How can I make this HS plan sound fun? Or at least inevitable?

[El...]

My daughter will be 5 in October. People frequently ask her, "Are you in kindergarten? How do you like school?" The Sunday School teachers talk up going to school. She sees the big yellow buses around, and has started saying "When I am big, I'll go to school, too."

 

I am going to home school her for the foreseeable future. I WAS home schooled. How would you phrase a response to this?

 

BTW, I classify her as "preschool" because her birthday is after the Sept 30 cut-off for the schools here. She's learning to read and does what I've been calling "Learning Time" with me most days.

[Parrothead]

You'll need to talk it up. Homeschooling that is. I'd also say that you should consider letting her know now that she won't be getting on the big yellow bus. Of course do this nicely and offer what she will be doing instead. That way riding the bus won't become huge and a big disappointment when she realizes it isn't going to happen any time soon.

 

Oh, and I know it is your kiddo and all, but consider the level at which she is learning instead of her birthday when you assign her a grade level. Mine was an October baby. But she was so ready for K'er level work. Since we had no intention of putting her in the system there was no need to hold her back because of when she happened to be born.

[tots2teens]

There was a time last year when my then 4yo would say the same things ("when am *I* going to go to school?"). We spent a lot of time out doing lots of fun things, like nature study, and also spent some time with other homeschoolers. Now, she proudly tells anybody that asks her about school, "I am homeschooled!"

[GoVanGogh]

When my son was that age it was the same story. I just explained to him that there are different types of schools. Some go to public schools, some go to private schools, some home school, some have a tutor, etc. It's just one of many types of schools.

 

He is 10 now and the thought of school other than homeschool disgusts him. LOL

 

People still ask the kids and they just say we are homeschooled. That's usually the end of the discussion.

 

Most of the time people are just making conversation.

:iagree: Especially the bolded. I also have a 10-year-old that can't imagine doing anything other than homeschooling.

We did the same thing when DS was younger - told him there are many types of school and we were doing the homeschool type. We talked up the benefits, especially when his best friend (girl) went to K and would come running over here after school and go on and on to DS about how much he was missing. HS'd kids are going to hear and pick up on what they are missing - we need to make sure they know what they are gaining by not going to school!

 

This time of year is hard, no matter how old the child is. DS was just at an amusement park and one of the ride operators asked DS if he was ready for school to start back up. I told DS later, "Just say Yes, they don't know you and don't really care, they are just making chit chat."

[xixstar]

We are in the same group with my 4-year-old. Lately she talks all about when she is going to school and when I talk about having school at home, she insists she needs to go somewhere else for school. So I usually just comments that we'll go lots of places for school and do lots of fun things. So far, she isn't buying it, but that's my approach. And I think it's also because her older sister is a junior at the public school, so she is very aware of going to school.

[Dmmetler]

I'd find out what she wants in school and let her have it. My DD, at age 7, still enjoys picking a classroom theme and decorating our school room, having a lunch box packed and eating lunch in our "cafeteria" (the table on the back deck, instead of in the kitchen), getting her agenda out of her backpack, and stuff like that. We have a school mascot, a school name, and I ordered a bunch of school logo stuff for her from Vistaprint. It made a MAJOR difference when all her dance friends and her cousins were excited about school. Now that they're getting a little older, she's starting to get friends who envy her for being homeschooled-her cousin who is going into 5th grade tomorrow told DD flat out that she was the lucky one and that she wished SHE could be homeschooled, and the bloom is off the rose for the one going into 2nd grade-she likes parts of school, but would just as soon not have to go back :).

[AdventureMoms]

Definitely talk to her about what she wants at school. DD was wondering about it recently, and seemed so sad...finally we figured out that she wanted a backpack like the school kids have. And that she didn't realize that the school kids don't take their moms with them.

 

At least those were easy to solve problems!

[celticmom]

When my dd was younger I had the same problem. I pointed out to her that her dog could not go to school with her and never heard anything about it again.

[Joanne]

I'm not a fan of "selling" homeschool to a young child, or *dis*selling public school. I'm of the short and sweet and (for elementary ages especially) "I'm in charge of this decision" mind.

 

So, my answers fall along the lines of "In our family, we homeschool. I'm looking forward to it, too!"

 

"You *are* getting big! We'll be getting big girl school stuff for our school."

 

"Many kids go to school, but that's not what our family does."

 

The whole "going" to school thing is very ritualistic and culture-based. It appears everywhere: children's books, TV, all media, advertising, conversations. She sees it as normative because it is. As she gets older, and presumably in peer contact with other homeschoolers, her horizon of normal will expand.

[El...]

Thank you! That helps. Several really good ideas here. :001_smile: