on the day that all of the other little boys and girls got on the bus and headed to kindy while my little man sat at the table with his homemade lessons and a laminated, paper American flag hanging on the wall behind him...dorky, I know. :D

[Rosie_0801]

What shall I vote? It depends who I'm talking to.

 

To homeschoolers with strict views on semantics, I am "totschooling" which, as everyone knows, isn't proper homeschooling. It's normal stuff that normal parents do. I don't know anyone from this category in real life.

 

To homeschoolers with more relaxed views on semantics, I am "totschooling" which, as everyone knows, is what homeschoolers do when their kids aren't yet school age and looks exactly like what normal parents do with their little kids.

 

To non-homeschoolers, I'm homeschooling because that's what you are doing if you don't send your kids to preschool or creche or something. It makes everyone feel better to use this word because "normal stuff parents do with their kids" is, in the schooled paradigm, "doing nothing." I don't want to be considered "doing nothing" because I'm not. And people who care about my kids in any way, shape or form, don't want us to be doing nothing either. "We homeschool, but of course at this age that is just jigsaw puzzles and playdough and normal kindery stuff" makes everyone who isn't on a rant feel comfortable.

 

I feel I crossed the line from 'intending to homeschool' to any or all of the above when dd was two months shy of 3. That was the beginning of the school year, the day we started attending the local homeschoolers group's playgroup and when we began doing regular, sit-at-the-desk sessions.

 

Rosie

[Dmmetler]

I officially count it when DD didn't return to school last fall, but in many ways, it became "Real" to me when I did the paperwork to enroll her for the following year in our cover school, officially giving up her slot in the parochial school she'd been attending. I also ordered a whole year's worth of curriculum then, mostly at the wrong level, because I needed to feel that this was "real".

 

I'm MUCH more relaxed now than I was a year ago at this time!

[C_l_e_0..Q_c]

When the private school we had selected misplaced our files and offered DS's place to another family, we were forced to find another solution. We selected some long distance learning for that first year. DS would have entered Kinder, but we opted for a grade 1 level with the long distance class, due to differences in calculating the cutoff date. And that suited us fine, since DS was already reading Harry Potter.

 

The next year, when the school called to offer a place, we declined, and then they asked us the BIG question. "Do you want us to call again next year?" I said no. That truly was the start of our homeschooling journey. Before that, it was just one year at a time. After that big question, we no longer had a parachute.

 

Never regretted it either. It's been 8 years, I think.

[DawnM]

Well, not before the oldest started K because they went to full time preschool from birth to age 5 (oldest). I worked full time and had NO intention of homeschooling. None. I thought hsers were a bit whacked.

 

Dawn

Edited June 21, 2011 by DawnM

[arghmatey]

Oh, yes, Texas. I'll never be a homeschooler, then, since we are a private school. :-)

[Mrs Mungo]

I thought hsers were a bit wacked.

 

I still think we are. ;)

[Colleen]

 

Well, my opinion is that the intention/plan to be a homeschooler does not make one a homeschooler. If your children are not yet school age, then you are an active, involved parent which is a perfectly lovely and wonderful thing to be, but you're not a homeschooler.

I wholeheartedly agree.

 

[Colleen]

 

When did you consider yourself a homeschooler?

When the time came that my oldest son otherwise would have attended school ~ kindergarten. I didn't consider myself a homeschooler when I was only looking toward homeschooling, just as I didn't consider myself a runner when I merely thought about running.:tongue_smilie:

 

[Jean in Newcastle]

Compulsory school age here is 7. I doubt that anyone would say that you can't count anything before 2nd grade, just based on that.

 

Compulsory school age here is 8. So I guess for the naysayers, I didn't homeschool dd8 until last year.

[Karen in CO]

I started homeschooling the day I told my son's middle school principal that I was withdrawing him effective immediately. I'm not sure when I considered myself a homeschooler, or if I do. I'm just a mom doing the best I can for my kids.

[musicianmom]

Last year after dd turned 5, and we passed the school bus on our way to the pool.

 

I find all the talk about compulsory age ridiculous when it comes to defining homeschoolers. CA here is 6. But since I had no intention of holding dd back a year, we homeschooled her for K, umbrella school registration and all.

[arghmatey]

Compulsory school age here is 8. So I guess for the naysayers, I didn't homeschool dd8 until last year.

 

The naysayers? The home school elite? I love it! Lol

 

Home schoolier than thou.

:iagree:

[BatmansWife]

I haven't had time to read through 7 pages. I voted "other". For me, it was when I was pregnant with dd1. Call me crazy! We had decided before we even had kids that we would homeschool. So, I already knew we would be homeschoolers. While pregnant with her I started picking up educational items if I saw them at garage sales. :D

[KrissiK]

I really felt like a homeschooler on that very strange "first-day-of-school" that my son's friends went to public school for kindergarten and DS wasn't with them. A lot of people at the school he would have been going to knew him and he wasn't there. I kind of felt like I was going to get into trouble or something. But nothing happened. :D

[Violet Crown]

The naysayers? The home school elite? I love it! Lol

 

Home schoolier than thou.

:iagree:

Really? Because they disagree about when families are most accurately described as "homeschooling"?

 

I don't understand the animosity.

[Colleen]

For me, it was when I was pregnant with dd1. Call me crazy! We had decided before we even had kids that we would homeschool. So, I already knew we would be homeschoolers. :D

I won't call you crazy. You have every right to think the way you do, and you're in good company. And while it doesn't matter, ultimately, when one thinks of oneself as a homeschooler, I admit your (collective) take on it puzzles me.

 

It seems logical to me to differentiate between when I know I will do something and when I'm actually doing it. Kinda like I said in my post above: thinking about running, intending to run, doesn't make me a runner, kwim? But again, I raise the point not because I think there is one "right" answer. Just musing about the different opinions.:)

[twoforjoy]

I considered myself a homeschooler when I pulled DS from kindergarten.

 

He had been home on-and-off during his preschool years, but I didn't really consider that homeschooling.

 

However, now that I feel like a "homeschooler," I think I'd probably consider myself to be homeschooling DD once she's preschool age, and not when she gets to kindy age.

[arghmatey]

Really? Because they disagree about when families are most accurately described as "homeschooling"?

 

I don't understand the animosity.

 

Huh? I don't feel animosity. I feel amused / entertained. It's a good thread.

[Liz CA]

The day we did not send ds back after 5th grade. I was sweating bullets....:D

[Jean in Newcastle]

Really? Because they disagree about when families are most accurately described as "homeschooling"?

 

I don't understand the animosity.

 

The question was "when do you consider yourself a homeschooler". I do have a bit of animosity towards people telling me and others that our own self perception is wrong or silly or not accurate.

[Violet Crown]

 

Huh? I don't feel animosity. I feel amused / entertained. It's a good thread.

I guess I misinterpreted the tenor of your previous post.

[sbgrace]

I considered myself a homeschooler when I would have enrolled them in school and did not. That was my firm decision point. For us that was K. I could see how that might be Pre-K (or even 1st or compulsory age) in another family's environment. I did feel a little different about homeschooling at compulsory school age which is age seven here though I do consider myself a homeschooler prior to that point. I'm wondering if each "step up" to middle and then high school will feel a little different too.

Edited June 22, 2011 by sbgrace

[KnitWit]

My dd already knew how to read when she went to public school kindy, but I didn't consider myself a homeschooler until I began teaching her at home in first grade.

 

I consider all the pre-*schooly* stuff as just me being a mom.

[Wheres Toto]

NJ is a non-reporting state so at no point do I need to officially tell them we're homeschooling. The homeschool statutes say we need to provide "equivalent instruction". The NJ Core Curriculum Content Standards offer guidelines beginning with preschool (sending kids to preschool starting at 2 1/2 to 3 years old is very very common here).

 

I considered us homeschooling when ds could have gone to kindergarten by age cut-off (although it was a year earlier than they wanted him because of a late August birthday). We did not come to the decision to definitely homeschool until around that point.

 

I do consider myself homeschooling both my younger kids since we have a set curriculum and deliberate activities that we do. I guess based on the guidelines of the state of NJ we're good. :D

[cindergretta]

The naysayers? The home school elite? I love it! Lol

 

Home schoolier than thou.

:iagree:

 

:lol: Thank you for the laugh!!!!! :grouphug:

[Veritaserum]

When my oldest stayed home for kindergarten, I went from being someone who was going to homeschool to someone who was homeschooling. :)

 

I count how many years I've homeschooled to include K - current grade of my oldest. She just finished 5th, so I've been homeschooling for six years.

 

I'll confess to doing an internal eyeroll when someone whose oldest child is five says she has been homeschooling for five years. :tongue_smilie:

[Impish]

When we pulled Diva in mid gr 3.

[WishboneDawn]

When I decided to homeschool my children. My daughter was about four and a half at the time.

[2_girls_mommy]

Preschool age 4. Everyone here does Pre K free through the schools and seems to think it is mandatory. That is also the year I began researching what we would do long term for hs. But definitely preK.

Edited June 22, 2011 by 2_girls_mommy

[LidiyaDawn]

I voted "other" because we've got it two ways here due to a drastic lifestyle change a number of years back… the change that made us homeschoolers - that was when we took our older two out of public school. Now, we ARE homeschoolers - and it's our way of life. Therefore, in my mind, our little newbie is already a homeschooler. :D

[ByGrace3]

I said preschool, bc to me that was when we made a choice to send them to school or stay home.

[nono]

I knew I'd homeschool, as it is common in our family. My dh and I discussed it before we married. However, I don't consider myself a homeschooler of my ds, who's not started kindergarten yet.

 

I consider homeschooling to start for each of my dc the day each hears from me, "Hello, and welcome to kindergarten" and then get his/her first day of school picture taken. :)

 

When others consider themselves is not for me to worry about!

[2_girls_mommy]

 

Mostly though, I identify as a homeschooler now, because I am literally the *only* one I know who is not sending their kid to a formal preschool program. Even my friends who plan to homeschool are doing outside preschool. It's already getting to be a problem because our weekday programs (library, nature group, etc.) are now dominated by younger kids, but he's not really old enough to participate in school age programs. All the 4 year-olds have just disappeared!

 

I remember those days. We actually got asked to leave one group that was for ages 1-3 even though I had a 2 yr old also that fit the age group, because some moms had complained about 4 yr olds being there. Then I had to defend it to everyone it seemed, at church, in the grocery store, in my extended family, about why she wasn't in preK, etc. etc.

 

I promise it gets better. Most of the hs groups I contacted that year didn't want anyone until they were school age because they didn't want SAHMs putting their 4 yr old in just until K. They want actual hs families. But by K year, we had plenty of activities to join. We did have to do a year or two of being the oldest at the day activities at the library though. DD really didn't mind.

[Donna]

I considered myself a homeschooler when I decided not to send my oldest for the extra year of preschool his age would have had him do and began researching actual "school" materials and learning styles. It was more the idea that I was not doing what was expected...sending him to school...and had made the choice to do it differently that made me define myself as a homeschooler than actually beginning.

[Audrey]

I'm writing the poll, it takes a second to show up!

 

eta: D'oh!! I left out when they reached mandatory school age. Crud! Sorry, you'll have to vote other and elaborate if that was/is the case.

 

 

I officially called myself a homeschooler the day I didn't send him to kindergarten, but I consider that we started homeschooling at age 4 (Pre-K year). That was our "test" year to see if we really could keep to a schedule and if ds really had the capabilities we thought he had.

[Alice]

I considered myself a homeschooler once I knew we had made the decision to homeschool. For us that was when our oldest was about 3 1/2. Most people around here do formal preshool so it was an definite choice not to. But that was also the point where we started to think about homeschooling, read about it and decided as parents that this was what we wanted to do.

 

I didn't usually identify myself as a homeschooler though until C. was in his kindergarten year. Before that I'd say something like "We plan to homeschool so we aren't doing preschool." The difference was just that I felt silly saying I was a homeschooler when all we were doing at 3 or 4 seemed like what most moms did at home, it's just that we did it all day. It was just being a parent.

[Nestof3]

I chose the first option because I began homeschooling my step-son once I married his dad. It was a lifestyle choice, and even when they were born, so much of what I chose to do and buy centered around my educational philosophy.

 

I was one of those homeschoolers who started knowing there was no turning back.

 

Had I not homeschooled, I would not have put my child into formal schooling until required by law.

[EthiopianFood]

I said kindergarten, although I mean that as a "that is when I WILL count it." ;) I do tell people we homeschool, but it is in reference to me getting a job someday, or what I will do for school for dd. I guess I could say we WILL homeschool, but.... Hmm. I guess I do consider us to be homeschooling now, since we are doing formal subjects. At the same time, I won't consider it to be official and formal until she is staying home when we would have been sending her to public school. So, homeschooling encapsulates our family goals, future plans, and values, and I feel saying we homeschool is a simple way of getting that across. Technically though, we are just prehomeschooling for the moment. :001_smile:

 

We are a homeschooling family. The formal homeschooling will begin when dd is school-age, i.e. kindergarten.

[Greta]

Your opinion isn't popular with me because the question was when we considered ourselves to be homeschooling - not when someone else would judge if I was homeschooling or not.

 

I taught my daughter at home for a year before she would have been in public school, as a "trial run" to see (mostly to prove to dh) if homeschooling would work for us. But I never spoke or even thought of myself as a homeschooler during that time. It just didn't occur to me. I said we were considering homeschooling or that we were planning to homeschool. I honestly never thought of myself as a homeschooler until I submitted the forms to the state saying that she wouldn't be attending Kindergarten. So that's why I've been surprised to learn since then how many people call themselves homeschoolers simply because they have the intention to homeschool. When I was in high school, I had a very strong intention to go to a certain college. But I didn't call myself a student of that college until I was actually enrolled. To me, it's the same thing. But I'm not meaning to be judgmental about it. I meant no insult, truly. I was only expressing my personal opinion.

Edited June 22, 2011 by GretaLynne

[Greta]

But, what is school age?

 

Oh, sure, that varies greatly by region.

[T'smom]

I already answered this, (with 'technically, I'm not a homeschooler yet') but I have something to add. People keep saying that you're not "homeschooling" until K or whatever- before that it's just being an "involved" parent. Well, I would describe most of the people in my social circle as involved parents- they don't do what I do. Teaching comes so naturally to me that I think I'm always doing it. I don't bother putting a label on it. It also seems ironic to me that you could teach a 3 year old to read- but you're NOT a homeschooler; if you do the exact same thing with a 6 year old you ARE. It's an interesting discussion.

Several (VERY involved) parents have said to me lately "oh, my child doesn't know his/her letters (or whatever), he/she doesn't like me to "work" with him/her on that" Well, I don't WORK with my 3 year old for pete's sake! I simply answer his questions, play with alphabet puzzles, when we're coloring, I make letters, etc. It would be hard for me to avoid teaching him these things.

FTR, I go out of my way to not talk about what ds does/knows- but if we spend any significant amount of time with someone, it comes out. He's always talking and it just comes out.

[Lawana]

Really? Because they disagree about when families are most accurately described as "homeschooling"?

 

I don't understand the animosity.

When one adamantly insists that someone doesn't qualify as a homeschooler until a child reaches mandatory schooling age, even though academics are being taught at home and there is no intent to enroll a child in any other school, public or private, it seems a little disingenuous to ascribe "animosity" to other posters regarding the definition of "homeschooler".

[LunaLee]

In our case, afterschooling led to homeschooling.

[Carpe]

I picked "preschool" but that's not really accurate.

 

I consider one to be homeschooling when they have chosen a curriculum or homeschooling strategy and have implemented it. So doing OPGTR with your 3 year old is homeschooling and doing nothing with your 8 year old is not even if they aren't enrolled in another school at the time. (Doing nothing is of course meant literally. Most unschoolers, despite their claims, still do something educational with their kids)

 

However if someone asks, I am not a homeschooling mother because my DSD is in a charter (but does school at home. Even though other people doing this is homeschooling in my mind) and I teach the kids of one of my friends (which is technically a tutor) and my oldest son is not yet doing schoolwork. I will be a homeschooling mom in the fall when he starts K4.

[sgo95]

I voted when they were preschool age, but even before DH and I got married we knew that we wanted to homeschool our kids. I wouldn't have called myself a homeschooler when my oldest was an infant, but I felt like a homeschooler even when DC was very little.

 

Well, my opinion is that the intention/plan to be a homeschooler does not make one a homeschooler. If your children are not yet school age, then you are an active, involved parent which is a perfectly lovely and wonderful thing to be, but you're not a homeschooler.

 

I'm not trying to attack this viewpoint, but I guess I just don't understand why this distinction needs to be made. Is it because there are parents who call themselves homeschoolers because they don't send their kids to preschool but then enroll them in public/private school for kindergarten? Is it a question of when you start more formal academic work? Very puzzling to me...