Anyone have their child visit a school?

[shanezomom]

Our 10 yr ds has always been homeschooled and was really complaining about how long his subjects were taking the other day. Whenever I tell him how many hours a day his friends are in school, I still don't think he understands how great he has it.

 

Have any of you sent your child to school with a friend for a day just to see how the other world lives? Does it backfire or serve a good purpose? The school I have in mind is a small Christian school where many ds friends go - 10 kids in the 5th grade class and I'm quite sure the administrator would think a visit would be fine.

[Garga]

I haven't done it, but wished I could. But for more than a day. Going for just one day would be something different and probably come across as exciting. (The first day of school was always somewhat exciting.)

 

And, if the child is observing for just one day, they don't really had to do the work. They don't have the homework, they wouldn't have had to memorize whatever the class was memorizing (for example.) They'd just be sitting there without any responsibility.

 

But if they had to join in and do some homework and write reports and take tests for about 2 weeks, then maybe the reality of it would finally sink in.

 

But I don't think a school will let my kids observe for 2 weeks.

[jennsmile]

My kids are going to visit school tomorrow but it is career day so not really a real day.

[Leav97]

DD did one day of 2nd grade last week in the local PS for which we are zoned. She new ahead of time that even if she liked it she wouldn't be attending school. At least not until she is older.

 

She thought it was easy. She didn't enjoy lunch or recess. On the whole it went very well. She did say she would rather go to school but, I think she would change her mind after a couple of weeks.

[angela in ohio]

My 15 yo went to shadow at a local private school last year. We were trying to decide whether to stay the course for high school (read: I had a moment of panic mid-year.) It strengthened her desire to homeschool, because she saw how inefficient (in her words) it was. Thjey did few labs in science, and even though she visited all honors courses at a more rigorous school, it couldn't compete with what she is learning at home.

[Mandy in TN]

My middle ds visited the local ps when he was in junior high. He was being very difficult and not wanting to do assigned work. I left feeling like it wouldn't be the end of the world if he ended up there, and he left never wanting to return. :D

 

Because of the chance that it might backfire, I wouldn't do it unless you really would enroll him.

Mandy

[Starr]

Kids complain. PS kids complain at home and their teachers don't have to hear it. We the parent/teacher don't like to listen to the complaints and tend to take them personally. I wouldn't send him to school unless you want to risk him liking it. :)

[Hen]

there have been times I would love to do it, but I get the feeling here in So. Ca that it would not be allowed. At my bonus student's school, parents were not allowed further than the office, his mom could not walk him to class even.

 

I think it could be a good thing, to see how inefficient and boring it is. My son has had a bit of a spoiled/entitled attitude lately, and I was seriously thinking of sending him to PS just so he could see what it is really like. Unfortunately, I think I'd have to go through the whole hassle of enrolling him. :glare:

[joannqn]

I've thought of it but I worry about it backfiring. I think my daughter would enjoy the social aspect. I'm pretty sure my son would hate it because the work would be too easy. Part of me wants to send my younger son so I can get a break from him.

[Word Nerd]

My DD started school in the middle of third grade and loved it. She couldn't wait for school to start again after the summer. She doesn't love it now and has told me she misses homeschooling sometimes. I wouldn't assume that a school visit would elicit a negative reaction from a homeschooler, though.

[kewb]

I doubt the public schools here would allow it. My ds did go with a friend on "Take a friend to school day" at the kids private school. My ds had a great time. I then explained to him about how the school was marketing itself to the kids. Hoping they would go home and tell their parents how great it was and that they wanted to attend. He was quite appalled at the concept.

[brasilmom]

My dd, 6yo, would love it for a day. If this was an option and if I wanted it that bad, I would have to send her for say 2 weeks minimum. A whole month would prove ideal. Once she has a full grasp of the reality I think she would most likely tell me she hates it. She would love the "social" aspect of it, but sitting it for a long time and home work and all, that would be a huge turn off. I would feel sorry for her teacher!

[Mommy22alyns]

It's not even possible. No public school around here would allow that.

 

 

That's what I'm thinking it's like here.

 

My 6 yo would probably hate it; she just tolerates co-op. My 8 yo would probably hyperventilate over the whole idea and then talk too much. :tongue_smilie:

[scrapbookbuzz]

My daughter has requested to "go to high school with other people". It's still a couple of years away so we're looking now. I've told her I'll consider a charter high school but not a mainstream public one here. One of them does allow "shadowing". And she'll be shadowing an acquaintance who's a freshman this year. Should be interesting to see what her take on it is!

[Grover]

Sort of - here kids get a few school visits before they start school for real. DS went along for two of these, one I stayed for and the other he stayed by himself. The first one he sat with the other kids and he joined in while they learnt their alphabet sounds and decoded CVC words (DS is a fluent reader) and he kept catching my eye with a WTF look on his face. Then the teacher sent them off to "write" a story so he did, then realised that the others were drawing a picture and waiting for the teacher and TA to come and write their dictated sentence for them to copy or trace. He came to me at that point and said, I don't think I belong here. He was right. The second visit we agreed to because the teacher felt she was "ready for him". He arrived to a folder of worksheets of various levels which he sat at a table and worked at by himself while the class did their letter sounds, etc. He told me he didn't want to go to school if he'd have to work by himself all the time, although he'd like to visit their library and playground some more.

 

I work in a lot of schools as well though, so he's very familiar with schools and how they work. Nowadays I just tell him to pick a teacher in the staffroom to go to class with when we arrive... most of them don't mind ;)