Anyone NOT regret homeschooling?

[Chrysalis Academy]

Lol, one of the most beloved people in my life is an atheist. She is also a homeschooler. It is simply that when *I* hit that wall, and maybe you've hit IT, or maybe you've not, but when I c same up against the Big One, the wall I simply didn't have the strength nor the motivation to climb, it was only my faith that kept me doing what I was doing. At that point I did not believe homeschooling that chug hold was right for me or right for that child. The only thing that made me persevere was that I believed my (personal) call was to home educate and so I did though I did not want to nor did I believe it was best.

 

Fast forward a couple years later and with testing and a much clearer perspective on this child's special needs and I can see that going away from home would have been devastating for him on many levels. But I think perhaps you can see how my unique experience contributed to my statement? Maybe? I probably should have elaborated either than just saying it and leaving it flopping about. :D. I meant nothing derogatory by it, I simply cannot say there was a thing in me that kept me homeschooling that child except my faith because my head and my heart were not in it. Simply obedience to my calling. ;)

 

well, in that case, no offense taken!  ;)   It sounds like you have had a remarkable journey and I'm glad you've found a path that works for your family.  :grouphug:

[Rjmakmom]

I started hsing 6 years ago, pulled my kids out at the end of 3rd and 4th grade and my youngest 2 had never been to school- until this August when I decided I was so burned out I needed a break. I put all 4 in school, including the 2 who had never been. My 4th grader got on the bus that first day in tears, she was so nervous. At Christmas the 2 littles asked to come home- and I was so happy!! My 15yo 9th grader stayed in school, and truly, that is the best fit for him. He is doing well and is the type of kid who works much harder for someone who isn't me. My 13yo 8th grader is dyslexic, and has APD and VPD- and she desperately wanted to go to school. Much to my dismay, she has stayed in school. So, now I have 2 in school and 2 at home. Do I ever regret homeschooling? No, absolutely not. What I do regret is ever putting them back in school this year. 

[CatMomof3]

I have never regretted homeschool but I have almost thrown in the towel.  Towards the end of last year my dh strongly suggested that our oldest go to a local charter school.  It was a REALLY rough year and I did not have the energy to even disagree, so she applied, she was tested, and was excepted.  After that she asked what she would be studying, so we made an appointment to look over the curriculum and meet a couple of the teachers.  After the meeting she said she did not want to go, because she would not have time for us AND she would be bored (pretty much everything that we were shown she has already studied).  My dh, dd, and I sat down and a had a real heart to heart.  We decided that instead of me teaching, my dd she would self study BUT she had to follow a weekly schedule.  That would give me more time with the other 3.  This year has been AWESOME.

 

I love homeschooling and I thank God quite a bit for the ability to do so :)

[Amy Jo]

No regrets - I'm very thankful. I do wish I'd have had a better education, but I'm happy to be getting one now, either ahead of my kids or with them!

[Guest]

Absolutely no regrets.

 

My adult kids aren't in the ivies or climbing the corporate ladder and my own life isn't exactly unicorns and rainbows either. I'm at the age where I beat myself up over dumb things like not hitchhiking off into the sunset never to be seen or heard from again when I found out I was pregnant with my first (who I later lost to the courts), giving up my music career for a "safe" major on my parents' dime, never following the Grateful Dead, never living on a farm, never seeing London or even getting out of North America, never getting online in the '90s, but homeschooling? That's the one thing I did RIGHT.

 

 

 

 

[Mommy22alyns]

Gosh, I don't even feel like I've been at it for very long, but I've homeschooled the girls from the start and don't regret it one iota.

[Mommy22alyns]

I do not regret homeschooling my daughter one iota. 

 

I didn't even read this before replying, and I said iota too!  LOL, we should stop hanging out together!   :lol:

[MomintheMountains]

Absolutely no regrets.

 

My adult kids aren't in the ivies or climbing the corporate ladder and my own life isn't exactly unicorns and rainbows either. I'm at the age where I beat myself up over dumb things like not hitchhiking off into the sunset never to be seen or heard from again when I found out I was pregnant with my first (who I later lost to the courts), giving up my music career for a "safe" major on my parents' dime, never following the Grateful Dead, never living on a farm, never seeing London or even getting out of North America, never getting online in the '90s, but homeschooling? That's the one thing I did RIGHT.

I didn't lose my son in the courts, but I wanted to tell you I understand what you are saying about hiking off into the sunset when you found out you were pregnant with your first. I should have done that too.

[tammyw]

I didn't see a regret thread, but I have no regrets. I love it. I honestly can't imagine my life differently. My kids are almost 11 and 7.5.

[kolamum]

I do not regret homeschooling. Not at all. Oh sure I have my moments when I think, "What am I doing?!" But I don't regret it. I might have moments when I think I'm messing them up, but I don't regret my choice to homeschool.

 

My eldest child has struggled with reading from about 2nd grade onward. I couldn't understand what was going on, but I could tell you exactly when it started. It took me 4 years to get a diagnosis for him & the difference has been amazing. The Dr took one look at our child's school work, listened to him speak, & turned to me with one comment, "How on earth is your child so articulate?!"

 

"What do you mean?"

"Most children who walk through my door are depressed, sullen, & have a poor vocabulary. I'm amazed by the depth of your son's knowledge, his words, & his desire to read despite this disability."

 

I don't think anyone or anything could have prepared me for that type of comment. The Dr went on to confess I was the very first parent who had brought their child in and could tell her exactly when my child's problems started to surface, the depths of them, & how hard my child worked. Most patients were at the bottom of the barrel & just biding their time until they could walk away from school. In essence they'd given up & the people in their lives had given up on them. 

 

I explained that regardless of our child's limits it has never once stopped us from taking the time to read for him, to put on audio books to listen to, or prevented us from using a literature based curriculum in our schooling. Her words have stuck with me 2 years later, "Whatever you're doing, don't stop! It's working, & it's working perfectly."

 

This came from the mouth of a paediatrician who'd worked in schools before. It wasn't a lifeline she was throwing me having never met me before, it was pure blatant honesty.  And you know, it's the biggest compliment I've ever been given in regards to homeschooling. 

 

Do I regret my choice?! No. Would I regret it if she'd just given us help & not given me that needed clap on the back she was completely unaware she was giving me? No, of course not. But sometimes, I honestly think if we were given a few more compliments, even amongst our peers, rather then finger pointing & name calling we'd not be so scared that we're messing up.

[PachiSusan]

I didn't even read this before replying, and I said iota too!  LOL, we should stop hanging out together!   :lol:

 

Ha ha . Watch out, you might convert to Catholicism if you hang around me too much longer! 

[DianeW88]

Never, ever, ever.  Not for one second.  It has been a wonderful experience, and I have enjoyed it so much more than I can express.  This is my 20th year, and I still look forward to each and every day.  It is such a privilege and a blessing.  My grown up kids have expressed how thankful and happy they are that my dh and I chose homeschooling at a time when you were definitely a weirdo if you did it.  They both plan on homeschooling their own children someday.  My youngest and I are having a blast together, and it's honestly been such a joy to teach him and learn with him.  His friends all wish they were homeschooled, and on days when PS isn't in session...they all come down to my house and "do school".  Those days are REALLY fun, and they're always amazed at what my son studies and learns and how fun it is.

 

Seriously...THE best decision of my life.

[foxbridgeacademy]

This is our 7th year HS'ing, sometimes I do feel stressed and I worry about academic "progress" but I have never regretted it.  I try to imagine what would have happened if I hadn't HS'ed my DC and it makes me shudder.  

DS who is extremely intelligent would have been held back at least a grade or two because he is dyslexic and prone to daydreaming.  His spirit would have been crushed to make him "fit".  Instead he's doing Algebra and reads just fine (but slowly).  He is still the sweetest and best behaved child I have ever met.

 DD would have done well academically but she would have been influenced by peers to "fit in".  Instead she has set her own style and attitude (which her friends try to copy).  She would have suffered more pain (migraines) and heartache (she's a champion of the underdog) then her little soul should have to deal with.   So I think that whatever regrets I may have in the future Hs'ing will not be one of them.

[Mommy22alyns]

Ha ha . Watch out, you might convert to Catholicism if you hang around me too much longer! 

 

 

Did you know that I was Catholic up until my parents divorced?  I even spent 4 years in Catholic school!

[PachiSusan]

Did you know that I was Catholic up until my parents divorced?  I even spent 4 years in Catholic school!

 

No, I did not! :) Come on home! ;) 

[purduemeche]

I don't regret submitting my adopted children to a caustic PS atmosphere when what they needed most was the love of their new family.  Homeschool was the only good option.

[NASDAQ]

Also, most people don't regret home schooling, full stop. They regret decisions they made while home schooling.

 

A big one is better late than early/early academics cross roads. When a child struggles, you are faced with a choice: Wait and let it sort itself out, or confront it aggressively. Whichever way you choose, you're opening up the possibility for huge regrets. In school, someone else makes the decision. They introduce it when they introduce it. But we get to make our own decisions, and if it turns out to be catastrophically wrong then we own it. The child we thought just needed more time to read, has a learning disability; we've lost precious years we could have used to address the issue. Or the attempt to teach a not-quite-ready child to read turns into daily tears and leaves everyone with a terrible complex. Sometimes we make the wrong decision and the damage is permanent.

 

The possibility for regret is a side effect of increased power and therefore increased responsibility.

 

 

[lovemykids]

Homeschooling (since pre-k) has been a wonderful experience. I do not regret it at all. Sure I have those days where I feel it's all just too much, LOL...but don't we all... The one thing I wish I could change is the socialization issue; and it has been an issue for us. However, my four homeschooled children are also very close to each other. The bonds that we have created as family members do outweigh any issues we have may have faced.

 

I would definitely recommend homeschooling to anyone. And homeschooling highschool (so far-9th grade) has been pretty easy...it's just another year. We love it!

 

[mommyoffive]

Well, I was homeschooled in high school and I loved my experience.  I don't regret one minute of it!

 

Because of my great experience I was inspired to homeschool my own kids.  We are still new to this adventure but so far we don't have any regrets.

 

I actually just blogged about my homeschool highschool experience and then my mom shared about how I asked her to homeschool me, how she prepared for me to apply for college, and a little bit about my day in high school.  So......it tells a little bit about how we both feel about our homeschool experience - which is very positive  :hurray:

 

 

This was so neat to read.  

 

 

I am struggling with what to do right now.  

[clementine]

Never in a zillion years.  It was the best decision we ever made & I am forever grateful for the time I got to spend schooling our kids.  I'd do it again in a second.  

[tammyw]

No regrets here at all. I homeschooled my daughter through grade 7 -- this year (grade 8) she is going to a charter three days a week, which means she is also home Monday and Friday. We have the best relationship, in part I think because of homeschooling and all the quality time we had together.

 

I'm still fully homeschooling my son who is in grade 5 and no signs of stopping any time soon. It's not always easy but I know this is what he needs and I love it.

[Guest]

None whatsoever. My adult children are a Journalist and a Soldier. One eventually even made it to the Ivies.

 

There's a lot more to it than than job descriptions and lists of colleges attended, of course.

 

Both of my adult kids are 2e and grew up under circumstances that were analagous to my own "children from broken homes are always emotionally disturbed" experiences in dark underbelly of a "good" public school system in 1970s suburbia.

 

Nobody blinks an eye at single parent families now and the divorce was the bravest and most positive thing my mother could have done for my sister and I and even for our father. The staff applauds her at her retirement community now.

 

The current anti-homeschooling media feeding frenzy is just analagous to my mother's ostracism from the local country club during my childhood. It's nothing personal, just history being history again.

Edited March 12, 2017 by Guest

[Guest]

 

Absolutely no regrets.

 

My adult kids aren't in the ivies or climbing the corporate ladder and my own life isn't exactly unicorns and rainbows either. I'm at the age where I beat myself up over dumb things like not hitchhiking off into the sunset never to be seen or heard from again when I found out I was pregnant with my first (who I later lost to the courts), giving up my music career for a "safe" major on my parents' dime, never following the Grateful Dead, never living on a farm, never seeing London or even getting out of North America, never getting online in the '90s, but homeschooling? That's the one thing I did RIGHT.

 

 

I didn't even notice this was a zombie thread until I had already posted my 2017 answer. :)

 

That was fun.

 

I have a caboose baby who is 20 years younger than my oldest and he would gave been a brand spanking new shiny homeschooler when I posted my 2014 answer.

[FloridaLisa]

Still no regrets. 

 

There are definitely gaps. There are absolutely a few things I'd do differently. I didn't teach perfectly, my kids weren't perfect students and the curriculum wasn't perfect. There were some hard seasons. And my kids have been honest about what they liked and what they didn't. 

 

BUT. 

 

The sheer quantity of time we had is invaluable.

Our shared experiences are priceless. 

My kids had opportunities unavailable in ps.

Homeschooling shaped my character (probably more than my children's).

Time together was a gift when our world was rocked to the core. 

My kids avoided most of the traps that catch kids coming of age.

 

And despite the gaps and imperfections, my kids have done well after graduation.They may have done just as well or even better had we gone a ps/private route. No telling. But I'm sure the people they are, which flows over into their academics and life choices, was shaped by homeschooling.

[Bluegoat]

nm

Edited March 13, 2017 by Bluegoat

[Tumbatoo]

I regret not pulling my oldest out of public school sooner.

[shinyhappypeople]

I regret mistakes I've made along the way, but homeschooling itself?  No way.  My kids may not realize it or appreciate it now, but homeschooling is one of the most important gifts I've given to them.

[8filltheheart]

I responded in 2014, but my answer is still the same. Zero regrets in homeschooling. My kids love homeschooling and the academic freedom we have.

 

My adult children will tell you they have zero regrets having been homeschooled. That might be the more important question in the long run. I have a niece who is absolutely venomous about homeschooling and it is not constrained to her own personal experience. She thinks it is an abomination and that it should be forbidden. Ironically, she was only homeschooled through 8th grade. Her mom put her in school when she said she wanted to attend. She knows my kids have been successful academically and in their careers. She also knows that our younger kids want to be homeschooled. If you ask her pointedly about our family, she is dismissive as if it is not the normal outcome.

 

I am not sure why there is such strong antagonism, but there is. It is a huge ugly issue that she carries with her wherever she goes. (She has siblings who were homeschooled, including through high school, who don't have the same attitude.) I would not want that sort of anger existing between my adult children and me. Parent/child relationships can be hard in and of themselves.

[Jean in Newcastle]

I have even less regrets now that I have one in college and have seen how well he was prepared with homeschooling. Can you have less when it was zero regrets to begin with? ;)

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Edited March 13, 2017 by Jean in Newcastle

[Kalmia]

I regret stopping homeschooling, especially for my son. I did not realize that we could weather a very difficult adolescence and homeschool, and so we sent him to brick and mortar high school. It is just a ridiculous bunch of hoops to jump through instead of a rich education, and it is entirely unsuited to the way he thinks. If I had it to do over, I would have made a different choice.

[fairfarmhand]

No regrets here. I've graduated one andhave 3 to go. My oldest dd, stubborn, begged to go to school for years, thanked me for homeschooling her. At age 18. Could've knocked me over with a feather. She really sees the benefits as a college freshman.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Hobbes]

We are only into 2nd and 3rd grade, but no regrets whatsoever. For myself, I was homeschooled all the way through and am deeply grateful for the education and lifestyle I was given... no regrets.

[...................]

I think that, especially for my youngest, if we didn't have access to such great local homeschool classes, it would be very very sad for her. If we didn't have these, then I would have done a co-op like we had back in Florida...

 

When my kids were little they had each other, we read and romped and played all day and very few outside stuff was needed. They did Awana, park days, occasional field trips and a sports program and that was it.

 

So, given our situation, that we were able to give them (and again especially my dd) access to much more classes as teens, I do not have a single regret!

 

:)

[8Arrows4theLord]

We have one more year to go with our oldest and 7 kids to go. I've never regretted the choice to Homeschool, made before our 1st was born. After working in the PS system as an aide and seeing so many kids get passed up through not knowing how to read well or do basic math, I knew that was not what I wanted for my future children. I've made some bad curriculum choices, have had some bad days, but have never regretted it. I am sad to see our oldest finishing up, wishing we had a few more years- never got all of our to-do list done! Looking forward to our youngest starting school in 2-3 yrs.! I'll be homeschooling till I'm old and gray, Lord willing! :001_smile:

Thank you so much for bringing this old thread back for others to be encouraged!

Edited March 15, 2017 by 8Arrows4theLord