Is it doable to homeschool HS with a large family?

[CatholicMom]

My oldest is in 4th so I'm thinking ahead...

 

Five years from now I'll be homeschooling 9th, 8th, 5th, 4th, and 1st. :blink:

 

Eight years from now I'll be homeschooling 12th, 11th, 8th, 7th, and 4th. :scared:

 

 

(And that's IF we don't have more kids. In reality I might have to add "1st grade, 3 yr old, and newborn." :willy_nilly: We're Catholic. Just sayin.)

 

What is it like to homeschool high school while hs-ing multiple kids in a larger family? Does anyone have a success story or words of wisdom for those of us who will be in this situation in a few years?

[8filltheheart]

 

Our success is multi-faceted. Our kids recognize that homeschooling is a group effort. They take on a lot of responsibility for keeping our family functioning. in return, I spend a lot of hrs working to make our homeschool one which respects their aspirations, their abilities/skills, etc.

 

Organization, self=discipline, and flexible "inflexibility" are also fundamental parts of our daily lives. By flexible "inflexibility" I mean that we have very daily specific objectives I expect to be accomplished. But, we are in life, not a vacuum. So, I am flexible enough to allow life to be what it is.....it just means that creative make up times are required. What I don't let slide are the actual requirements.

 

HTH

[Calm37]

I have kept my two youngest in the same grade. This is the first year (10th grade) that they have separate history courses that they are working on. I would look at how much you can combine with your children that are close in age and see how that might work out. With the children you have now, instead of 5 different grades, you would possibly only have 3.

 

Blessings!

[NancyNellen]

Well, yes.

 

I currently have a 10th, 9th, 7th, 4th, and K-er. Although I am still feeling this high school thing out a bit, and certainly do not feel like a pro, I am finding what works for us. My oldest 2 are taking math through Derek Owens and I have outsourced high-school level foreign language (Lukeion Latin and OSU German). This wasn't necessary, per se, but it sure lessens my load and makes my days more calm and less frantic. I think the key to teaching high school, at least for me, is to be organized, work hard, and acknowledge that outsourcing is sometimes the right, best choice.

 

 

[TengoFive]

I'm schooling 9th, 7th, 5th, 2nd, and K right now with a toddler and baby on the way. I have found high school to be much easier than I expected. I am still combining whenever possible though, so that makes a difference. They''re all on the same rotation for history. I have to sit with each of them while they do math, and then we do our together subjects. I have the 3 oldest doing Latin together. Then I have the 4 youngest doing science together. We still use SOTW for the 7th grader down, and we do that in the car. I have to be available for my 9th grader if she has questions on anything, but for the most part she's independent.

 

In a nutshell, yes its doable and enjoyable.

[Excelsior! Academy]

Yes. We have 10th, 8th, 6th, 4th, 3rd, 2nd, k, Pre-k, and a toddler this year. We are managing. :)

[Candid]

I do not have a lot of children, but I know that Marcia Summerville wrote Tapestry of Grace because she needed something that let her both work with younger children, but get her older children the elite private school education she had had in high school.

[lllll]

...

[rieshy]

It's more than do-able. It can be a lot of fun. Most of the time:)

 

I have one commuting to college,

one finishing HS, (and already accepted into the college of her choice)

one in 11th,

one in 8th,

one in 5th,

a first grader,

and last but not quietest- a 5 yo in preschool.

 

The thing to remember is that you shift gears year by year- not all at once. For each of my children in HS the journey has been different and we've made adjustments to our schedules to allow them to pursue what they needed and wanted to pursue. Some have taken dual enrollment, some tutorial classes, some have traveled quite a bit and attended language schools in other countries. All have had part-time jobs. Somehow it's all worked out, and it worked on our shoe-string budget.

 

If I try too hard to peer into the future and figure out how I'm going to make things work for my younger set I get a bit panicked and headachy.

[hsbeth]

It's more than do-able. It can be a lot of fun. Most of the time:)

 

The thing to remember is that you shift gears year by year- not all at once. For each of my children in HS the journey has been different and we've made adjustments to our schedules to allow them to pursue what they needed and wanted to pursue. Some have taken dual enrollment, some tutorial classes, some have traveled quite a bit and attended language schools in other countries. All have had part-time jobs. Somehow it's all worked out, and it worked on our shoe-string budget.

 

If I try too hard to peer into the future and figure out how I'm going to make things work for my younger set I get a bit panicked and headachy.

:iagree:

 

Trying to look to far ahead brings needless anxiety. Each year of our journey has brought gradual, manageable changes.

 

This year I have an 11th, 9th, 5th(with some learning challenges), and K.

 

Scheduling/good time management has been very helpful. Beginning in grade 5 and continuing through middle school we help our kids to develop more indepedence as far as schooling goes. By 8/9th grade they are doing most of their work on their own with some daily check-ins/discussion time only. We outsource classes as needed in high school.

 

With my oldest my role at this point is mostly as a guidance counselor as much of her work is being done through outside classes and dual enrollment.

 

When I had a little one my older kids took turns spending time with them during the day to free me up for schooling the others. Sometimes my older ones will also help or supervise a younger child doing seatwork (easy workbooks, etc.). This allows me to priortize giving true "instruction" to each child individually. Depending on the spacing of kids it is sometimes possible to do group work, my spacing is such that the older two have sometimes done history or science together during a given year, but most other things have needed to be done separately. The younger two are so far apart that combining hasn't been practical.

[Mommyfaithe]

My oldest is in 4th so I'm thinking ahead...

 

Five years from now I'll be homeschooling 9th, 8th, 5th, 4th, and 1st. :blink:

 

Eight years from now I'll be homeschooling 12th, 11th, 8th, 7th, and 4th. :scared:

 

 

(And that's IF we don't have more kids. In reality I might have to add "1st grade, 3 yr old, and newborn." :willy_nilly: We're Catholic. Just sayin.)

 

What is it like to homeschool high school while hs-ing multiple kids in a larger family? Does anyone have a success story or words of wisdom for those of us who will be in this situation in a few years?

 

I did. At one point I had kids in every age and stage from newborn to high school senior.

It was crazy....but, I did a good job...even though I was diagnosed with a chronic health condition during that time.

My oldest graduated summa cum Laude from her college and dd 2 magna cum Laude.....so, they must have learned something in homeschool, high school.

 

My boys were also homeschooled through high school...ds pretty much bombed out of college....but that was his own fault. He is not good at applying himself to anything....never was.

Ds #2 graduated from our homeschool....and has not yet begun college studies for a variety of reasons...

 

Anyway, yes, it is possible to homeschool with a house full. It is hard! Really hard...and you need to be completely dedicated ....even to a student like my son.....this may be his only chance of an education.

 

 

[coffeegal]

My oldest is in 4th so I'm thinking ahead...

 

Five years from now I'll be homeschooling 9th, 8th, 5th, 4th, and 1st. :blink:

 

Eight years from now I'll be homeschooling 12th, 11th, 8th, 7th, and 4th. :scared:

:) Just remember kids keep changing. I'm schooling 10th, 9th, 7th, and 4th graders. Our homeschool now looks nothing like it did 5-8 years ago. 8 years ago I had 2nd, 1st , K and a 2yo. I remember walking around and around the table doing intensive hands on schooling. It also looks nothing like it will in 2 years when I'll have 12th, 11th, 9th, 6th, K5, and K4.

 

(And that's IF we don't have more kids. In reality I might have to add "1st grade, 3 yr old, and newborn." :willy_nilly: We're Catholic. Just sayin.)

 

:rolleyes: The more the merrier! Mixing tots and teens is a grand adventure with a completely different set of challenges. We have babysitters to go out, but it's a challenge to have a good discussion while the tots are destroying the living room. :lol:

 

What is it like to homeschool high school while hs-ing multiple kids in a larger family? Does anyone have a success story or words of wisdom for those of us who will be in this situation in a few years?

 

Teaching kids home management skills is helpful. It was on my to-do list, but I never could seem to get around to it. Then I was put on bedrest with #5. The orders were: sit on the sofa and be waited on hand and foot. :eek: The kids got a crash course in home management and independent study skills. The baby was a healthy full-term baby, the kids didn't lose too much ground in schooling, and learned how to manage a household. It's helpful having kids who can cook breakfast, run a load of laundry, plan their school week themselves, and be counted on the have their assignments done on time. :001_cool: It allows me to focus on discussions and specific needs when I sit down with my teens, while spending much of the day running herd on the tots. There's nothing like a 2yo boy to keep life entertaining. :smilielol5:

[Murphy101]

Yes. I'm doing it.

[Joan in GE]

I can't claim to have a large family (though my dear sister does and is managing it).

 

I just wanted to say that once you have gotten one through high school, even though each child is different, it doesn't seem to have the same stress of the complete unknown that you have with the first one...

 

Joan

[SkateLeft]

I only have four kids, and we're doing 12th, 9th, 6th and 1st this year. It's actually much easier than it was in previous years, because my older two are so independent. Even my 6th grader can do a lot of things on his own. I'm finding myself spending a lot more time this year sitting around waiting for someone to be done and need me. :)

 

My kids are too far apart in age and ability to combine successfully in anything. I've tried it numerous times, and it's never worked for us, but if it works for you, then I'd go for it.

 

So I guess I don't really have any meaningful advice. I get a kick out of the funny looks I get sometimes when people find out that I've got a 1st grader in addition to the 12th grader. :laugh:

[FloridaLisa]

Can you do it? Yes. Is it easy? No. But, in many ways, schooling at the ages your kids are now is probably harder. It will look much different than the elbow-to-elbow teaching you are probably doing now. The olders will help more with the house, will be able to do more independently, might be outsourced through online or IRL classes. It won't be more difficult than what you are doing now, the issues will simply have shifted. Homeschooling is definitely a full-time, lifestyle commitment. But if you're committed to home education, doing it through high school is absolutely doable.

 

And, I actually think homeschooling the high school years is the BEST part of homeschooling. In many ways, you are able to see the fruit of all of those early days.

 

Lots of success stories. And by the time your kids get to high school, there will be even more opportunities and doors that have been opened for homeschoolers.

 

Lisa

[G5052]

Not to trivialize, but you could just as well say, "It is possible to homeschool while _____________." I've known people who homeschooled through years of chemo/radiation, amid a divorce, while moving four times, amid a high risk pregnancy, while working full-time, etc. etc. We've done it against the odds. I can't begin to count the people who have told me that we should give up homeschooling because of what was going on outside of homeschooling.

 

So much depends on your ability to organize and delegate, and you must teach your children year-by-year to take gradual ownership of their work. Mine are now teens and are are largely independent. I organize their year, monitor the deadlines, read the papers, and tutor them through the hard patches. Otherwise I'm free to focus on other things. Obviously that didn't happen over night, but I'm thankful that we've kept at it and will finish the job. If you are very strategic about it, you probably can look forward to teens that can manage much of it on their own. Obviously teens with developmental issues or learning delays will still need you quite a bit, but in many cases you can be a cheerleader foremost and step away somewhat.

 

A number of my friends decided that high school was the time to put them in the classroom. They talk about the freedom and joys of being more flexible, but they're missing a lot too IMHO. I love discussing Herodotus and Latin at an adult level, and seeing their wonder as we search for things with the microscope. We're having a great time. Truly.

[CatholicMom]

Thanks, all these positive responses do make me feel better.

 

I found that outside activities usually blew an entire day for us, so I stopped the weekday trips for the most part and saved those for weekends when my dh was home (my dh did all the shopping, too). Looking back, I wish I had realized just how fleeting and brief that window of time was where I could do intense academics with our dc. It went by SO fast. There were so many more things I think we could have gotten to had I stopped all the outside activities sooner. HTH

 

I feel so torn about this. I know what you mean... One outing (unless it's to get groceries in the afternoon) means I have to spend so much time getting all the kids ready for it, and then being exhausted from it afterward, that the whole day is gone. But I don't want to deprive them of outside activities total, but I also need to keep my sanity and I've never wanted to have the type of life where I'm running dd here, driving ds there, and we are in and out constantly. I'm a homebody and can't stand a lot of hubbub (is that a word?). This makes me feel a tad less guilty. :tongue_smilie:

 

It's more than do-able. It can be a lot of fun. Most of the time:) I have one commuting to college, one finishing HS, (and already accepted into the college of her choice) one in 11th, one in 8th, one in 5th, a first grader, and last but not quietest- a 5 yo in preschool. The thing to remember is that you shift gears year by year- not all at once. For each of my children in HS the journey has been different and we've made adjustments to our schedules to allow them to pursue what they needed and wanted to pursue. Some have taken dual enrollment, some tutorial classes, some have traveled quite a bit and attended language schools in other countries. All have had part-time jobs. Somehow it's all worked out, and it worked on our shoe-string budget. If I try too hard to peer into the future and figure out how I'm going to make things work for my younger set I get a bit panicked and headachy.

 

I think you're right that it's not always helpful to try to peer into the future too far. I am a planner and absolutely hate surprises, so I'm always worrying about what will be 10 yrs from now. But as far as *next* year - I'm not real concerned. I should probably just take one year at a time. But it is definitely a relief to hear how many people are doing it and doing it well.

 

Teaching kids home management skills is helpful. It was on my to-do list, but I never could seem to get around to it. Then I was put on bedrest with #5. The orders were: sit on the sofa and be waited on hand and foot. :eek: The kids got a crash course in home management and independent study skills. The baby was a healthy full-term baby, the kids didn't lose too much ground in schooling, and learned how to manage a household. It's helpful having kids who can cook breakfast, run a load of laundry, plan their school week themselves, and be counted on the have their assignments done on time. :001_cool: It allows me to focus on discussions and specific needs when I sit down with my teens, while spending much of the day running herd on the tots. There's nothing like a 2yo boy to keep life entertaining. :smilielol5:

 

Thankfully, dh was right when he insisted the kids learn chores. Right now, the only two that are super useful are my 9 yo and 8 yo, but they have "stations" around the house that they are to clean up daily (whenever things are getting out of control & messy). "Stations" is such a dorky word, but it works. Dh or I will say "Time to do your stations!" and the boys know exactly what to do. One cleans up the living room & downstairs bedroom, and the other cleans the kitchen and the bathroom. It's more of a "redding up" than serious cleaning, but it helps A LOT as things are always getting in the wrong rooms and all over the floor. Ds 9 also does laundry. I'm not a fan of him taking it down our basement steps as they are a bit treacherous for him while holding a laundry basket, but if it's already down there he can switch the laundry and start it up. He also made pancakes all by himself the other day. woo hoo! So I definitely don't underestimate the difference kids can make in helping around the house, and I'm sure I will depend on it as they get older, especially if more little ones come along.

 

My hope and prayer is that I can homeschool high school while also enjoying my kids and doing a good job, not getting through by the skin of my teeth. I joke with dh that sometimes I think I'll be happy if I can just get the kids graduated so they can get a job at Burger King. Sweet success!! I'll be like, "WHAT. They graduated! I did it! Hooray!!"

[BlsdMama]

My oldest is in 4th so I'm thinking ahead...

 

Five years from now I'll be homeschooling 9th, 8th, 5th, 4th, and 1st. :blink:

 

Eight years from now I'll be homeschooling 12th, 11th, 8th, 7th, and 4th. :scared:

 

 

(And that's IF we don't have more kids. In reality I might have to add "1st grade, 3 yr old, and newborn." :willy_nilly: We're Catholic. Just sayin.)

 

What is it like to homeschool high school while hs-ing multiple kids in a larger family? Does anyone have a success story or words of wisdom for those of us who will be in this situation in a few years?

 

I have one in 11th, 8th, 5th, 3rd, 2nd, and two in K. (That's seven.) In addition, we have an almost 3yo and an 18mo and the newest addition will be here in April.

 

I will say this and I pray it is encouraging: You simply cannot picture/fathom at this season you are in, what your life will look like in five and in ten years.

 

For example, 5th-7th were the most time intensive years for me. I had no idea that my lovely daughter was going to turn into this incredibly capable, organized, scheduled, driven young woman. If we were going to tell the truth, she doesn't need me. (Well, except to drive and I need her to stay sane so it works out well.)

 

High school? High school is a walk in the park compared to middle school.

 

Also, having been there, you might have heard this:

 

"Oh, dear, this is just the season you are in. It will pass."

 

I can honestly say that about 3 years ago someone told me this.

 

I had an 8th grader, a 5th grader, a 2nd grader, a K, a 4yo, an almost 2yo, and was expecting another. I wanted to pull my hair and scream:

 

"THIS IS NOT A SEASON! THIS IS MY WHOLE LIFE. THE BABIES - THEY JUST KEEP COMING."

 

Obviously that was during a hard day, lol! ;)

 

The babies? Oh, they keep coming. :) But I forgot something!!!! The older ones? They become INCREDIBLE.

 

If a child is struggling in something in their own grade level, to get to dial back a few years and "help" Mom by teaching a younger sibling, they get remedial work without feeling "dumb" and they save you time and strengthen those sibling bonds!!!

 

Do you want me to say the house is cleaner than it's ever been? LOL. I'm not going to lie. But you know what? It gets done.

 

I can honestly say we have given Ana an EXCELLENT education. She's a junior. We've struggled in one area (Algebra) and she has exceeded, beyond anything I could have dreamed, in other areas like Literature, Worldview, i.e., her faith, and I can honestly say that we, her family, truly have her heart. She graduates next year. I am beyond glad we continued to school through high school.

 

I have another entering high school next year. It is not crossing my mind one moment to not keep him home. :) I can't wait! I'm already getting glimpses of his autonomy kicking in. I love the high school independence and the freedom from middle school!

 

For each new baby that is born, all the rest of the crew get one (or two) years older and a little more independent and capable.

 

Yes, large families can homeschool through high school. It's not always easy and like in any worthwhile task, you'll have days when you think you are failing them and you'll panic! ;) But at the end of the day, homeschooling high school is probably the best thing we've ever done, except for the decision to get married and have so many babies in the first place! I sure wouldn't trade it - thank you God!

[LindaOz]

I am homeschooling 11th, 10th, 8th, 6th, 4th, 2nd, and have a 2yo and a baby.

 

My high schoolers work very independently and the others are at various stages of learning to work independently. And that's the way we work and make it work. We have at least one together time during the day where we cover some things as a family, but then older students proceed with their own work while I put time in with the younger ones and the 2yo and the baby. It's like Kelly says above; the older kids become more and more independent and capable.

 

SWB has an audio lecture available for 3 dollars something about 'Teaching Children to Work Independently' which is REALLY good, although I am finding that my children work through the various stages of independence at an earlier stage than what she says in the lecture. The progression she talks about, though, is great. It might be helpful and encouraging to listen to it if you can.

 

I haven't got any graduation success stories yet as we are not quite there. However, my 11th grader has just done an external ministry subject through a Bible college and we got her assessment results today. She has always been homeschooled and this is the first externally assessed thing she has ever done (except for a Bravewriter online course). She had assignment questions and an essay for this subject. Her result was 98%. So, I'm feeling rather successful today (as well as very encouraged) and, yes, homeschooling high school with a larger family really is doable and it works.

[Colleen in SEVA]

THANK YOU (yes, I am shouting that, tee hee) to all who have replied. I have been reading with open ears, as high school looms on the horizon in this house.

 

PS -- I had to giggle at the comments of "Well, I *only* have five kids..." -- only in wonderful places like this can I feel like I have a *small* family! :)

[CatholicMom]

Wow, I am pleasantly surprised at how many larger families there are on the Hive! This makes me feel so much better... like maybe I don't have to be Superwoman to homeschool a large family through high school after all.

 

All this talk of the older kids being independent and helpful also reminds me that my dd who is only 5 right now has a very "helpful" personality. She loves to make lists, tell people what to do (I have to keep that in check, but it can also be a good quality - lol), and do thing the "right way"... even moreso than I do, sometimes. I wouldn't be surprised if she will be like Mommy's assistant when she's 15. E.g. She was chasing around her 19 month old sister the other day, diaper-in-hand, insisting that her little sister lay down so she could change her diaper. LOL One hopes she doesn't change much and soon she will be able to catch those babies! :laugh: