summerreading Posted April 20, 2015 Share Posted April 20, 2015 I'm having a lot of doubt about continuing homeschooling my oldest. I feel like he needs to be challenged in some things and more basics practice in others. Would it be better to just wait until high school to decide? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingersmom Posted April 20, 2015 Share Posted April 20, 2015 My daughter switched schools in 7th grade and it went really badly. Socially it was a disaster (which was surprising because she is outgoing and gets along with everyone). My son returned to school for 9th grade and it went as smoothly as can be. I think it went so well because everyone in the grade is new to the school. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyStoner Posted April 20, 2015 Share Posted April 20, 2015 7th grade is just a bad year to be alive. School, home, wherever. It's just a rough year for a lot of kids. I think it is easier to start high school than junior high. Puberty is just a morass of funk in more ways than one. 31 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crimsontide Posted April 20, 2015 Share Posted April 20, 2015 I had to transfer schools in the 7th grade... I wish I didn't have to change schools so late. It wasn't the worst experience, but most kids already had long time friends that they'd known since 1st grade. It can be rough... Is there a way that you can get the supplementation needed without starting in the 7th grade? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted April 20, 2015 Share Posted April 20, 2015 Agree with the above. 7th grade would not be my first choice for entering into a brick and mortar setting. 9th grade might be a much better option. In the meantime, are there any ways you could change things up a bit for this next year? Outsource some things? Start a club to include other homeschoolers with a similar interest? 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peaceful Isle Posted April 20, 2015 Share Posted April 20, 2015 Yes, it is rough, IMO 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted April 20, 2015 Share Posted April 20, 2015 7th grade was probably my least favorite grade of all time so I'm thinking it might be a rough time to go to school for the first time 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
summerreading Posted April 20, 2015 Author Share Posted April 20, 2015 7th grade is just a bad year to be alive. School, home, wherever. It's just a rough year for a lot of kids. I think it is easier to start high school than junior high. Puberty is just a morass of funk in more ways than one. I had to look up morass. Thank you, what a cool new word! :) My daughter switched schools in 7th grade and it went really badly. Socially it was a disaster (which was surprising because she is outgoing and gets along with everyone). My son returned to school for 9th grade and it went as smoothly as can be. I think it went so well because everyone in the grade is new to the school. That makes a lot of sense. . It wasn't a great year, in retrospect, for my dd to go to school for the first time. If I could have a do-over, I would have sent her in 6th grade, or waited till 10th grade. I know a lot of 'entering in 10th grade' success stories. However, I'm sure there are people out there with positive stories about starting in 7th grade. Really, it's hard to know how it will go without trying it. I'm not sure if in the US we can start at 10th without having to go back to 9th. You are in Australia is that right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 20, 2015 Share Posted April 20, 2015 I've heard from others that eighth grade is a great switch, but not seventh :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiana Posted April 20, 2015 Share Posted April 20, 2015 Honestly I think it's about the worst. 7th graders are not really human that year. 8th may work and 9th is a common choice because of all the students starting new schools -- he will be in the same boat with everyone else. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyStoner Posted April 20, 2015 Share Posted April 20, 2015 I had to look up morass. Thank you, what a cool new word! :) That makes a lot of sense. . I'm not sure if in the US we can start at 10th without having to go back to 9th. You are in Australia is that right? In the US some places have junior high grades 7-9 with high school 10-12. Some other places have middle schools with 6-8 grades and high school is then 9-12th. Where someone starts when they transfer in depends on what their school does for transfer credit and if they accept homeschool credits or not. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peaceful Isle Posted April 20, 2015 Share Posted April 20, 2015 My dd wouldn't have done well this year. She is kinda in that awkward stage in life...still a little kid, yet trying to be a teen. Her frontal lobe is totally not developed,lol, and her emotions are all over the place. ;) That being said, she is an awesome girl! I just know how Jr high can be, and she would have changed from a very confident girl, to one who would start to self doubt and feel not good enough. I know. I used to be her. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bettyandbob Posted April 20, 2015 Share Posted April 20, 2015 7 th grade is probably the worst grade for anything. What's your dc like? Flexible, good student. Then maybe ok. Immature, a little socially inept--then no. Is it a school that starts with 7th grade? Then maybe there will be kids coming from different schools establishing new relationships. Does the school start with 6th? Then kids might already be in socially groupings that make it harder to break in. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
summerreading Posted April 20, 2015 Author Share Posted April 20, 2015 Agree with the above. 7th grade would not be my first choice for entering into a brick and mortar setting. 9th grade might be a much better option. In the meantime, are there any ways you could change things up a bit for this next year? Outsource some things? Start a club to include other homeschoolers with a similar interest? We just signed up with a social co-op and there were issues right away. It was a bit discouraging. But he is starting fencing this week and I just found out my friends daughter is studying to a be math teacher, so he just got a tutor too :) Yes, I could keep trying to tweak things. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
summerreading Posted April 20, 2015 Author Share Posted April 20, 2015 What's your dc like? Flexible, good student. Then maybe ok. Immature, a little socially inept--then no. He is a sweet kid and very friendly, but a little shy and thinks the goofier he acts, the better. Ok I think I'm over this idea :D 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted April 20, 2015 Share Posted April 20, 2015 We just signed up with a social co-op and there were issues right away. It was a bit discouraging. But he is starting fencing this week and I just found out my friends daughter is studying to a be math teacher, so he just got a tutor too :) Yes, I could keep trying to tweak things. :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: Good luck with finding a productive and positive path. I know that can be incredibly hard. I honestly would not put a 7th grader into brick and mortar, though, without some pretty strong extenuating circumstances. Best wishes.... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy22alyns Posted April 20, 2015 Share Posted April 20, 2015 JMO, I would not, in a million years, put either girl in public middle school. ODD will be 7th next year and she would get eaten alive. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted April 20, 2015 Share Posted April 20, 2015 Nope. 7th was dreadful for me. My dd is in the 7th this year and it would've been a nightmare! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G5052 Posted April 20, 2015 Share Posted April 20, 2015 Nope. I wouldn't do it for 7th. Locally middle school is 6th-8th. I'm in the end game of high school now at home, but everybody I know said to do it either at 6th or 9th so that you're coming into a new school at the same time that the others are coming into a new school. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted April 20, 2015 Share Posted April 20, 2015 OP, I hope you don't mind but this thread is making me laugh. 7th grade seems like a real winner for a lot of us! :lol: :lol: :lol: 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted April 20, 2015 Share Posted April 20, 2015 I pulled mine out of 6th grade and started homeschooling because middle school was so horrible. I don't think 7th would have been any better. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinder Posted April 20, 2015 Share Posted April 20, 2015 Ds2 started at a private school part-time in 7th. In that school jr high is 7-8 so while most of the kids already knew each other it was fairly easy for him to adjust as there were a bunch of other new kids as well. This ds is more socially outgoing than my other dc. Ds1 started in 9th full-time. He's quite introverted so it took him a loooong time to find his place. Fortunately the other kids were very easygoing and friendly and they all got along pretty well. I've known people here in GA whose dc entered public school in 10th and even 11th with success. You need to check your state regs; every state is different. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted April 20, 2015 Share Posted April 20, 2015 A lot of homeschoolers hit middle school and feel overwhelmed by the kid growing up and the subjects getting more complex and off to school they go. My own kids aren't quite there yet (fifth grade this year!) but having taught middle school for a long time, I feel like that's a mistake. If you can stick it out and make it work, I think you're better off sending a child in 9th grade. Or, if sooner is needed, in 8th so that the kid can be the oldest (assuming it's a 6-8th school, which is pretty common). Of course, sometimes home isn't working to such an extent that it's better to send a child to school. And no guilt. I really just mean if you can choose your year, middle school probably shouldn't be it. 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magic Posted April 20, 2015 Share Posted April 20, 2015 My son went back to public school the start of seventh grade and it was great for him. I think it really depends on the child and the school. My second son tried to go back at the same time and was entering sixth grade. He hated it and came home after 8 weeks. He has been home schooled ever since. My son who returned to public school is graduating with honors next month and my second son is wrapping up his junior year at home but enjoying competing on the public school sports teams. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cafdog Posted April 20, 2015 Share Posted April 20, 2015 DD went back to PS this year for 8th grade, and we moved to a new town and district. I'm very glad she's got at least one year in before high school. Shifting from homeschooling to a 7-period day and making all new friends was overwhelming, but overall a positive experience. She is very thankful to have this year to adjust before high school, though. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSmomof2 Posted April 20, 2015 Share Posted April 20, 2015 Starting middle school in 6th hasn't gone well for Ds. I wish we hadn't put him in this year. He's coming home next year, we're doing a co-op to help fill in some social/elective classes. However, I know people who have had a positive experience. It's really going to depend on the child and the school--they're all different. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynn Posted April 20, 2015 Share Posted April 20, 2015 I agree with others 7th grade is a difficult year. I home schooled oldest through 7th grade things just did not go well for him. 8th was not bad. We home schooled youngest 7-8th. 9th has gone great for him. He adjusted very well and likes his pre-ap classes. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimberly in IN Posted April 20, 2015 Share Posted April 20, 2015 It is a good thing I did not ask the hive before I put my oldest dc in brick & mortar schools ... lol. My oldest entered brick & mortar public middle school in 7th grade and he did well. He also thinks he did fine. We both found that b&m school was easier in terms of academic than homeschool. He made friends, joined the tennis team & was elected to student council all in the first month. (we did move to a different state in April of that year & finished the school yr via homeschool again, until the start of 8th grade.) My youngest ds entered a small, private classical academy in 7th grade. He did well also. He found the school to be more challenging academically than homeschool, but did fine. He continued playing hockey and also joined the school's rowing team, participated in math team & middle school musical. He made some very good friends and has continued some of the friendships even though we have relocated once again. For my oldest ds, entering 8th grade in a new state/city was more difficult. The public middle school (same size as previous one) was more cliquish, including teachers, counselors, adm, ... After 1 week we switched him to the Catholic school & he had no problems. (just mentioning that we switched schools ... don't think the fact that it was a Catholic school in particular had anything to do with it) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kareng Posted April 20, 2015 Share Posted April 20, 2015 I also taught in middle school, 7th grade Math to be exact. I loved the kids because they were such fun but I saw so many struggle, emotionally and socially. And even though they were all coming from lots of elementary schools, it was hard to find one's place. And, I remember my 7th grade very vividly. The year my world fell apart, socially and emotionally. It was so hard. I would echo what so many have said before, that unless you have to put your child in seventh grade, avoid it like the plague. I also agree with Farrar, that people feel very overwhelmed when they hit high school - especially this part, " A lot of homeschoolers hit middle school and feel overwhelmed by the kid growing up and the subjects getting more complex and off to school they go. My own kids aren't quite there yet (fifth grade this year!) but having taught middle school for a long time, I feel like that's a mistake. If you can stick it out and make it work... " 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
school17777 Posted April 20, 2015 Share Posted April 20, 2015 For my daughter, it worked out very well. In our school district, middle school begins at 7th grade, so no one realized that she was homeschooled previously because all the kids in the schools came from different elementary schools. My twins went in at 8th grade. They were viewed as a new students since they weren't there for 7th grade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joules Posted April 21, 2015 Share Posted April 21, 2015 Sounds like you are rethinking, but that is definitely the age when most people are pulling kids out not putting them in. It is rough...and not just for the kids. After I got my master's I went into a post-bac program to become a certified high school teacher. At least a third of the students in my program were middle school teachers getting certified to switch to high school. They stories they told were just awful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trish Posted April 21, 2015 Share Posted April 21, 2015 7th grade is Middle School Madness. It is the year I would most try to avoid compared to any other year. But, you may luck into a good situation, you never know! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LLMom Posted April 21, 2015 Share Posted April 21, 2015 As with most things, it depends on the kid and the situation. My dd started in a small, private school in 7th grade. She had a bit of a hard time making friends at first (she is quite shy), but now she loves it. (she is in 8th now) How big of a school? Does your dc want to go? Does he know anyone who goes there? 7th grade is a hard year, like others have said, but I wouldn't sacrifice the relationship because it may be a struggle at school. It may be a good wake up call for a kid like you are describing. It really kicked my dd butt in gear to start putting forth effort. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alice Posted April 21, 2015 Share Posted April 21, 2015 OP, I hope you don't mind but this thread is making me laugh. 7th grade seems like a real winner for a lot of us! :lol: :lol: :lol: I know! I will have a 7th grader next year and this thread is making me think maybe I should just pack him up and send him away for the year. :) I do know that several of his closest friends are starting in private schools next year. It does seem to be the age where parents start to worry more that homeschooling isn't enough. I've had those worries myself but he adamantly wants to homeschool through high school so I'm going along for the ride. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
summerreading Posted April 22, 2015 Author Share Posted April 22, 2015 A lot of homeschoolers hit middle school and feel overwhelmed by the kid growing up and the subjects getting more complex and off to school they go. My own kids aren't quite there yet (fifth grade this year!) but having taught middle school for a long time, I feel like that's a mistake. If you can stick it out and make it work, I think you're better off sending a child in 9th grade. Or, if sooner is needed, in 8th so that the kid can be the oldest (assuming it's a 6-8th school, which is pretty common). Of course, sometimes home isn't working to such an extent that it's better to send a child to school. And no guilt. I really just mean if you can choose your year, middle school probably shouldn't be it. I think this is it. I'm just getting nervous and feel like how am I going to do all this and wouldn't someone other than mom be better. I've posted about anxiety before. It's an issue with me I'm trying to work on. But lately I've been waking up early thinking, thinking. I have a hard time turning my brain off, especially about homeschooling. At least this thread lets me know I can wait a few years to figure out out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1GirlTwinBoys Posted April 22, 2015 Share Posted April 22, 2015 My boys will be starting 6th grade PS this year and my DD starting 7th. We live in a top state school district though and I've heard many good things. My kids are social and have attended many homeschool classes so I really think they will be fine. They're also used to changing classes throughout the day. I wouldn't want to start them after PS has already started though because the kids have already made their friendships etc... They will be starting at the beginning of the year. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.