Ds started ps this year. Still have one hsing...

[woolybear]

Anyone else dealing with this transition?  Ds wanted to go to school this year. He started in 7th grade. He's adjusted fine and is happy there. I'm the one having a hard time.

 

Just wanted to see if anyone wants to share on the subject.

[PollyOR]

I'm with you.  15yo is attending public school and 11yo is still at home.  

[Samiam]

My oldest DS is in public school...started last year for 9th.   My younger two are still at home...and will be for many more years.   It was hard for me the first few months, last year.  I literally cried the first few days, after dropping him off...like it was Kindergarten all over again.   I worried about him,  thought about him all day, especially the first few weeks.    Plus, it was hard giving up control of his education (I even wrote a post on the Chat side here, about this time last year, asking advice about bringing him home...I wanted too so much).  At this level, there's only so much I can do in terms of involvement.  

 

After the first few months, we got into the swing of things, and it became our new norm.  This year, it's old hat to us.   Don't get me wrong...I love when my son is home.  I love the school breaks, summer holidays, etc so he can be home with us.   Just tonight, I thought to myself it's a bit sad how removed he is from our daily life (he's in sports too, so he normally doesn't get home until about 7:30, showers, eats and by that point my younger two are headed to bed).  I thought how horrible it must be for those families where all the children are off to school in different classrooms all days, and only seeing each other for a few hours each day.  How do they even connect?

 

But beyond all of that, I know it's been good for him.  It has provided things that he wouldn't get at home...based on his personality and personal educational needs.   It's not all been roses, believe me, but overall, it's not been as horrible as I had imagined prior to him starting. 

[Pawz4me]

Ditto what Samiam said.

 

My oldest wanted to go back to our local PS for high school.  I had homeschooled him for four years.  He's a senior now and absolutely thriving--excelling academically, participating in multiple sports and other extracurriculars, getting lots of support from counselors and teachers in the college application process.  Youngest DS, who I started homeschooling in second grade, was starting sixth when oldest went back to public high school, so we did middle school all by ourselves.  I have to say it was nice to be able to concentrate on just one child.  I was confident that oldest would do fine once he made the initial adjustment at PS, so I wasn't terribly worried about him.  But now youngest is a freshman in an early college high school program.  He's been going seven weeks today, and those first few weeks were very stressful for him and me and DH.  Now he's settled in and everything is going very, very well for both boys..  As Samiam said, it's very hard giving up total control of their education.  But they're both thriving in public school, and having experiences that we could never replicate at home.  Although I miss them a lot during the day, I'm enjoying the peace and quiet and being able to get things done.

[Elm in NJ]

My 14 year old went to ps for the first time this year for 9th grade.  He is still adjusting. This is his 3rd week but I think the biggest problem for him is getting the bus at 6:25. I still have my 12th grader at home and two 7th graders. 

 

[Chris in VA]

It's been hard for me to let dd go. That's why I'm still here...lol!

There's a loss, of course--but there are gains, too--good and bad mixed together, like all of life, really. 

[Hen]

new waters for us, also.  My 11th grader is our first to go to school, she is at a performing arts highschool this year.  The school day runs from 8 to 5 Mon thru Thursday with Friday off at 1:30.  It's strange not having her here during the day, we graduated my oldest this Summer and she has started community college this year also.  I have two left at home to homeschool.   I do like being able to just concentrate on two, it's a lot easier then when I had 5 and then 4, but I miss having my older girls around.  I am very excited and happy for my 11th grader, it's a really great school and she worked very hard to be accepted there.  My two youngers want to go there too, we are looking at letting them try out for 10th grade.  Despite being a very good school and one of the top in the State academically, there are still a few areas I'd like to cover before I let them go.   - I am after-schooling my 11th grader in French, the French teacher is actually French and lovely, but I don't really understand how they are supposed to learn much in her class, so we are doing Galore Park and Rosetta Stone at home.

[AimeeM]

Yes.

My daughter started 7th grade this year at a specialized private school. I miss her terribly during the day. She LOVES it there, but I'm having a hard time with it, lol.

 

I still have my two younger boys at home - one of whom is currently homeschooling. I also have a full time tutoring student on hand... but I miss my girl like crazy until 3:15 every day.

 

I can take solace in knowing that she'll be home for high school (as the school doesn't extend past junior high and there isn't a private high school for dyslexic children here), but I'll miss her for two years :( I am, however, thrilled that she's found her "place". She wasn't happy at home this past school year; trying to get her more rigorous load done with two younger boys around (and considering most of her language arts was teacher intensive, given the dyslexia, it was getting difficult to juggle) was just not happening for her. She felt very isolated.

 

She's a happy kid again and I'm thrilled about that. Our relationship is much better than it was last year.

[PollyOR]

I didn't think this would be so hard. I feel silly.  I just took 18yo to the bus stop (public transportation), so she could attend her first day at the local community college.  I waited near the bus stop to make sure the bus would show up.  We aren't very familiar with public transportation since we live five miles out of town.  Anyway, as the bus drove away I kept watching it hoping dd was okay.  She deals with anxiety so I can imagine that this might be a long day for her.  I keep telling myself that in a few weeks this will be "old hat" as someone said above.  

[Night Elf]

My youngest started 9th grade last year and is in 10th grade this year. I still have days I miss her. Thank goodness for texting because there are times I have something to share and she's not home. She's doing well in school though and it's all routine now.

[mytwomonkeys]

Yes. I'm here too! :) my daughter will be 12 in October and started 6th grade this year. She has never been to school whatsoever, so I was a nervous wreck before she started. We both are doing great now. My son is 9 and in 4th grade. He is still home with me. We are actually having a smooth year with it only being the two of us. Overall, our experience has been very positive. There are things about PS that I don't prefer (no spelling is taught or even corrected -- that's insane to me), so we work on those things at home still. My daughter is happy and making really wise choices, so I'm pleased with everything so far.

[linders]

Eager to watch how it goes for you. DS13 is 7th - we are thinking a year of 8th at a very good local private school would ease his transition to public high school. But that would leave DS10 (5th) at home, and he is the extrovert, needs company kid. Plus, with one home, one at school, I almost feel I will lose the best of both worlds (re: schedule).

 

Keep us posted!