When did you get your confidence?

[plumshadow]

Many of you have children in or going to college and I'm sure its been a long road. When did you feel that you had the ability to start from where you were and propel them to where they are now? I homeschooled dd at 4 because she was kindergarten ready but schools only care about birthdays. But when her time came I still put her in school and began to afterschool (with Abeka mainly because I fear going too far from mainstream) because homework takes just minutes since she has seen it all before.  When I volunteer at her school I see for myself its a waste of time but even with all the signs I am petrified of taking her out and having to put her back in down the road and it being my fault she gets put back a grade or treated remedially even though now she is the top of her class.  When did you feel the conviction and have peace with your decision? I am in awe of homeschooling parents and see you as mythical beings with special powers. LOL

[regentrude]

Oh, nothing mythical or special power here.

I am an accidental homeschooler. Homeschooling was never on my radar, but I pulled DD out of 6th grade because the academic level of her school was too low and she was not challenged. After a few months of homeschooling, it was crystal clear to us parents that we could do a far better job than the local schools. At no point was I worried about her not being at grade level. After a few months, we pulled out DS as well.

Aside from using a math curriculum, I have never liked any pre-made curricula. Initially I had some hesitations about not using an English curriculum, because I am not a native speaker and do not have a humanities background, but DH encouraged me, and it turned out to be a good decision. Otherwise, I never hesitated to just pull together my own resources before high school. Seeing what passed for education in school, I felt I could not possibly mess this up.

 

Before committing to homeschooling high school, I worried briefly about high school and the college application process. It was never about the actual academics and learning, but about transcripts and testing and logistics and whether colleges would accept mommy grades, stuff like this. This was aggravated because we parents did not go through the educational system in this country and never even heard of the existence of the SAT before. Thanks to this forum, I found the courage to just go ahead, and it turned out that all the apprehension was unfounded.

 

ETA: Now of course, the REAL sigh of relief came with the first college acceptance. Not only did we manage to educate DD, but we also managed to jump through all the right testing and transcript and application hoops, which was a far bigger worry than the education. They all said that homeschoolers get into college, but it was sure nice to see it first hand.

[Brenda in MA]

I took my oldest out in the 4th grade. Like you, I had volunteered at the ps, and so I saw how little was going on there. With help from TWTM and the ladies here, I felt that my son was doing better at home than at the ps pretty much right from the start of 5th grade. It certainly wasn't an easy road, but looking back (he has now graduated from college), I can say that it was very rewarding. I didn't have complete peace until we had had that first college acceptance in hand, and he had successfully completed a couple of semesters of college.

 

The truth is, there is no assurance with kids, no matter where they go to school. Kids who go to ps or private school also can fall behind or do poorly in college. There are no guarantees in life. I think you just have to take it one year at a time and try to make the best decision for each kid and for your family.

 

HTH,

Brenda

[G5052]

We've always homeschooled, and I've never been concerned about the quality of my choices.  Early on, I'd periodically look at the state standards, but I've always been well ahead of that.  I also tested mine annually in the spring with a nationally-normed test, and no problems there.

 

I haven't had any problems making a lot of phone calls and asking a lot of questions.  So when mine were in middle school, I did a lot of groundwork.  I looked at the true performance of the local high schools, and I called various college admissions officers.  And what I found convinced me that I could do better myself, even in the crucial high school years.  The local high school just doesn't do what I want for my children.  

 

When I registered one of mine for the PSAT, the head guidance counsellor heard me asking questions and invited me back to his office.  He gave me the hard sell on all that his school could offer, but guess what?  I was able counter everything he said.  He pointed out that they offer X number of AP classes.  Yes, but they don't all of the AP classes I want.  And their average AP score is below what selective colleges expect and what middle-range schools who give credit require.  Then he tried to sell me on their English program.  What books do they read?  He pulled out a reference and listed the books they read in Honors English 11 and AP English.  Mine had already read the majority of those books by 9th grade. And on and on...eventually I thanked him for his time and left.

 

So some of the confidence is based on information.  I know what the state standards are.  I know what the local schools have.  I also know how my own children are doing, and how college admissions people view that.  So no worries here other than the financial end of college, but we do have quality local options, and for that I'm very thankful.

[omd21]

We pulled our oldest daughter out of school last August for 5th grade, with the same fears and trepidations that you mentioned. It has been the BEST decision! She is the happiest she has ever been. I was so afraid that I wasn't going to be able to help her with math in particular, but I am doing it and falling in love with math now even though I stunk at it in high school. When my brain can't take it anymore, there are plenty of online classes, dual enrollment, and tutors available. :)

[Mom22ns]

We were accidental homeschoolers too. We pulled ds out at the beginning of 6th grade. Dd came home a year later at the beginning of her 5th grade year. Our district had a good K-4 elementary building, but it the 5-6th grade building was terrible. Once we started homeschooling we fell in love and never wanted to go back. 

 

I don't think most people ever stop having fears… Am I doing enough? Am I doing too much? Am I teaching the right things? Am I teaching the right way? Will I ruin my kids? Will my kids get into college? Will my kids be prepared to do whatever it is they want to do?

 

Homeschoolers aren't mythical beings with special powers. We're just people who decided our best would be good enough and when it isn't we come here and ask what to do next :).

[MysteryJen]

I got my confidence from this board.

 

It is full of amazing women.

[Lori D.]

When did you feel that you had the ability to start from where you were and propel them to where they are now? ...   When did you feel the conviction and have peace with your decision?

 

Pretty much from the very start.

 

Our DSs were in a wonderful, academic school Christian school (DS#1 for pre-K, Kinder, 1st  /  DS#s for pre-K, Kinder). But we were seeing, in spite of being a good school, it was NOT a good fit for our DSs, each for a different reason. DS#1 needed the emotional security of schooling at home in order to have the energy, support, and ability to socialize / reach out/ challenge himself. DS#2 had mild LDs and was clearly not ready to move ahead, or move at the quick pace of the school -- and, due to the LDs, was NOT AT ALL matching up and learning with the materials the school used; he would have fallen through the cracks if we had continued there.

 

I also think it was because we went into it with the mindset of re-evaluating for each child, each year and thinking through: "What are the needs / strengths / weaknesses of THIS child? How will we address those through homeschooling? What educational options are available to us THIS year that might be a better fit? That way, if you feel you are NOT meeting needs well enough, you know you can move to a different educational option, and a year is NOT that much of a big deal to recover from -- even in high school, you can recover a "lost" year.

 

I think after homeschooling a year or two, and all the tons of research for DS's LDs, I realized I knew my children very well, and was very capable of finding what worked best for them. After about 4-5 years, we saw our DS with LDs starting to turn the corner and begin to catch up, which validated what we'd been doing. By middle school, DSs were very aware of the negative issues going on in the public school system, and they began to care a bit more and work harder, because they really did NOT want to attend a public school. At high school, we reassessed again, and found we had LOADS of local opportunities, both academic and extracurricular, community service, personal interest, etc. So we knew we could outsource as needed, or fill in areas with the teaching or expertise of others where DH and I were weak.

 

I DID have a remedial student, and saw how homeschooling allowed us to meet his specific needs so well that he caught up and was even able to exceed grade level in his strong areas. He was also an extremely strong-willed child, so I will NOT lie to you -- those first 4 years of homeschooling were ROUGH because of his attitude, combined with trying to continually research and refine exactly what his learning issues were and how best to address them, AND realizing some of it would just take TIME for his brain to mature into that ability on HIS unique time table. And we all survived, learned a lot, and DS is now in his 2nd year of a 3-year AAS degree for Interpretation for the Deaf -- AND earned a partial scholarship this year! :)

 

 

When I volunteer at her school I see for myself its a waste of time but even with all the signs I am petrified of taking her out and having to put her back in down the road and it being my fault she gets put back a grade or treated remedially even though now she is the top of her class.

 

No way that's going to happen, unless you were to do NOTHING for an entire year. Which you would not do. I think that you, having a very bright and advanced student, will watch her REALLY take flight with homeschooling, if your family decides that is the best educational option all around for YOU. :)

 

 

Many of you have children in or going to college and I'm sure its been a long road. When did you feel that you had the ability to start from where you were and propel them to where they are now? I homeschooled dd at 4 because she was kindergarten ready but schools only care about birthdays. But when her time came I still put her in school and began to afterschool (with Abeka mainly because I fear going too far from mainstream) because homework takes just minutes since she has seen it all before.  When I volunteer at her school I see for myself its a waste of time but even with all the signs I am petrified of taking her out and having to put her back in down the road and it being my fault she gets put back a grade or treated remedially even though now she is the top of her class. I am in awe of homeschooling parents and see you as mythical beings with special powers. LOL

 

 

No mythical beings. No super powers. (Although, I DO like this hat ---->  :hat:  LOL!)

 

My opinion is that discussing it and coming to the decision that homeschool is the best option for your family at this time, and a willingness to work hard at it daily, even when it loses its "shiny" every so often (as all things do), plus having a supportive spouse and a local mentor or two (or online ones! ;) ), you really can't go wrong.

 

 

All throughout, we have been VERY blessed with a LOT of other homeschoolers around us (this Board! and where I live), for mentoring for ME, and all kinds of other opportunities for our DSs. Having that kind of wisdom and support at your fingertips is a great boost in the self-confidence that, "Yes! I CAN do this, and do it WELL!"

 

I've seen an explosion in the homeschooling community since we started in 2000. There is SO much more curriculum out there, so many more support groups, online classes, mentors, books, resources.... I think the real danger is either getting crushed under the stacks of resources now available, or frying your brain trying to decide what of the oodles of choices you want to go with! ;)  BEST of luck, whatever you decide! Warmest regards, Lori D.

[-M-]

Apart from the occasional dark night of the soul, the 3:14 a.m. musings, "What am I doing?" "How am I doing?" "What have I done?!?" I don't generally suffer from a lack of confidence, and I am neither mythical nor super-power-endowed. (*smile*) My work experience included classroom teaching (middle and high school in traditional and non-traditional environments) and stints as an admissions counselor, a financial aid and scholarship administrator, and an academic adviser. I just didn't doubt I could home educate well. Once our family decided on this path (at the conclusion of my oldest's second-grade year), we allowed for periodic reviews -- "Does this work?" "Is this still working?" -- and continued on. We will conclude our home education adventure this year. I don't think my confidence was misplaced; we've been successful in some of the measurable ways:

 

â–  My oldest graduated from high school in May 2008 with a year of college credits on his transcript. He graduated from the local college with high honors in December 2009, and although I had lobbied -- HARD! -- for him to transfer and continue his education, he pursued his dream of becoming a Marine.

 

■ My middle child, a high school senior, decided late this past summer that she wanted to complete the traditional college admissions process – college visits, applications, essays, letters of recommendation, transcripts, the whole shebang. While an unconventional education has much to recommend it, we do, after all, live in a conventional world, and she felt compelled to prove to herself that she has “what it takes†to succeed in that world. She applied to one small liberal arts college (LAC), one mid-sized LAC, and one large state university and by Thanksgiving break learned that she had been accepted to all three. More, to one of the LACs she received a $14,000 scholarship (an annual award with a total value of $56,000) and to the other, a $10,000 scholarship (an annual award with a total value of $40,000). Now that she knows she has what it takes (*wry grin*), she has returned to her original plan of taking at least one year at the local college and transferring.

 

■ Technically, my youngest should have been a sophomore this year, but since she has always taken the same studies as her sister, we declared this her junior year. (Although it’s not unheard of, I just couldn’t bring myself to graduate her at sixteen, and she is in no hurry to leave, especially when she considers how doing so will change the trajectory of both her music studies and her swimming.) Following her first ACT, taken at the conclusion of her sophomore year, she became the eye of what can only be described as a hurricane of academic recruitment from several selective universities. (We think her declared major, physics, may also have something to do with it.) Although the girls had always intended to go to college together, the possibility of them choosing different schools has now become quite real. She will dual enroll at the local college this coming fall for her senior year, though, so she and her sister will have at least one year in college together.

 

â–  The ACT scores for all three of my students qualified them for the honors program at the local college, and the youngest's? Well, we're looking forward to seeing precisely what additional fruits they will yield. *smile*

 

I guess it would be fair to say that in addition to all of the confidence I had in my own abilities, I also had a great deal of (apparently well placed) confidence in their abilities. Heh, heh, heh.

 

In the end, though, it is evidence of those things that one cannot measure at all (goodness, emotional intelligence, quality of relationships, maturity, kindness, wisdom, etc.) that have reinforced an already unwavering confidence in what we do, in what we have done here. Our chief goal for our children's education was that they become *good* humans.

 

And they are.

 

[plumshadow]

Thank you for your candid honesty. I feel encouraged and inspired, this forum might just be the preverbal push I've been seeking. I'm a pessimist by nature (if its not obvious) lol but at least this year with her being in 1st grade she could start 2nd tomorrow and be fine so now with just a few months this  might be the best time for a test run especially since we have a decent amount of curriculum material already....I just want my kids to be everything they can and just being at that school for an hour or so kills my spirit so I can only imagine hers. My son is in 7th with ADD so I am going to have to give myself enough time to really look at what I can offer him. Coincidently there is a homeschool convention coming up in a few weeks a couple hours away! I guess my next step is to see about the laws and who I contact to get started...Thank you again ladies and congratulations on a job well done!

[Luckymama]

I got my confidence from this board.

 

It is full of amazing women.

This.

 

I had intended on homeschooling just 5th through 8th grades. We're now continuing through high school!

[regentrude]

Thank you for your candid honesty. I feel encouraged and inspired, this forum might just be the preverbal push I've been seeking. I'm a pessimist by nature (if its not obvious) lol but at least this year with her being in 1st grade she could start 2nd tomorrow and be fine so now with just a few months this  might be the best time for a test run especially since we have a decent amount of curriculum material already...

 

I started out homeschooling for what I thought was only a three month period (in preparation for a semester abroad).

The thought that this is just a test and that I could always send my children back to school in case it did not work out helped me tremendously to make the first leap.

[jrstarfleetacademy]

I LOVE this thread!!! Thank you all for sharing!

[mamajudy]

I was a little nervous about homeschooling before we started, mainly because I was afraid we would be harassed by the school district. But after talking to a mom who had been doing it for a couple of years, I felt that it wouldn't be a problem. We researched curricula, and my DH even called Cathy Duffy ( author of the Christian Home Educators' Curriculum Manual) and spoke to her about what we were considering (Abeka or Bob Jones). She advised against it and recommended Ann Ward's Learning at Home Preschool and Kindergarten. It was wonderful advice, the curriculum was great, and after a couple of months, DD was reading Green Eggs and Ham. At that point, I knew we could do it.

 

Each child presented different challenges, but we managed to find solutions to each one. Our motto was, as Gene Kranz  said during the Apollo 13 crisis, "Failure is not an option." All 5 of my kids were accepted to multiple colleges with merit scholarships. DD1 went to college at 16 and became a doctor at the age of 24. DS1 is an electrical engineer. DD2 graduates from college in May and will be going to graduate school. DS2 is currently attending the U.S. Naval Academy. My youngest graduates from our home school this year and will be off to college in the fall. 

 

You can do it!  :001_smile:

[Sunshine State Sue]

We have always homeschooled.  Ds will be graduating May 10th with 60+ CC credits.  See my signature for college information.

 

I got my confidence with 20/20 hindsight each year.  At the end of each year, I could see how much we accomplished.  I could see how happy and confident ds was (LOL pre-puberty though he's still confident).  I tend towards over responsibility, so I wasn't afraid I would be a slacker.  OTOH, ds does not have that same trait.   :svengo:   I had plenty of doubts choosing curriculum, negotiating male energy, balancing (part-time) work, not to mention the the never-ending quest for playmates when he was young

 

HTH!

 

The first homeschooling book I ever read was A sense of self : listening to homeschooled adolescent girls by Susannah Sheffer. It was written in response to the book Reviving Ophelia which showed that girls' sense of self esteem decreased during the adolescent years. Sheffer interviewed homeschooled adolescent girls and showed just the opposite. It made a huge impression on me because I didn't learn to stand up for myself until I was in my 30's. I read this book before ds was school age. I don't have any dds. But, I hoped that the same would happen for hs'ed boys.

[Sunshine State Sue]

oops

[SkateLeft]

.

[Lori D.]

I got my confidence with 20/20 hindsight each year.  At the end of each year, I could see how much we accomplished.  I could see how happy and confident ds was...

 

Okay, I have to say this cracks me up -- this, from the lady who had this emoticon:  :willy_nilly: as part of her signature ALL 4 years of homeschooling high school specifically representing her fears about homeschooling high school... ;)

 

LOL! So glad to see you now with the relaxed vacation mode  with your signature emoticon, Sue! :) Hugs, Lori

[creekland]

Oh, nothing mythical or special power here.

I am an accidental homeschooler. Homeschooling was never on my radar, but I pulled DD out of 6th grade because the academic level of her school was too low and she was not challenged. After a few months of homeschooling, it was crystal clear to us parents that we could do a far better job than the local schools. At no point was I worried about her not being at grade level.

 

...

 

ETA: Now of course, the REAL sigh of relief came with the first college acceptance. Not only did we manage to educate DD, but we also managed to jump through all the right testing and transcript and application hoops, which was a far bigger worry than the education. They all said that homeschoolers get into college, but it was sure nice to see it first hand.

 

This is similar to me.  I went to a VERY GOOD public high school and expected the same for all of mine.  Then, when hubby started his own business and we needed extra income, I started subbing grades 7 - 12 in our local public school and saw that not all schools are equal.  Some aren't even on the same scale...  It worried me, but we continued with ps until oldest was ready to start 9th grade, then we just couldn't do it anymore.  I knew what my kids were capable of and saw just how much they were underchallenged.  I saw what kids at school would have been capable of, but how little they got to challenge them.

 

We took the plunge and pulled all three out when they started 9th, 7th, and 5th grades.  In hindsight, for "my" best capabilities, I'd have started all of them at home at 7th grade.  My then 7th grader did the best academically (though my 9th grader also "beat" his peers).  I expected too much of my then 5th grader and turned him off from homeschooling - and got him depressed, etc, so he has ended up back in ps for high school - something I truly wish hadn't happened, but needed to based on all that was going on. 

 

All three are in or going to college - that first acceptance IS a great relief, but my homeschooled through high school two definitely are better prepared academically and did better with the process.

 

And my mistake with youngest?  It's just that... my mistake.  My nature is geared toward teaching 9 - 12 or older... that comes 100% naturally to me.  I'd have done a bit better if I had read more about the development of the mind for those younger (hint, hint). ;)

 

FWIW, in the years that youngest homeschooled (5 - 8) we were able to catch him up 2 YEARS in math and keep a love of learning that many ps kids lose.  When he started high school, my guy was instantly labeled a genius and he still is loved by his teachers in high school due to his love of learning vs just getting a task done as quickly as possible.  He's been a regular tutor for other kids all four years that he's been there.  Unfortunately, that lack of foundation is still there... and that's what could hurt him as he heads off to college this fall.  Homeschooling him was worth it - I just wish I had done MY homework first back in the day.

[Sunshine State Sue]

Okay, I have to say this cracks me up -- this, from the lady who had this emoticon:  :willy_nilly: as part of her signature all 4 years of homeschooling high school specifically representing her fears about homeschooling high school... ;)

 

LOL! So glad to see you now with the relaxed vacation mode  with your signature emoticon, Sue! :) Hugs, Lori

 

Yes, grin.  Although I felt confident about the past, I was always freaking out about the present and future.  Now that we are almost finished, I don't have anything to freak out about, which is  a relief.

[Gwen in VA]

 

I got my confidence from this board.

 

It is full of amazing women.

 

and

 

 

Although I felt confident about the past, I was always freaking out about the present and future.  Now that we are almost finished, I don't have anything to freak out about, which is  a relief.

 

 

Confidence? What's that?

 

I'm the person who has cried for relief at each child's first collegeacceptance letter. Each time the idea that I managed to somehow by the grace of God provide my kids with an education that some college thought "acceptable" fills me with an overwhelming sense of relief.

 

Mty husband thought that after the first kid got the first acceptance letter I would feel affirmed in our educational choices, but each kid has been so different and had such a different educational journey that I never felt that past successes could predict future events. I have continued to cry at each first acceptance letter. When it happened for kid #4, my kids and husband just laughed at me and my insecurity!

[mamajudy]

I think we all have those "what if...?" moments, seekinghim45. Sometimes we just have to trust God to take over. 

[Kareni]

We began homeschooling our daughter in 7th grade due to (of all things) transportation issues.  Our daughter attended a charter school in 6th grade that necessitated a two-bus commute that added two hours to each school day.  She asked to be homeschooled the following year.  Given that I'm a micromanaging type, I had a schedule that first year with everything scheduled out in 15 minute increments.  I relaxed a bit as the years went by!  Also, we left the choice of homeschooling to my daughter.  Each year we presented options to her (i.e., informing her when a new arts focused high school opened in our area or the choice to take classes at the local high school) and each year she elected to continue homeschooling.

 

Like Sue, a lot of my confidence came with hindsight.  It also came when my daughter became invested in her own education and showed her proficiency in different areas.  Outside validation from classes outside the home (both high school and college level) and test scores also showed me that she was eminently capable and was learning in ways that others could see.  I have to admit that the first college acceptance was met with great joy as were subsequent acceptances.  She went on to prosper in college and now into the world.

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

 

[Jane in NC]

Confidence is not something I lack but I will admit that homeschooling high school gave me a number of restless nights.  The alternatives though were the local mediocre at best public school and a better but very pricey private school that would have required an hour commute each way and would have depleted the college fund. Ugh...

 

By homeschooling, we were able to avail my son to such an interesting world of opportunities. This included travel, backpacking, participating in things like Envirothon without going nuts because of scheduling, and, the icing on the cake, some archaeological digs.  The latter would not have happened had he been in a brick and mortar.  And perhaps it would not have mattered in the big picture but the experiences and recommendations from the archaeological community launched him. 

 

TWTM gave me confidence.  By following the reading lists of Great Books, I knew that my son was on a path that has served many well historically.  This community held my hand in the process.

 

I have no regrets--and continue to marvel that my Well Trained homeschooler graduates from college in May!

[Elisabet1]

I spent time at public school and realized what a waste it can be for so many kids. After I logically broke down what they would miss by not being there, and what they would miss by being there (home schooling has a lot to offer) then I went the direction I saw fit for my children.

 

For you..I would ask...how is your daughter's childhood going to have to spend so much of her day AT public school, then come home and do that home work, and then start in on doing yet another school day with you at home? And how long do you think you can keep this up? And how long will she be willing to keep this up?

[Wildcat]

My confidence grew as time passed by; it did not arrive in one big heap. Once my dd graduates next year, I will feel completely confident. LOL.

 

OP, think of it as 'baby steps'. Don't worry about how you will handle high school until you are starting middle school. Don't worry about how you will handle middle school until you are secure with homeschooling. You just start 'in the here and now' and worry about the future a little down the road.

 

This forum is incredible. I'm not sure I could have 'done it' without having this place to come for help, and to just hang out (it is my "Teacher's Lounge"!).

 

Our first day of homeschooling, dc were grades 4 and 6. They came downstairs in their uniforms (PJs), sat at the kitchen table, opened their notebooks, and we all just stared at each other and burst into giggles. I had no idea what the heck I was doing, or why I thought I could homeschool. Fast forward eight years, and ds is in his first year of university and doing *fabulous*, and dd is a high school junior here at home, and is also doing *fabulous*. We didn't get here by leaping.... it was baby steps the whole way.

 

Oh, I felt at peace with the decision to homeschool when I saw how relaxed and happy the kids were after only a few weeks. I knew it was the right decision when an explorer we talked about in History appeared later that week in Science (Astronomy---- he used constellations to navigate). At that time, both kids did much of the same level work (I just bumped dd up and gave hear easier assignments and tests where needed), and they both made the connection between the "History" and the "Science"--- that is a connection that may never have come up in regular school. I literally saw the light bulbs go on over their heads, and it was at that very moment I vowed to give hsing my very, very best. The rewards have been too many to count.

 

And let me just say, I was one to those moms who never thought I had the patience or know-how to homeschool (intelligence, yes, 'know-how', no). My only, ONLY regret was that we didn't start sooner. All these years later, and my kids still talk about things that scarred them in those few years of elementary school.

[Teachin'Mine]

Confidence could be equated with a roller coaster ride here.  Looking back, I think that some of the times I was most confident were the times I was likely furthest from the best path.  Maybe ignorance was bliss.  I don't think confidence is necessary to home school well.  I think that being able to evaluate and be open to new directions as the need or opportunities arise is most beneficial.  If you are concerned with giving your student the best education you can, and you're willing to put in the time and effort, then you've probably got what you need to get started.  The info here is incredible and lots of people will share what's working, or not working, for them and their student.   Sometimes we can learn from others without having to make all the mistakes ourselves.  Sometimes.  But when all is said and done, homeschooling was definitely right for our family.  I remember talking with teachers and administrators and the one or two who seemed to know it all were simply close-minded and clueless, while the best ones were willing to listen and discuss.  With homeschooling, the teacher isn't limited by whims of administration.  The only way you really know if something works or not is to try it.  I am confident that next year I'll be a much more confident, looking-back-in-hindsight, retired homeschooler.  In the meantime, hopefully I haven't messed up too badly.  :tongue_smilie:

[-M-]

MMV,  you can't imagine how much I love reading about your children. It made me smile to open this thread and see your name.

 

 

Thank you, Dot.

 

[TranquilMind]

I've always homeschooled. In preschool, my oldest daughter was one of those bright kids that could read well, but she couldn't sit still EVER. During circle time, the other kids would sit nicely, while my kid was running around the back of the room like a crazy girl. I had a teacher tell me, "She must watch a lot of TV, because she needs constant stimulation." We didn't even own a TV! I knew my daughter would be labeled as a behavior problem if she went into a regular school setting. I already had friends who were homeschooling high school kids, and I really liked their kids. Knowing some really cool older homeschooled kids made the decision much easier.

 

My kids have thrived at home. As they've grown, I've really loved seeing who they were becoming, which has made it easy to know we've made the right choice. I've never considered sending them back to school.

 

There have been lots of little confidence boosts along the way, but I think my most profound moment of confidence came when we dropped my daughter off at college and went to say our goodbyes. I had all this wise (in my own mind) advice ready to offer, but then she said, "I'm only here because of you. Thank you," and I completely lost all my words.

 

I bawled my eyes out the whole drive home, but I knew then that homeschooling was absolutely, totally and in every way the best thing for us.

I got tears in my eyes when I read that. (the bolded)  :)

 

I'm so glad you got that.

 

I've heard a couple of nice, "Thanks for all you do for us, Mom" comments and it makes the hard times worth it. 

 

My oldest, who was a difficult young teen, now says she will have a bunch of kids and home school them all.  ;)