Jump to content

Menu

How long did it take you to find TWTM forums?


Recommended Posts

Just out of curiosity, how far into your homeschooling journey were you before discovering these boards? I started seriously researching homeschooling when my oldest was three years old, around 2006. I vaguely recall coming across the WTM forums while researching curricula and methods, but I didn't linger. I joined a few Yahoo groups instead. I read TWTM book at some point in those early years.

 

I rediscovered the forums here in 2011, but for awhile I just read without posting. This is the only online discussion board I have joined and become a regular participant in.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I found it shortly after I started homeschooling, 5 years ago? but my first peek scared me off for at least a year. I was overwhelmed by all the curriculum listed in people's signature files, hahaha.

 

I wish I had found it and started lurking as soon as I began considering it, would have saved me (and my dc) a few mistakes.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am not a home schooler. I was feeling like the public school education my child was getting was deficient but did not know what to do about. I started lurking on CC and found me way over here. This is where I was meant to be. I would have never even heard about the different Algebra programs. I learned of Foerester on this sight and what an incredible fit for my D12 it has been. She is going to try the WWS I that I also learned from this site. This site is a wealth of information. I very so lucky to have stumbled on it.

 

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Pretty early, fortunately. We decided to homeschool when DD was only 1-2 years old, and I started researching. TWTM was the first book that felt akin to what I envisioned for homeschooling, and I found the boards shortly afterwards. This wasn't the first homeschooling board I found, but it was the first one where an academically-focused secular homeschooler might really fit.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

We started homeschooling in 1999 and that year I read the first edition of TWTM.  I think I found the forums pretty shortly thereafter . . . maybe fall 2000? I had an excellent local support group and many in my community were already beginning to classically home educate and start a classical school so I also had a solid IRL group to share resources, books, classes and ideas with. But a few years in, I realized this board gave so much more breadth and depth to all things homeschool. 

 

Well, all things life. I found favorite recipes, learned about making yogurt in my crock pot and all kinds of life hacks while forming some relationships. It's been a great forum! 

 

 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I read TWTM in early 2003, found the boards in August of 2003, and we officially started homeschooling in the fall of 2004 when oldest ds was 5.  It was nice to be here before we were really homeschooling even though the boards were rather different then.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Someone mentioned this board to be before I officially decided to homeschool, but I took one look and was overwhelmed.  I kept hearing TWTM mentioned, though, so I read the book...still didn't visit the forum.  Then I noticed a trend: every homeschool-related topic I Googled (particularly about curriculum) kept leading me to loads of helpful threads here.  I lurked for a long time before finally giving in and joining earlier this year.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I always knew we'd homeschool so somehow I stumbled on it while searching for something. Around 2003. I really don't remember NOT knowing about it. It's like I had a brain freeze from my time at the cookinglight.com forums and joining here.

Oh wait. The missing period are the years we were adopting the girls! Ha! Mommy-brain!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Then I noticed a trend: every homeschool-related topic I Googled (particularly about curriculum) kept leading me to loads of helpful threads here. I lurked for a long time before finally giving in and joining earlier this year.

This. I lurked for a good many years before becoming an active participant

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Read the 1999 original WTM book in the summer of 2000 on the recommendation of a real-life homeschooling friend, just before starting our homeschooling journey with our then 1st and 2nd grade DSs. Found the original WTM boards 2 years later, on the suggestion of an online homeschooling friend from another homeschool website. Graduated DSs from homeschool high school 3 years and 4 years ago, and you're all still stuck with me. ;)

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Maybe a few months after we started (kids were going into 6th and 3rd when we officially started) but just because it popped up during a search for info. I got my info and left. I did not realize how much info was actually here or that it was a community or that the community is made up of many people from all over the world or that it is a huge supportive resource for homeschoolers, not just educators in general.

 

My mom read WTM but she never found this site. We didn't connect her book with this site until I finally started hanging out on the LC board fairly often and realized what an amazing resource and community this really is. I had already been homeschooling maybe a year before that happened.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We were forced to homeschool because my husband travels for work, and we go with him. It's a ton of fun.

 

To answer your question about a year after I started researching. A friend of mine told me about it. And this forum has helped me tremendously in my research.

 

It's the only one I post regularly to too. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My oldest was in preschool, it was about 4 1/2 years ago. I think I might have heard about this forum via another forum. I'm not sure exactly how I got here; I was in hyper-research mode, as the decision to homeschool was sudden.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I read WTM in 2010, when my oldest was two, but I don't think Google helped me stumble upon the forums until 2012. At that time, I was doing intentional but very relaxed preschool at home with DS1. I lurked heavily for about 2 years before joining (I'm very shy online). I am grateful to WTM and the forums for helping me discover the world outside of the Abeka and Saxon with which I was homeschooled.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I joined in April '03, which was my final semester of college. I was tutoring two homeschooled girls and searching for more resources; Google kept sending me here. I had been hired to start teaching in a classical school that fall, so I decided to stick around.

 

I had already read TWTM and was planning homeschooling eventually. My oldest is two, so I'll officially be homeschooling in another three years or so - approx 15 years after I joined this forum. That might be some kind of record!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sometime in 2012 when my 5th child was an infant and I was fed up with the school schedule hamster wheel we were on and was maniacally researching homeschooling with every spare minute. Google kept coming up with good threads, so I decided to read the book. I mostly lurked and only posted sporadically. I still don't post a lot, but am getting more and more comfortable with that.

 

At first it didn't seem like classical education was my style ... but every time I've been stuck over the last 2 years because something wasn't working, SWB and you guys have been the ones who have given me a solution that works for us, so I guess we are more classical than I thought! :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I read the book in 2000, 10 years before we began homeschooling. Found the website in 2009 when I was researching math curricula for Dd who was a K'er in 2010. The boards were very overwhelming, but as I lurked more, I learned so much and settled in.

 

I cannot imagine our homeschooling journey without the Hive! So much knowledge, experience, perspective and humor here!

Thanks again, SWB!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...