If a neighbour asked you to homeschool their child for pay...

[Marie131]

would you do it?

 

The child in question is in first grade and has some behavioral issues. She has 4 diagnoses according to the school (ADHD, autism, OCD and possibly tourettes). She really isn't as bad as it sounds, but there are definitely issues there. I have a related degree and have worked educating special needs adults so her issues aren't new to me. I am a busy mama w/ 4 little ones (7, 5, 2 and 5 months), but could really use some extra money. Thoughts?

[LucyStoner]

No, I would not. If it doesn't work out there would be hard feelings. The chances of it working out seem slim. It very well may be illegal in your state. It's a huge responsibility to be responsible for the education of your own children to say nothing of adding in an extra child. Her parents may have very outsized expectations for you for relatively low pay and conflict is quite likely to arise. If they can afford to pay you what such an arrangement is worth (FT tutor + probably all day care since I assume they must work if they are asking), they can afford to pay for the best private school or special tutor.

 

Also, I am not saying this because the girl has special needs. My own son has HFA and serious OCD tendencies My answer would be exactly the same for a neuro typical child.

[Celia]

No, but I'd offer to do after-school tutoring for reasonable pay.

[violamama]

Nope. I would not personally be able to add anyone else's kids and still give all I want to my own. You might be different from me there. I wish you the best in your decision.

[kiwik]

depends how much you need the money. If the money allows you to keep home schooling your kids or not get a night shift job to pay the mortgage then yes. It would depend on how long a day too. If you only have her for the time you need to do first grade (1 to 2 hours) it might be ok, if you are expected to keep her 7 hours a day - NO.

[Ameena]

Yes, but I'd have to sit down with the parents and we go over expectations with a fine tooth comb. And it would be on a trial basis. And put EVERYTHING in writing.

 

 

I actually offered to homeschool a friend's little girl for pre-school. She has some delays & speech issues, most of which are stemming from the parents discipline issues IMO and perhaps a mild case of ASD. It wouldn't have been much more work to HS 2 than 1, and she and my dd get along wonderfully.

[Mom0012]

It sounds like there would be easier ways to bring in some extra cash, and you already have a lot on your plate. I wouldn't do it.

[fourisenough]

I think there is a very fine line between parenting and educating a child. It is difficult to do the latter well, if you are not also responsible for the former. Even if, despite your time and energy constraints as a busy mom of four kids, you are able to do a fantastic job on your end, you may have little control over the outcome if the parenting side of the equation is not ideal. This applies to neuro-typical children as well as those with special needs. Truthfully, I think this is the big problem with public school: teachers are held responsible for their students' progress, when they have no control over the biggest issues in the child's life, such as nutrition, sleep, habit-training, emotional stability, etc. I think the chances of you being successful (however you choose to measure that) are pretty slim.

[Alessandra]

I would check the laws in my state re hsing and re paid home care before I gave it one more thought. I would also check homeowners before offering paid care/education at your home.

 

With your background, it certainly sounds as though you are very capable of doing the job, but I'd still want to look at legal issues and financial liabilities first.

 

I'd also want to know why neighbor is asking you. It sounds as though her dd would qualify for an IEP and special services at no cost to the parent. If the child is in first grade, does that mean parent doesn't like current school? Has parent pursued ways of getting her child a more appropriate education in the ps system or at a special needs private school paid for by ps? It sounds as though the girl could benefit from therapies such as OT, ST, behaviorist, etc that she could/should get at school. Does the parent expect you to provide this, or does she want you to take her dd to therapies?

 

In other words, I'd want to consider what is in the best interests of the child as part of the equation.

[Aslana]

This is all providing the laws in your state allow you to do so:

 

Yes, I would, in a heartbeat. In fact, I'm doing it now--for free. Long story but worth it. Given the ages of your own children, there is nothing--absolutely no reason-- why you cannot combine those ages and do some type of WTM or Sonlight, or some other combined curriculum with these children. You'd basically have your own elementary school. It would be very easy to occupy the two year old (they would "do school" as well in there own little area) and the 5month old can be placed in some type of play-pen while you teach. Your 7 and 5 year old would fit perfectly in with a 1st grader.

 

I would draw up a contract that dictates how much she pays and how often (and I would charge her just slightly less than daycare rates), what her responsibilities are and how this will work out.

 

Since I've done this before and have been doing it for some time, it is very easy to draw up this contract. It's very easy to have her agree to it and it's very easy to get started.

 

Nothing else questioned here would matter to me. I certainly would not be encouraging them to go the IEP route, I wouldn't be encouraging any of the other stuff. I'd be willing to help out in a heartbeat.

[clarkacademy]

I did this. My four and her three. The schooling itself was not really that bad. My car didn't fit everyone so it made going places not possible or much much harder. The issue I had was after a while she decided to start being late on paying me, trying to hint that her husband wanted to pay less and I finally got fed up. I Watched each kid for 15 a day and she sent their snacks but like I said her husband felt I was over charging. I have always charged so little to help people out I don't believe daycare etc should cost so much.

[Dmmetler]

I have a friend who keeps insisting that she can't homeschool her child, and has asked, half seriously, if she could just enroll her DD with me for next year-and honestly, I don't think it would work. I've heard her critiques and complaints about the girls' dance teacher, and I don't want to be on the receiving end.

 

In a hypothetical sense, I think having a classmate at a similar level and age would probably be the best thing that could happen to DD. But I doubt I'll ever find the perfect child and family who I could homeschool with and have it work well. I'm too picky-it's why I homeschool ;)

[lmrich]

I do this. I teach other people's children and tutor frequently. Is she asking you to teach and provide child care? If you could teach her two hours a day and then send home work for her to complete and charge $10 - 20 an hour then maybe. But a child with so many labels might have trouble adjusting to you and your family. I would not consider keeping her all day. I have never provided child are and schooling services. I teach classes, and then the students go home to complete their assignments.

[Hunter]

NO!!!!!!

 

But, if a parent were officially homeschooling their own child, I might become her primary ASSISTANT. The parent would need to take the RESPONSIBILITY for their OWN child. I would do the WORK, and give ADVICE, but not be responsible.

[texasmama]

With this situation, I would decline. If your little ones were not quite so little, this might be a more workable situation. If this child did not carry the diagnoses she does, it might be more workable. But no, I would not consider this.

[MinivanMom]

No! A Million times no!

 

I have done it in the past and I would never, never do it again. It is very difficult to homeschool children that you are not parenting. I have also tutored children (when we desperately needed the money) and that was a wonderful situation. It was very meaningful work for me and I felt like I was really helping the children, but without any of the boundaries issues that could accompany homeschooling them. I tutored for a set number of hours each week (in the evening after putting my little children to bed) and they paid me a set price per hour. The family was still having to deal with the nonsense of public schools, but the tutoring completely turned their dds' situations around.

 

Looking at the ages of your children, I think it would be a huge, stressful mistake. I understand the need for money, but don't sacrifice your own children or your own homeschool. I think tutoring the child part-time in the evenings could be a great solution. They would get the help they need and you would have added income without disrupting your homeschool. Win-win.

[Lang Syne Boardie]

MinivanMom's post makes sense to me. I would think a reasonable compromise would be to offer to be a tutor (at the going rate) for after school, so you could be a nearby mentor and friend and part of her team to help her succeed at school. That sounds kind of perfect, actually, because she will need to be able to learn in lots of different settings throughout her lifetime and should not learn to be dependent on anyone outside her own household for academic instruction. Does that make sense? Does your expertise confirm that assumption, that a tutor can't be permanent in the way a parent is, so if there are special needs the child should learn to succeed in varied environments for school? If so, you might be able to positively influence her future school success as a tutor without taking on all of the responsibility for her education.

[Candid]

My personal answer is NO!

 

But if I was motivated by a need for cash or compassion then I would do as others have noted above and sit down and have a long discussion and written contract over this.

 

I would cover:

• Cost of curriculum, especially as this child made need special materials
  
• Does the child stay with you all day or go home after a certain time? Can mom supervise home work?
  
• If the child stays with you, I would require their participation in any extra curricular activities including, of course, costs.
  
• Expectations, theirs yours, both academic and behavioral.
  
• End of contract terms. Why would this be terminated? With what notice? With what consequences?
  

 

[BlessedMom]

No

[Koerarmoca]

Not with 4 little ones of my own. If it was a situation where I had older kids I would consider it if I really needed the money.

[MeaganS]

No, unless it was like $200,000 a year or some other ridiculously high salary. Of course, I don't enjoy watching other people's kids even without the homeschooling part.

[Mommie_Jen]

I only have 2 kids and there is no way I would do it. Actually, I don't even babysit kids during the day if it's all day. I will do 1/2 days only, and that's for good friends, with the exception being treue emergencies. It just throws off our routine way too much.

[weederberries]

Instinctually, I say no.

 

I could be motivated to tutor.

 

I could also be motivated to "cottage school" where the other mom is present during school hours and assists her child or my children as fit, perhaps taking on some lessons on her own.

[Stayseeliz]

Absolutely no way. It is probably illegal anyway. But it's just too much time and effort and it would take too much away from my own kids. I agree that the chance of it working out to everyone's satisfaction would be slim.