Do you *like* homeschooling your children?

[Joanne]

I loved homeschooling my kids. Loved it.

 

I've loved teaching in the 2 years since homeschooling but I still miss homeschooling my kids. I planned to homeschool through high school.

[Kelly1730]

Generally, I love it:) When things aren't going well, for whatever reason, I have the authority to mix it up a bit. I look forward to what we are going to learn each new year and I hope to one day help to homeschool my grandchildren ( my son and dil will be starting this fall with the 5yo). I count it a privilege and a blessing to homeschool my children.

[iquilt]

I really do enjoy homeschooling. We've wrapped up our 6th full year with many more ahead and we are all looking forward to what we have picked out for next year. My middle would like to do this forever :001_smile: and we will see how it goes. I had no idea when we started this journey that I would truly enjoy it as much as I do and that we all really like our days. Like someone else said, don't ask me this in February:D.

[The Girls' Mom]

I love the planning, the books, the curriculum. I love when I can look back and see that I TAUGHT my children something. I love it when they spout off knowledge about things I thought they weren't paying attention to. I love being this close to my girls as they navigate adolescence.

 

I don't love the days that it seems like I need a hammer and chisel to engrave the math lesson into their brains. Or the days that we all wake up in a sour mood and nothing goes right. I don't love the tears over lessons that are hard. And I don't love teaching the same thing for the nth time because she just. doesn't. get. it.

 

There are aspects of it that I will miss horribly when it is over. And there are some parts that make me glad that I only have less than 6 years left. :lol:

[Jenny in GA]

I love planning and learning with my kids. I dislike the pressure of balancing all of that with all the work of keeping up the house. I also dislike the feelings of anxiety that there isn't enough of me to go around and someone 's going to get shortchanged.

 

:iagree:

 

I've been think recently that I would enjoy homeschooling more if we all physically traveled to another building to do it for a few hours, then came home when we were done.

 

I really enjoy the actual schoolwork. I don't like doing it while juggling and being distracted by the dirty dishes, sweeping the floor, and moving another load of laundry to the dryer. Not to mention all the constant phone calls! [i unfortunately have a family member who is very seriously ill, so it's been extra hard to ignore the phone calls the last few months.]

[rieshy]

I love some parts more than others. When I get down and start fantasizing about the yellow bus stopping at our house I force myself to remember what public school was like, we pulled our oldest out when he was in 3rd, and it gives me the energy to get over the hump.

[ChristyB in TN]

I did not enjoy homeschooling my oldest son (now almost 19 and a junior at a university) so he went to school in the 10th grade. We were completely sick of trying to battle through our days. My daughter will soon be 17 (a second semester freshman at community college) and she attended 8th and 9th grades at a private school, wanted to attend public school, we let her, GIANT mistake. She is just a personality which thrives in a non institutional environment. College suits her, as well, with the different cultures and ages represented. She loves it and hopes to join her brother at the university soon. Home schooling her was a pleasure.

My youngest is 12. We educated him at home until 3rd grade and he followed his brother and sister to private school, had a horrendous 4 weeks or so in public school, then spent the last couple of years back in private school. Honestly, he was so happy but simply wasn't learning enough. We ended the year completely flabbergasted at the wasted time. Also, we are big on science and that school was teaching him the young earth/no evolution stuff. I got tired of re-teaching at night!

He is learning with me now and I plan to keep him with me until college. He is a pleasure to teach. I cannot tell you what a pleasure it is to be back teaching Latin again! We work together for a few hours in my office while I do that other job thing I do :D and we are newly excited about learning and, well, WORKING. There is such satisfaction in working through a lesson in Henle Latin, algebra, and ancient Egypt before most of his friends have fallen out of their beds. He knows it and I know it. It is just fun. He gets to watch his dad and I solve problems at work, stress, celebrate and manage people in our office. Yes, homeschooling is a pleasure again. I feel so grateful that I get to do it and so amazed at the power of embracing opportunities and the results.

Thanks for listening. Obviously, I am a little emotional today?:confused:

[Mommyfaithe]

Some of them. How is that for an answer? Some of my kids were and are fun to teach. They get excited when they learn something new....they are cooperative ....

Others...well....:glare: no so much!!

My youngest is truly a challenge and I do not particularly LIKE homeschooling him, but the alternatives are not better for him. As a matter of fact, the alternative would be detrimental to him, so we press on.....or rather, I press on and he resists with every ounce of his being. It is tiring, but since I have BTDT with a couple of them.....well, I can be a force to be reckoned with:D

[Mom-ninja.]

I have rough days but ultimately I like it. The part I don't like it trying to keep up with chores while home schooling.

 

Oh, to have a maid and a cook.

[Greenmama2]

I don't really enjoy it most days -but I have a challenging child. I thought my children would be at least co-operative and like school :lol:

 

My DD would not reach her potential in a classroom - period and she would receive a lot of negative messages about herself. I won't send her to school.

 

SNIP

 

So even though a lot of days I don't enjoy it - I do it because I can't in good conscience send my kids to school.

 

:iagree: Same here. I do love it, but I also don't like it at all. The alternative is simply not viable for DD.

[Critterfixer]

I like homeschooling my children. But I would do it if it was difficult because I know what's out there for my boys. I've been through it all myself. I've been in private schools (three different ones), I've been home-schooled, I did some time in PS, and hit college at the ripe old age of fifteen. Out of the entire time, including most of the college years the only place I felt any measure of social acceptance was when I was homeschooling and in the company of home-schooled children. I was an absolute bear to home-school though.:D

I think, and hope, that remembering what I endured at the hands of classmates and some teachers for not being the usual student will keep me committed to doing whatever is necessary to work through struggles of logic stage and rhetoric stage work.

 

As for the house stuff, I got that under control with a good schedule. Suffice to say, I don't teach while trying to do housework. I might while dinner is in the oven, but I've even got prep time set aside. Phone calls can be a distraction, but typically I only deal with them on Monday mornings. Being something of a curmudgeonly introvert with exactly one friend to keep up with (my choice!) helps.

[JessReplanted]

I love it more than I hate it. :).

 

 

:iagree:

[Jenny in GA]

 

As for the house stuff, I got that under control with a good schedule. Suffice to say, I don't teach while trying to do housework. I might while dinner is in the oven, but I've even got prep time set aside.

 

Hmm, could you share how that works?

 

I think my big problem is that while a kids is working a math problem or writing a sentence or two or whatever, and I'm just basically sittting there waiting for them to be done, it's almost impossible for me to not notice the floor is filthy and grab a broom, that kind of thing.

 

Or, we'll be in the middle of a lesson and I'll remember I have to defrost the meat. Since the freezer is three yards away from where we're working, my choices are to leap up and take care of it; OR to be distracted by it and hoping I don't forget later.

 

That's what drives me crazy about homeschooling.

[trlt]

I love it but I have bad days sometimes. School time is usually the best part of my day. I enjoy seeing dd when something clicks and she "gets it". I missed that with my two older boys because they went to PS. I never knew what I was missing before I started to hs my dd! :D

[angela in ohio]

Sometimes, sometimes not.

 

I know, for me, not always liking it tells me that I'm doing it right. Just like parenting. :001_smile: I don't just do what I like; I do hard things sometimes, and it isn't enjoyable, though there's an underlying reward. Some days I can see that underlying reward more easily, and it helps. But some days are just hard. It sounds cheesy, but "I don't always like it, but I do love it."

 

So that may be your situation. Or it may be that you need a break, or more support, or it just doesn't work for you at all. I would talk to dh, or another homeschool mom you trust, and see if you can reason through to the root. Someone who knows you will be able to help you see whether you need a kick in the pants or a break. :001_smile:

[nono]

I love it, but I have no wishes to be elsewhere at this point in my life.. Also, my children are very eager to learn and always gung-ho for anything. So, I would say the stars really align for us in this regard. Without contentment on both sides, I doubt my answer would be the same. The coming years should be interesting. ;)

[justamouse]

I love it, but I have no wishes to be elsewhere at this point in my life.. Also, my children are very eager to learn and always gung-ho for anything. So, I would say the stars really align for us in this regard. Without contentment on both sides, I doubt my answer would be the same. The coming years should be interesting. ;)

:iagree:

 

I love it because I'm content doing it, my life is in order, and my kids love it. That's not to say that I wouldn't love it if any of that was out of order. Been there, done that. Homeschooled through it.

Edited June 12, 2012 by justamouse

[TheApprentice]

I love it! But I think a lot of that is because my kids aren't really difficult to teach. They're pretty obedient in regards to completing there lessons in a timely manner and usually without much fuss. Starting my 5th year next month and I'm ready (not practically speaking) to start back.;) That's just me of course.

[Chris in VA]

Loved it, for the most part.

When I didn't, it usually meant I felt incompetent; when I feel incompetent, I get stressed and anxious, and then shut down emotionally.

[Momof3littles]

I usually love it, although have periods of despising it. When I feel frustrated I realize that many of the issues I have with HSing would exist even if DC were in public school (banging heads with DS1 over getting his work done at times).

 

My kids are still young; they are 8, 5, and 2. The two year old makes it tough to enjoy school at times. He needs to pee, then a drink, and oh mama I need the potty again, etc. The constant interruption makes me nuts :glare:. I know it will get better. Unless it gets worse first :glare:

[swellmomma]

I don't really enjoy it most days -but I have a challenging child. I thought my children would be at least co-operative and like school :lol:

 

My DD would not reach her potential in a classroom - period and she would receive a lot of negative messages about herself. I won't send her to school. She CANNOT sit in a chair.

 

My DS would be okay and would survive but wouldn't reach his potential for different reasons -he is a smartie and well behaved -which means he would sit at a desk all day learning nothing, being bored and being overlooked because "he's a good boy and I don't have to teach him because he already knows this stuff".

 

So even though a lot of days I don't enjoy it - I do it because I can't in good conscience send my kids to school.

 

:iagree:It is the challenging children that do me in. My dd4 and my preK bunch love love love it. DD12 tolerate it, she is challenging but does enjoy learning (she just doesn't want me to do it). THe boys will be the death of me, one with conduct disorder among all his issues, 1 with so many issues he feels hopeless about ever learning. Make for 2 boys that fight learning at every turn and thrive on making me lose my mind. We did the public school route in the beginning with oldest boy, I will not make that mistake again. I would rather battle them out and need prozac by the time they are 18 and know they have been learning along the way, than send them to school where they can do absolutely nothing each year and just keep being promoted through. The school teacher can not go toe to toe with a student and make them get the work done. I can. And since oldest boy has not been suicidal since leaving ps at least in that area I know I have been succeeding. The rest, well I'll pay for the therapy if it's needed.

[kricau]

Yes, I too have days when it does not go so well. But I don't dread the next day. Have you tried writting down when/why you get frustrated? That way maybe you can just remove that eliment from the day.

For example: my daughter and I both get aggrevated during math time, while I can't remove math all together, we know that is a time where we both need to exercise our paitence. We usually start off with prayer first :)

 

Also, maybe you are trying to take on too much. Have you tried to combine classes? Say bible , history, science. They can all be taught at the same time, and just kicked up a notch for the older ones.

 

Hope this helps a little bit? I know that if God has called you, then he will give you strength.

 

1 Corinthians 10:13

 

No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

[Critterfixer]

Hmm, could you share how that works?

 

I think my big problem is that while a kids is working a math problem or writing a sentence or two or whatever, and I'm just basically sittting there waiting for them to be done, it's almost impossible for me to not notice the floor is filthy and grab a broom, that kind of thing.

 

Or, we'll be in the middle of a lesson and I'll remember I have to defrost the meat. Since the freezer is three yards away from where we're working, my choices are to leap up and take care of it; OR to be distracted by it and hoping I don't forget later.

 

That's what drives me crazy about homeschooling.

 

I don't want to take the thread off topic, but I combat the urge to go fold the laundry or sweep the floor by having a time set when I will do all that.

Dinner can be more distracting to me than the housekeeping but I've pretty much learned to stick by my meal schedule as well. I get up pretty early-usually 5:30 to 6:00 am and I've got the things I need to get the day going laid out in a binder. If something to defrost or prep is in the day I will usually tend to that first. Saturday is my planning day for meals, so I might write a quick list of what has to be prepped-like turkey to defrost, roast to dry age, chicken to brine, and if there are any special herbs or vegetables to plan for. I'm also big into deja-food, the taking of the leftovers and transforming them into something else for the next dinner, because none of us really like leftovers until they get changed. I plan for that too.

My housekeeping is spread out over four days and I've a set group of rooms I do on a set day. If something happens (as in the day I dropped the hummingbird feeder on Monday, and kitchen cleaning is on Tuesday) I can usually get in a spot cleaning with the kids on a break for fifteen minutes.

 

Anyway to take it back to the original thread--I do like homeschooling a lot more since I got a handle on how I handle the house. Wouldn't work for everyone, though.

[I.Dup.]

I do love it! Especially this time of year when we are planning for the next year :D I love the lifestyle that goes along with it too- being together all the time, putting family first. That is one of the main reasons we homeschooled to begin with.

[laundrycrisis]

It is probably really lame for me to say that I like it when it goes well :001_rolleyes:

 

Seriously, I love teaching them and helping them learn. I don't mind planning and setting things up. I love the time we all have together and the free time that they have. What I don't love is having to be the heavy and make them do work when they don't want to, when there is uncooperative behavior, or a brain that just can't get in gear. When that goes on day after day after day, it's frustrating and disheartening. It is tempting to find someone else to take over when that particular problem seems to be dominating the entire experience.

[Jenny in Florida]

Sometimes.

 

I like it when we're reading over breakfast, and my son is really enjoying the book. Then, later in the day, he makes a joke or silly comment that ties back to what we read, and I know he got it.

 

I like it when he gets really excited and into a subject because we went to a cool museum exhibit.

 

I like it when I look around at the families we know who have kids in school now and I can really appreciate the freedom and flexibility we have in our schedule.

 

I love planning curriculum and choosing books.

 

But, to be honest, I don't like it a lot of the time. At least a few times a year, I seriously question whether school could be workable at all for this kid. But one of the things hanging about in the gifted community has taught me is the concept of the "least worst option." And, every time we ask ourselves about school again, we end up coming back around to accepting that, for this kid, homeschooling is the least worst.

 

So, I keep going and try to remember to appreciate those moments I mentioned at the beginning of this post.

[FriedClams]

Yes!! 98% of the time. The other 2% - 1% I'm a pirate Mom and 1% I hide in my room and nap. But 98% I love.

[phathui5]

Most of the time, I do like it. There are times when I'd like a break from the noise/constant activity, but not enough to send them to school.

[GingerPoppy]

I love, love, love the idea of it.

 

Love the planning, choosing, implementing.

 

Love teaching.

 

But this month I am about to pull my hair out. My daughter is making me crazy. I have never, ever seen such foot dragging in all my life. She just doesn't want to work at all. This makes me hate homeschooling right now. In my heart, I don't hate it, but this is ridiculous. :glare: :crying:

[MinivanMom]

I love homeschooling my kids!

 

I have bad days. I can get a little burnt out when I'm pregnant or have other stressful things going on. Overall, though, I enjoy homeschooling. I like teaching, I like planning, and I love having my kids home with me everyday.

[swimmermom3]

I love it. I have my not great days, everyone does, but I would be so sad if we had to change.

 

I have had a couple friends who didn't. It just wasn't working for them. One became terribly depressed and wasn't doing well, but kept plugging on because she thought it was the right thing to do. In the end her husband and her therapist convinced her to enroll her kids. It was a great decision for them. I have also had quite a few friends who realized they just weren't good teachers. Their kids weren't getting a good education and they needed to be put in school.

 

Homeschooling isn't for everyone. It's like a job and not every job is meant to be done by everyone. There are plenty of jobs that would make me miserable and unhappy, or even just frustrated and bored. I know for sure there are lots of jobs I in which I would perform poorly. I don't do those jobs and neither should anyone else.

 

Homeschooling is also relationship. If it isn't working then it doesn't mean you failed. It means it wasn't right for your relationship with your kids. You don't win any extra points by being a homeschooler. If I were miserable, or couldn't face another year, or thought it was damaging my relationship with my children or spouse I would make a change.

 

:iagree:What she said.

[Alice]

Absolutely. It's too hard for me to do it if I didn't like it. We're blessed to have other school choices that I think would be just fine.

 

That's not to say that there aren't days or even weeks that are bad. Or that I never question whether it's the right thing to do. But overall, yes, I like it.

[Forget-Me-Not]

Yes, more than I ever expected to like it. We felt very led to homeschooling, and I was concerned about having the kids home with me all day and whether it would drive me crazy. Now I realize that I get the BEST of them every day, and not whatever is left over after public school drains them all day. We have our moments, and I'm nervous about the upcoming year with a pregnancy and a birth involved, but we still feel like this is the right place for us to be and we'll keep on keepin' on!

[mommymilkies]

Yes, I do.

 

If I find myself not enjoying it, then I change whatever needs to be changed to make it enjoyable again.

 

:iagree: We all have bad days. I don't find they make me dislike homeschooling.

[WeeBeaks]

Depends on the day. Honestly I fall into the camp that I HS because of my children needs it and would not do well at all in traditional schools. That is why we started HSing and why we continue. Discussions with parents in my locale with kids of similar type convinces me whenever I feel weak that HSing is the only way for that child. He is the also the child I dislike HSing the most.

 

My others are a lot easier and I can more honestly say I enjoy teaching them. But they are also the ones that any teacher would probably enjoy teaching, and they would also fit into a traditional classroom relatively easily and painlessly.

[Moniksca]

I love love love it, most days and the days I don't I plow right through it. It is the best option for my oldest. We'll continue as long as he wants to and right now he says he wants to be homeschooled forever.

[butterflymommy]

I loved it when I started out. I realize now my son was remarkably cooperative when we began in K. But I found myself getting the "dread" feeling about ~5 years in when I was HSing 2 of his sisters. We experimented with school here and there for some of them and eventually lasted a 3 year stretch while 2 remained HSed. I was unhappy with the school and we all returned to HSing and that's when I really started to hate/ dread it. My kids were obstinate, rude, squabbled endlessly, and disregarded their assignments no matter what the consequences. Every preconceived notion I'd had of HSing and family life were out the window. I was in extreme burnout for more than a year, and when out finances improved we put 4 of them back in school.

 

I "use" the school schedule and assignments now to instill as much work ethic and learning in them as I can. But I still am left wondering what I did wrong and also wonder what will happen if we ever stop being able to afford the private school as public school isn't an option. In retrospect I can identify the following problems:

 

*absolutely no emotional support or help (beyond financial) from DH. He is not an involved parent and is only home on the weekends which leaves me single handed all week with the kids. He is not involved with their discipline in anyway shape or form and the rare times he does get involved, it's to undermine me ("don't be so harsh on them").

 

*too high expectations. I was obsessed to the point of making myself ill with their academic performance. I wish I could have just let it go. School makes this easier, because at least by carting them off to school I feel like I've "done something" and they're forced to follow a schedule.

[Katiebug_1976]

I have the days I love it and the days I almost hate it! I have to say, though, that this year has been one of the best. I've been hs'ing for 7 years and finally gave up on planning at all! I have 2 dd's in highschool that used MFW so all their assignments were already planned out...just mark off the boxes as you go (other than filling in biology & math), 2 younger kiddos (6th & 3rd) that also used MFW together, and a pre-K/K'er that we played around with phonics & math things. So it was all open and go for us this year. I have to say that I LOVED it!! Yes, I was ready for summer long about February like always, but I wasn't burnt out and going nuts. We had our not so good days, but most of those stem from attitude issues (mine just as much as the kids) and not schooling directly. I gave up trying for the "perfect year" and there were some days we woke up exhausted, or we just weren't motivated to do school so we skipped the day and picked up again the next day. It worked very well for us and we finished almost everything on time (still tying up some loose ends with math...but we really don't stop math over the summer...just slow it down).

 

I'm sorry that your feeling down right now and I hope you find what works for your family and can dig your way out of that feeling. :grouphug:

[Brindee]

Like others have said, I have LOVED homeschooling! Each of my 3 have been different, and it's been an amazing experience! I wouldn't trade it for the world!

 

We had bad days. We had times we struggled. However, we would have had struggles and bad days whether they were homeschooled or in a school outside the home! I absolutely LOVE that I will NEVER say, "I wish I would've spent more time with my kids" because that would've been nearly impossible! :D Now that they're older, I see the difference it has made for them, and am so thankful I was blessed with the opportunity to homeschool and have my children home with me!

 

It may not work for everyone. I have a friend who cried when talking to me one time, as others had told her she was doing the wrong thing by going back to work and putting her daughter in daycare. I would NEVER tell someone that! That's a very personal choice, and she is a very good mommy! That's what works best for her, and what she chose after much thought and prayer.

 

So for me--loved it, wouldn't want it any other way! For others, whatever works best. Any forcing of it would tend to negate the benefits!

[Jean in Newcastle]

We had bad days. We had times we struggled. However, we would have had struggles and bad days whether they were homeschooled or in a school outside the home!

 

This. The thing is, I've worked as a teacher at a school and I know how hard it was some days. And I've worked at other jobs and I know how hard it was some days. Why should my job as a homeschool teacher be any different? Overall, though I love my job and am not planning on quitting, although at some time I will be working myself out of a job.

[mama2cntrykids]

Wow! I go to bed, wake up, get some stuff done around the house and my thread has exploded! I haven't read all the replies yet.

 

I wanted to say that I think the reason I'm feeling anxious/some dread about starting again is because, well, hsing three kids isn't exactly easy. It's hard. Add to it that one of those kids has issues, it just makes it all the harder. Add a toddler into the mix and it can be down right crazy.

 

I also feel like maybe I'm not cut out to teach. Like, the kids maybe "missing" something that the school could give them. Then there's the fact that I don't get any breaks (my dh is only home on weekends and it gets crazy busy for us) and it makes me want to hide my head in the sand at times.

 

I can't lie, I've been daydreaming about sending them to the local school this year. But, I don't think I could actually *do* it, kwim? Then there's the fact that my oldest is going into 6th grade. In many districts, that's middle school. What if I fail them? What if I'm not doing what's really best?

 

I know, I know, that's up to each individual family to decide...what's best for their family. Not easy sometimes, is it?

 

I will go back and read what I've missed (which is most of the replies). Thanks for your thoughts and experiences everyone.

[SunnyDays]

Just :grouphug: for you. It's not easy deciding and doing what's right for your kiddos. I know some people have known since the beginning that they'd homeschool and never considered other options. I envy those people, and I'm certainly not one of them.

[Brindee]

Just :grouphug: for you. It's not easy deciding and doing what's right for your kiddos. I know some people have known since the beginning that they'd homeschool and never considered other options. I envy those people, and I'm certainly not one of them.

:iagree:

 

:grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: to those working through all this. It certainly isn't easy! We never considered homeschooling until right before we started, so it was a big change in plans for us! I'm glad we stuck it out, and am thankful to friends here who helped me get started, and have been so very thankful for the help I've received online here at the Hive!

[nrg]

I am coming from a a different perspective. I was a bilingual classroom teacher and intended to stay home until kindergarten for my children and then send them to school. Well their brand of special needs does not belong anywhere near a school; in fact, the grade 1 teachers at our local school refused to have my oldest in their classes.

 

Interestingly, I had just started a homeschool program four our district as the administrator and teacher. I was loving it and the families I met. My children all went to kindergarten because we had a purely wonderful teacher and program, and then we homeschooled thereafter.

 

I had never been without outside employment. It was hard! I learned to LOVE it!

 

I would never do anything else!

 

It's worth finding out what stuff Mom likes and doing that and feeling free and excited about new learning. It's worth it to takes classes outside the home and take a mommy break. It's SO worth learning to love this!

 

My children are grown now. They ask every now and then if I's like to homeschool their future children. I remind them that they will have a spouse to share that blessing with.

[Donna]

I love homeschooling my dd. I loved homeschooling all of them when they were all home though that was a bit more challenging.

[Audrey]

Yes, I still like it. There are seasons to everything. Some stages/ages/grades/subjects are less pleasant and easy than others. Overall, though, I still enjoy our homeschooling adventure!

[anoncalhan]

Love it!