Aelwydd Posted August 7, 2011 Share Posted August 7, 2011 Alright, so a bare few weeks before the official start of school here, it looks like I may be employed with a new company. In the past, I've always worked a different shift from dh (who works 1st shift) and by staggering our hours, we could hs ds. Well, this potential new job would present a significant increase in salary for me, but it still wouldn't be enough, alone, to support our family with all our bills (thank you, student loans!). So, unfortunately, dh couldn't just quit and stay home with ds. Ok, so the dilemma's pretty obvious. Short of enrolling ds in ps (which isn't our first choice, or even like, fourth or fifth), or moving an hour away to be closer to my sister who hs' her children and would be happy to have ds, it seems we're faced with: 1. Putting ds in daycare (Ugh. He'd be alone with a bunch of toddlers and babies, how alienating and lonely. :() 2. Working out an arrangement with a friend who has watched ds in her at-home daycare. He'd still be with a few younger children, but he knows her, and is good friends with her twin sons, who he'd see once they got home. Also, she is an excellent tutor, and I know that whatever lessons we teach him in the evenings, she would be quite willing to assist him with attending homework and assignments during the day. Problem is, her home is a good 40 minutes away--without traffic. Makes morning commutes a doozy! 3. Find a nanny to come to our house and watch ds and help him with his homework (I expect this would be the most expensive child care option) 4. Put him in a private school (Ok, a few prospective schools near here are around 6k a year. Not bad, but really, I'd prefer to have ds home school, and that's money we could be saving for our move to Canada.) What I wish we could do is find a home school co-op group or hs family around here that we could send ds to to be around kids his age, and feel like he's "doing school" KWIM? But I haven't a clue how to go about finding someone to set this up, and with such short notice! Another interesting tidbit: we're enrolling him in Texas' Virtual Academy, which is an accredited online charter school that uses k12's curriculum. So, he's actually considered a public school student, and all materials, computer, etc. are paid for by the state. That means his lessons and assignments are all laid out, organized, and he has a teacher who we work with to teach ds. We're doing this because it gives us the best of both worlds: public school accreditation (b/c hs in Texas is pretty much completely unregulated, non-standardized, and therefore not accredited), but with the flexibility of hs'ing. Anyway, if anyone has helpful suggestions, or thoughts, I would greatly appreciate your input! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted August 7, 2011 Share Posted August 7, 2011 How far is your and dh's work from your home? My first thought/choice - would be to move closer to your sister, if that's possible and if her family is willing and able (sounds like she is). Other than that, option #2 - your friend sounds like 2nd choice for me. But yes, the commute is a pain. #3 sounds okay, but you really need to know who you're getting. Hard to do and expensive ... #4 is not bad, but then again ... a total $$ drain. Don't know much at all about homeschool co-ops, since we live outside the U.S. Sorry that I'm not of much help. :confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aelwydd Posted August 7, 2011 Author Share Posted August 7, 2011 How far is your and dh's work from your home? My first thought/choice - would be to move closer to your sister, if that's possible and if her family is willing and able (sounds like she is). Other than that, option #2 - your friend sounds like 2nd choice for me. But yes, the commute is a pain. #3 sounds okay, but you really need to know who you're getting. Hard to do and expensive ... #4 is not bad, but then again ... a total $$ drain. Don't know much at all about homeschool co-ops, since we live outside the U.S. Sorry that I'm not of much help. :confused: No, it's good, I appreciate it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pamela H in Texas Posted August 7, 2011 Share Posted August 7, 2011 Yes, your friend sounds like your best bet. TXVA will take up the majority of ds's day. They require 6 hours per day and no one could go straight through. People need breaks, food, etc. I'm less sure how independently an 8 yr old can do K12. But your friend sounds like she could help as he needed. I like the private school option if you don't know when you can get back to homeschooling though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternalknot Posted August 7, 2011 Share Posted August 7, 2011 What about a charter school? Are you in the DFW Metroplex? Your friend sounds like a great option, but that's a pretty ugly commute - especially from a kid's perspective! What you'd save on time, gas, and hassle I think it'd be worth considering a nanny (or someone like your friend who is nearer by). With both of you working, a nanny could also help with light housekeeping (dishes, meal prep, laundry). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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