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Am I wrong for having this as a goal?


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I want to homeschool primarily because I don't think children as young as 5, 6, 7.... should have a full day in school. I think they need more time at those ages to play and just be kids.

 

Well, I was talking to a woman who was running an informational meeting on homeschooling and I told her that around maybe 8 or 9 I would see where my children and I were with our homeschooling progress and if I thought they'd do better in ps or even if they wanted to go then it would be an option. She just about fell over and told me that I can't do that and it should be "all or nothing." She said if I'm going to make the commitment to homeschool then I have to be prepared to do it their entire lives. Um, really? :confused: She said the schools don't want a homeschooled kid (not that they wouldn't take them, just that they don't want them because they don't know how to sit for that long and are usually academically advanced and bored).

 

So, is my plan crazy or is this woman crazy? :)

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Wow.

 

Homeschooling is all about choice, to me, and doing what's best for your family/child.

 

And my kids' teachers are THRILLED with them (talking about the kids that were homeschooled). To paint all homeschoolers with the brush she's using is...wrong.

 

There are many black-and-white thinkers in the homeschool world, just like there are many in the world, period. She sounds like one of them.

 

Your philosophy doesn't have to match hers. Learning to listen politely and then have the fortitude to disagree politely is a skill my kids learn in homeschool, and one I learn as their teacher.

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That's crazy. People homeschool for all kinds of reasons some of which may mean it's very temporary. I know quite a few people homeschooling for just the younger years to give their kids a chance to mature a little more, a chance to work out correct dosages for ADHD or other medications, or to work one-on-one to bring them up to grade level if they've been having some challenges.

 

From what I've seen on various forums, MANY people only plan to homeschool until the high school years when they will either have their kids attend public school or community college.

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Well.... she isn't completely off base. IMO, children have a hard time adjusting to life in ps, especially if they have only been homeschooled. I'm not saying that it can't be done, but there will be adjustments. I've known several people who did that in elementary school. The first year was hard, but it got better after that.

 

Also, you may not be on target. If my daughter was in school, she would need to be able to sit and take a standardized test where she sits and writes a 2 page paper as well as mc reading and math...maybe science. I can't remember exactly. She would do fine on the mc, but can't write 1 paragraph without help over several days. She would be so lost. I would need to make sure she was up to speed in that area before I put her in.

 

Now, for high school. Yes, it is all or nothing here in Texas. They do not half to accept any mommy grades at all. They can require whatever they want. Some districts require you to take end of year tests to prove that they have mastered the material. We've had several instances around here where people wanted to put their kids in 10th or 11th grade and the high school would make them start as freshman. Plus, how in the world do you determine class rank with mommy grades in with regular school? Now I think I read on this board that some people in Texas have been able to go into high school without any trouble. That is not the case here. So I told my boys before they started high school, you decide now. You cannot decide later that you want to go to ps.

 

 

I want to homeschool primarily because I don't think children as young as 5, 6, 7.... should have a full day in school. I think they need more time at those ages to play and just be kids.

 

Well, I was talking to a woman who was running an informational meeting on homeschooling and I told her that around maybe 8 or 9 I would see where my children and I were with our homeschooling progress and if I thought they'd do better in ps or even if they wanted to go then it would be an option. She just about fell over and told me that I can't do that and it should be "all or nothing." She said if I'm going to make the commitment to homeschool then I have to be prepared to do it their entire lives. Um, really? :confused: She said the schools don't want a homeschooled kid (not that they wouldn't take them, just that they don't want them because they don't know how to sit for that long and are usually academically advanced and bored).

 

So, is my plan crazy or is this woman crazy? :)

Edited by choirfarm
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Well.... she isn't completely off base. IMO, children have a hard time adjusting to life in ps, especially if they have only been homeschooled. I'm not saying that it can't be done, but there will be adjustments. I've known several people who did that in elementary school. The first year was hard, but it got better after that.

 

.

 

This is such a generalized statement - some children may have a hard time adjusting. I put 4 in school this year and 3 of them thrived, one did great at school but I thought it was hard on her emotionally. None of the teachers have had any complaints about their behavior and their grades are all through the roof. In fact, the teachers for the older two didn't realize they were homeschooled until I told them.

 

You decide what's best for your kids. *I* had problems with the school so I brought them home. If it was just a matter of them being successful students, they would still be there.

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How old were they?? If you put them back in at 1st or 2nd, it would be ok. But upper elementary or junior high... Math curriculums are all so different and many times there are holes. Or they have been very advanced and the schools don't know what to do with them. Plus kids can be very, very cruel in the preteen/teen years. The kids I knew got teased for being gay because they didn't have a girlfriend in 6th grade!!!!

This is such a generalized statement - some children may have a hard time adjusting. I put 4 in school this year and 3 of them thrived, one did great at school but I thought it was hard on her emotionally. None of the teachers have had any complaints about their behavior and their grades are all through the roof. In fact, the teachers for the older two didn't realize they were homeschooled until I told them.

 

You decide what's best for your kids. *I* had problems with the school so I brought them home. If it was just a matter of them being successful students, they would still be there.

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I want to clarify. These are your children. I actually took it one year at a time as well until high school. ( Mine started in ps- oldest went 3 years, middle 1) I'm just saying that all these rosy...you can do whatever you want, it will be great may or may not be true. Maybe your kids will do great. I know that some do. I know it is possible. But it isn't always the case, and I think you need to be realistic about the possible pitfalls. That is all I am saying.

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No, you are not wrong or crazy.:grouphug:

 

Each family needs to do what is best educationally for their own children. For our family, that is a commitment to hsing all the way through. But for others, taking a year by year, wait and see approach is what is best for them.

 

You are going to come up against a lot of really strong opinions in your homeschooling journey. Be confident in your decisions and don't let others sway you. YOU know your children best!

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How old were they?? If you put them back in at 1st or 2nd, it would be ok. But upper elementary or junior high... Math curriculums are all so different and many times there are holes. Or they have been very advanced and the schools don't know what to do with them. Plus kids can be very, very cruel in the preteen/teen years. The kids I knew got teased for being gay because they didn't have a girlfriend in 6th grade!!!!

 

I have a 6th, 5th, 3rd, and K. The 6th grader is making all As, rocking in LA (which shocked me since getting her to write is like pulling teeth from a mountain lion) and made the cheer squad.

 

The 5th grader also had all As, chosen for the spelling bee because her spelling grade was perfect, student council rep, glowing reports on her writing skills. We pulled her for a very specific reason. She was handling the mean kids, gossip, girl drama ok, but the last incident was too much for me.

 

The 3rd grader was doing great academically. I didn't think she would be. She has been slower reading and more hesitant about school in general, but she was on target academically. She does have some sensory issues and I could see she was exhausted and not happy. But there were no complaints from the teacher.

 

The little man would do well anywhere. He's advanced academically and I felt like we were all wasting our time with him in school. His teacher cried when I told her we were pulling him.

 

I am not a super-homeschooler. I am not very rigorous in their education. We have always worked hard, but played hard too. I don't think my kids are super-genius children. (Well, I do, but not based on any evidence other than mommy pride.) I think even if there is an adjustment period, kids will do well if you support them.

 

That being said, all of my kids will be home next year. We've tried PS and now we'll go back to doing it my way.

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I have a 6th, 5th, 3rd, and K. The 6th grader is making all As, rocking in LA (which shocked me since getting her to write is like pulling teeth from a mountain lion) and made the cheer squad.

 

The 5th grader also had all As, chosen for the spelling bee because her spelling grade was perfect, student council rep, glowing reports on her writing skills. We pulled her for a very specific reason. She was handling the mean kids, gossip, girl drama ok, but the last incident was too much for me.

 

The 3rd grader was doing great academically. I didn't think she would be. She has been slower reading and more hesitant about school in general, but she was on target academically. She does have some sensory issues and I could see she was exhausted and not happy. But there were no complaints from the teacher.

 

The little man would do well anywhere. He's advanced academically and I felt like we were all wasting our time with him in school. His teacher cried when I told her we were pulling him.

 

I am not a super-homeschooler. I am not very rigorous in their education. We have always worked hard, but played hard too. I don't think my kids are super-genius children. (Well, I do, but not based on any evidence other than mommy pride.) I think even if there is an adjustment period, kids will do well if you support them.

 

That being said, all of my kids will be home next year. We've tried PS and now we'll go back to doing it my way.

 

See in a way you proved my point. We and they get used to doing things on OUR time table. You had some social issues with the 5th grader. I'm not saying WE have failed and I'm not saying you cannot. I'm just saying that once you have had them home, it is hard to put them in. You may think you want to, but you may not be willing to make the sacrifices to make it happen. I'm not saying they won't do well, but that it would be a major adjustment.

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I want to homeschool primarily because I don't think children as young as 5, 6, 7.... should have a full day in school. I think they need more time at those ages to play and just be kids.

 

Well, I was talking to a woman who was running an informational meeting on homeschooling and I told her that around maybe 8 or 9 I would see where my children and I were with our homeschooling progress and if I thought they'd do better in ps or even if they wanted to go then it would be an option. She just about fell over and told me that I can't do that and it should be "all or nothing." She said if I'm going to make the commitment to homeschool then I have to be prepared to do it their entire lives. Um, really? :confused: She said the schools don't want a homeschooled kid (not that they wouldn't take them, just that they don't want them because they don't know how to sit for that long and are usually academically advanced and bored).

 

So, is my plan crazy or is this woman crazy? :)

 

She's crazy.

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If you're going to homeschool for any length of time, you have to take what others say about homeschooling—including other homeschoolers—with a grain of salt and a big bowl of bean dip. She can decide for her own family that homeschooling is an all-or-nothing choice, but it's not her decision to make for anyone else. And as for your question, no, your reasoning doesn't sound crazy at all.

Edited by WordGirl
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You're the parent and you get to do whatever works for you and your family. And that's the bottom line! Of course, you may love homeschooling so much by then you won't want to put them in lol! P.S. I agree with you about kids that young! :)

 

:iagree: Also, you may indeed find that your kids are ahead of their peers in public school and that they really would be bored. But this is YOUR family adn YOUR kids and YOU make the decisions that work for your situation. FYI. I've never personally been told that homeschooling had to be a forever kind of thing and I would even now be offended by that kind of comment!

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If you're going to homeschool for any length of time, you have to take what others say about homeschooling—including other homeschoolers—with a grain of salt and a big bowl of bean dip. She can decide for her own family that homeschooling is an all-or-nothing choice, but it's not her decision to make for anyone else. And as for your question, no, your reasoning doesn't sound crazy at all.

 

:iagree:

 

There are very few things in life that are "all or nothing" :)

Each child is different, each circumstance in different, each year is different. No worries :D

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Nope, sorry that woman is crazy. ;) I think it's good to keep your options open, but I know many families locally who've homeschooled and then went on to send their kids to school. And their kids have been successful too. If you do want to do that, I would make sure your kids are at least in grade levels in all areas. Writing particularly can be a trouble area for early elementary homeschooled kids. I do that, even though I'm not sure my kids will ever go to school. I do this one year at a time. You just never know what life might hand you.

 

I do also agree jr. high may be a difficult transition time for many homeschooled kids to transition back to a regular school. That seems to be an academic black hole for many kids. On the other hand I do know a couple kids that did fine with it.

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I started homeschooling when the second of my four sons was 8 yo, because school just wasn't working for him. I only ever intended to homeschool him for a year :tongue_smilie:.

 

My younger two boys are being homeschooled for the very reasons you describe. I realise now that it's SO much better for them at home than being stuck in a stuffy institution, being made to stand still, sit still, being given too little attention, being picked on by mean kids.

 

But, having said that, I'm not actually anti-school. My eldest, DS12, is at an excellent school just a 10 minute walk away from home, and DS10 will be starting the same school next September. At 11 yo school is the right choice for us, but for my younger two, aged 4 and 7, home is the right choice.

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My ds is goint to ps high school this year, and is thriving! He is making straight A's, except for math. His lack of an A in math has nothing to do w/ homeschooling, and everything to do w/ his AD/HD, and the time of day of the class. The school has already said that he will be put into a morning math class from here on out. He isn't behind, he isn't bored, he isn't made fun of because he was homeschooled, etc. Oh, and the kid I gave up on trying to ever to get him to string two sentences together, is doing great in English and writes very well.

 

OP- the lady is crazy, not you! Not everything works for every family, or every kid. Do what's best for the individual kid, and you can't go wrong!

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Look through the why do you homeschool type of posts. There is a wide variety of answers. And the "Why do you still homeschool?" type questions are different answers still.

 

It doesn't really matter except to say you believe it is best for your children that year/at that time.

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