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[Love]

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[FriedClams]

I have not, but I wanted to encourage you. Every time we get back into the routine it takes a week or two to get rolling. I mentally prepare myself that Day 1 is Ok but in super slow mo... Day 2, weak, frustrating, I'm tired.... Day 3... what in the world was I thinking homeschooling? Then, by Day 6 or 7, things are much better. We're all rolling. As the kids get older the routine gets smoother faster.

That's not to say that a good, small, trustworthy school wouldn't be a good option. We don't have that option here. But don't make a rash decision based on a couple of days back in the saddle.
 

And, my last point, not homeschooling isn't quitting or failing. It's just a decision by parents to school differnetly. And it never has to be permanent. Don't beat yourself up.

[Chris in VA]

I put my dd in ps for 3rd grade. She had gone to 2 day a week preschool, but not K, 1 or 2.

I regretted it, pulled her for 4th, and then let her go for good in 5th.

 

Yes sometimes I regret it. I also know that I did the best I could at the time.

 

It is much harder, IMO, to let a child go to school and then pull them back out after they reach a certain age. In our case, it was harder because she had a lot of acquaintances at school (I won't call them friends, but social people), and no one else at home, and no neighborhood. Her only social outlet was really church. So it was difficult, in our case, because she truly liked school and did really well academically.

 

I'll just say your line about
"so we could start having wonderful, relaxing evenings"

made me laugh derisively.

 

Dd is in high school--and she has 2-3 hours of homework a night, projects over weekends, even summer assignments. She doesn't even do sports or clubs--so the relaxing evenings are not really that realistic. She comes home around 2:45 on school days (and it will be later this coming fall, because they are changing start times and so she'll get home an hour later), relaxes for a bit, does homework, eats dinner, does more homework, takes a shower, packs a lunch, maybe reads or watches a bit of TV--in bed by 9:15 or so, because she's up at 6.

 

Beware of grass is greener.

[KathyBC]

Based on our experience this year, I think you would have more time for your littles and errands during the day. But relaxed evenings might not happen, depending on homework and any extracurricular activities.

[Joanne]

Yes. I homeschooled mine from my oldest's K year through his 9th. He then went to public school, my middle child went to a small private school (that was then populated by mostly former homeschoolers) and my youngest had a year of part homeschool, part outside classes at the cozy school where his sister went.

 

I was a teacher at that school, so they weren't far educationally. ;)

 

I actually wish my oldest had none forayed into public high school, but he ended up graduating at the same school his siblings attended.

 

If I had not been a part of their ongoing education, I might have felt differently. But for us, it was a good transition and good landing place.

 

I loved and missed homeschooling. Still do miss it.

[Ali in OR]

We plan for our kids to transition to public high school and our older dd hit that point last year. She made the transition beautifully. There are things to miss about home schooling (read-alouds on the sofa, choosing curriculum), but dd is growing in ways she couldn't at home. I tutor at the school at really like the principal and how things are done. It's been a good thing here.

[Starr]

I don't know anyone who finds mornings or evenings relaxing who has  children in school. There is homework, projects, group projects, organizing,  school activities, fund raising, sports or clubs, ... When dd was in first grade we played for an hour or so at the playground after school, home to homework, a little playing, dinner, bath, bed. I never saw her at her best.  If you keep them home I recommend a quiet time for everyone in the afternoon.  :grouphug:  :grouphug:

[KatieJ]

Both of my sons went to high school. One was in 9th and the older was a junior. They did very well. No regrets.

[HSmomof2]

Yes. Last year my ds(12) and dd(10) went to public school. Middle school was not a good experience for ds, but our schools here aren't great to begin with. Dd did fine in 4th grade, had a wonderful teacher, and overall ok experience. Both want to be homeschooled this year. If we had an affordable private school option, I would definitely consider it. It would actually be my preference over homeschool. But, we don't, so we're back to homeschooling.

[KrissiK]

We are going to this year. My oldest is going into 7th grade at a parochial school. He's had to take summer school this summer,and that's been a nice transition for him. He really seems to enjoy it, so I think it'll be a good thing.

 

Edited to Add: said child, who would sit for hours not doing school work, who would take the entire day to do what he could get done in the morning, asked me to get him up at 6:30am this morning so he could get his math homework done. His teacher called last night and said there were some things he needed to do and put him in a panic. There's some kids who work better for others and not so well for Mom!

[mamakelly]

I sent my oldest to high school. He was totally fine. No regrets here. 

[Laura Corin]

My younger son went to school at age 10. It went fine. Any initial bumps were smoothed out easily with the school.

[Suzanne in ABQ]

My oldest homeschooled through 8th grade, then went to a private high school while I continued to homeschool her brother and sister.  The transition was tough at first because she was used to taking her sweet time about everything.  Getting between classes fast enough, and getting her work done on time were her biggest challenges.  But, after a few months, she got the hang of it and did very well.  She is going to be a sophomore in college this fall.

 

My ds homeschooled through seventh grade, but I had a burn-out meltdown at the end of our worst ever homeschooling year, so he went to a small private Christian school for 8th grade.  He really wanted to go to school, and he did pretty well.  I helped out in his classroom a lot, especially with math.  It was a multi-grade classroom, so the teacher was happy to have all the help she could get.  He went on to go to a charter high school, and he's doing better every year.  The hardest thing for him was keeping up with his assignments, especially in his honors and AP classes.  He was a junior last year, and he finally was able to get his work done without me checking up on him all the time.  He has done much better in school than he would have at home.

 

My youngest, a dd, homeschooled for K (the same year I was having such a hard time with ds), then went to public school for first grade (the same year ds started 8th grade at school).  She did wonderfully, and met many friends.  It was very good for her.  But, by the end of the year, I realized I missed homeschooling.  For second and third grades, I homeschooled her half days.  She'd go to school in the morning for language arts and math, then come home in the afternoons for everything else.  This worked pretty well, except that 3 hours in the morning was never enough time to do all I needed to do.  I didn't like the teacher she had for 3rd grade.  When I found out that she'd have the same teacher for 4th grade, I decided to bring her back home full time.  She transitioned just fine to full homeschooling, and she still sees many of her friends at soccer, Awana, playdates, etc.  

 

We have always taken it year by year.  I decided early on that as long as I could do better than the schools, I would homeschool.  But, if at any time, it became apparent that the available schools could do better than me, I would put them in school.  We have homeschooled for 13 years, and have done every kind of school: full time homeschooling, part-time homeschooling with public school, full public school, private Christian school, and private independent school, and full time college.  We have always tried to do what was best for each of our children and for our family.  That changes from year to year.  

 

Don't feel like a failure just because you are doing the best thing for your children.  Oh, and it doesn't have to be all or nothing.  Think about what each of your child needs.  Keep some home and only send the ones who would benefit the most from school.

[Joyofsixreboot]

Last fall. A then 13 yo in 7th grade. It is a small rural school. He did very well socially and pretty well academically ( better than I expected really.) his only complaint is the kids who don't do their assignments. Welcome to the world, LOL. For him it has been aositive experience.

[Guest]

Both of my teens were hs exclusively up till 9th grade. They then went to private school. I have not regretted it. It was a giant relief. I originally expected to hs the whole way. DH wanted them to go to school for high school, to experience peers and being responsible to authorities before college. Initially, I disagreed, but one thing I could not disagree with was that the co-op we had long been a part of was not sufficiantly stable to give this for high school. Many kids leave co-op for high school and I correctly predicted that most of the kids who were my kids' friends in 8th grade would change their school situation in high school.

 

I am glad we did it this way.

[Chess Dad]

Both of my teens were hs exclusively up till 9th grade. They then went to private school. I have not regretted it. It was a giant relief. I originally expected to hs the whole way. DH wanted them to go to school for high school, to experience peers and being responsible to authorities before college. Initially, I disagreed, but one thing I could not disagree with was that the co-op we had long been a part of was not sufficiantly stable to give this for high school. Many kids leave co-op for high school and I correctly predicted that most of the kids who were my kids' friends in 8th grade would change their school situation in high school.

 

I am glad we did it this way.

 

Very similar situation with us.  Our ds was going into high school and the co-op was just not going to work any longer.  We put him in a private high school and he is thriving.  Ds has done one full year now, loves it.

 

The great thing about homeschooling is that it gives us (everyone that does it) options and the freedom to do what is best for our kids.  :patriot:

[DawnM]

My 10th grader is going to school this next year for the first time.  I am nervous for him, but I think he will do fine.  He is very excited about it.  It is a small charter school where he already knows a few people..

 

My rising 6th grader would be going too if they had room for him.  He will get priority the next year since his brother is in, so he WILL go for 7th, but we need to figure out what to do with him this next year in the mean time.

[linders]

Did this last year when the boys were 14 and 11, entering 8th and 6th grades. We enrolled both in a small episcopal school.

 

Overall an excellent experience. Both settled into the routine easily (after a few points taken for not putting their names on papers), made friends easily, and shone academically. Both found themselves exhausted at the end of school days, and evening homework was a drag, although they got better at time management as the year progressed. I sometimes grated when a teacher didn't approach a subject the way I would have, but diversifying their learning experience was one reason we sent them. I remembered why I hated group projects as they struggled with the "do I do the work for my teammate or just live with a lower grade," but that was a good life lesson. Peer pressure inspired DS14 to step up his game, and DS11 got to experience the joy of academic competitions. And I love the stories they bring home.

 

I regret it only in that we very much miss the flexibility to take family vacations at off-season times, and I just generally miss having them around, but it was the best thing for them.

[DawnM]

Did this last year when the boys were 14 and 11, entering 8th and 6th grades. We enrolled both in a small episcopal school.

 

Overall an excellent experience. Both settled into the routine easily (after a few points taken for not putting their names on papers), made friends easily, and shone academically. Both found themselves exhausted at the end of school days, and evening homework was a drag, although they got better at time management as the year progressed. I sometimes grated when a teacher didn't approach a subject the way I would have, but diversifying their learning experience was one reason we sent them. I remembered why I hated group projects as they struggled with the "do I do the work for my teammate or just live with a lower grade," but that was a good life lesson. Peer pressure inspired DS14 to step up his game, and DS11 got to experience the joy of academic competitions. And I love the stories they bring home.

 

I regret it only in that we very much miss the flexibility to take family vacations at off-season times, and I just generally miss having them around, but it was the best thing for them.

 

 

That is EXACTLY what I will miss!  

 

There IS a small charter down near us that is a year round schedule of sorts.  They get a week off in Oct and a week off in Feb.  They even organize discounted Disney trips in Feb for whoever wants to go.

 

I begged him to consider THAT school!  :laugh:

 

But the truth is, the school he is going to go to is a better fit for him overall......so I will adjust.

 

Dawn

[whitestavern]

I had no plans to homeschool high school so I put dd in for 8th to get her used to the "school" experience.  No regrets.  She absolutely loved it and did extremely well; made lots of friends.  I'll be doing the same with ds this fall.  I had thought about sending him at the same time (he would've been in 6th) and I do wish I had done that.  It was somewhat lonely for him. 

[PrincessMommy]

I had 3 of my 6 who were exclusively homeschooled and went to school.   I did not regret it and neither have they.  There were some educational choices we made along the way that I have regretted (such as which school I sent them to), but I never regretted the choice to stop homeschooling them.  It was time.

 

 

[Sarah CB]

All four of my always-homeschooled kids went to school.  Dd completed one semester of grade 11 and both semesters of grade 12 in school.  She was very grounded and school was a positive experience for her.  

 

This year, all three of my boys started school.  They were 14, 12, and 9 when they started.  I think the success or failure of school depends on a lot of factors - the most important of which is the child.  If I had tried to put my eldest boy in school when he was 9 we would have had a school failure.  But, at 14, he was ok.  My 9 year old is an extrovert and enjoys being around a lot of people.  We chose a small school with reasonable class sizes.  I love what the school is doing academically and I am excited about the challenge and opportunities available in grades 10 through 12.  I love that it's a K - 12 school and that it's faith based.  

 

I don't have any small kids at home, but I definitely have a ton of time for myself now.  I go to the gym.  I write.  I plan dinners and run errands.  I feel a lot more relaxed.  

 

The kids are all home for the summer now, and being the homeschooler at heart that I am I've got "summer school" going on now.  They're all doing math, writing, music theory, and French this summer.  I can't believe how fast the days go with just the little bit of school we're doing every day.  I have very little time for myself and I keep feeling like I'm always behind.  I do like having them home and I really missed working with them.  Homeschooling is one of my favourite parts of parenting and helping with homework definitely is not the same.  

 

I am a big believer in homeschooling, but I can also see that there are other great options for education.  If you have another great option available to you and you feel homeschooling might not be the best option this year then I don't think you need to feel bad for giving something else a try.  

[Lizzie in Ma]

No experience yet, but our youngest is heading to a local tech school this year.  It isn't known for it's academics per se but the do have honors, AP and dual credit so she will be prepared for college or career.  She is gifted, especially mathematically.  She has a 4 day orientation next week and I am praying it goes well and she gets excited about it.

It was her idea originally and due to circumstances, dh and I really thought it would be good for her to not be home with her chronically ill and often difficult to live with sibling all the time.  But she has moments of sheer panic about it on and off so I have no idea how it will go in the end.

This week she's been in occasional hysterics about the essay she is supposed to write that is 20% of her English grade for the year.  She writes really well and has had several years of an IEW course at an academic tutorial.  But she is a worrier.

 

[sassenach]

My oldest went into PS at 8th grade, and then into a small private high school. She just graduated and is heading to college. It was a mixed bag, but we have no regrets. We are planning on DS going into high school. I'm on the fence about 8th grade. He's in full day outside classes 2 days a week that have gotten him used to the structure and demands of a full school day. He might be able to swing going straight into high school.

[KungFuPanda]

My daughter homeschooled k-8 then went to high school. She loved it. The school was great for her. She was at that point where 'homeschooling' became driving to a lot of classes and the local high school was closer than any of them. We live in a good school district, so making the decision to do it was harder than the actual transition.

[SparklyUnicorn]

I would do it only if the child was on board (assuming it wasn't because I had absolutely no choice).

 

I have offered and am open to the idea, but my older kid is vehemently against it. 

 

No experience obviously!

 

 

[Lady Florida.]

Not full time, but my always homeschooled son tried taking 2 classes at the high school when he was in 9th grade. He lasted a month*. When I asked him if he didn't like it because it wasn't what he thought it would be he replied, "It was exactly what I thought it would be. I just thought I would like that, and I didn't."

 

*Some people think I should have made him stick it out, but when he went it was his decision. I told him he had to give it at least a month and that's what he did. I hid my feelings at first but I was thrilled when he decided to come back home full time, because those class times thoroughly messed up our day. 

[redsquirrel]

I did it last September. I put my then 14 year old into 9th grade at our local public high school. It was partly at his request and also I felt like it was a good idea for the both of us. The transition was fine, not a big deal. The biggest challenge was adjusting to the daily early morning waking up, getting the routine down etc, making lunches, etc. He was put into all honors courses and has met some very nice kids and is having a great experience. So far, no complaints.

[Tanaqui]

If they use the same curriculum, and there's only two teachers for the school, sounds like it won't be terribly different from what you're doing at home.

 

Right now, you need to focus on you. You can't be a good parent - much less a good teacher! - if you're stressed and sick and overworked. Even if it turns out that the school was a big mistake - and it sounds like you like the other students and the general environment, so it probably won't be - you can always revisit that choice later.

[TranquilMind]

What happened?  How old were they?  Did you ever regret it?  

 

This is the first year I have really considered it.  We have teens to toddlers, so we would be dealing with a lot of different grades.  

 

It would be one of two very small, rural, private schools, one of which I can see from my living room.  

They both use the same curriculum we use.  At the one by our house, our children know almost all of the children, and both of the teachers, already.  

So it sounds 'perfect' as far as it could go, except for the not homeschooling part.  

 

I guess it really might be a good option for us this year.  My concerns would be that I would get though this hard time we're having, and then regret giving up and not sticking it out... or that something bad would happen at school and it would be my fault... or that when homeschooling became a good option again, a few of my children would miss school.... and the house would just seem so empty.  

 

I kinda think if I have to get up early and get them all ready and possibly take them there anyway, I may as well stick out the homeschooling.  But I'm tired.  I had a life-or-death health crisis, and I just can't get our schedule back together the way I want it to go.  We did a trial run of homeschooling yesterday and it was a little rough.   I just wonder what it would be like to do it the other way for a change.  Would I just have tons of time for my little ones, time to get the housework done and run errands during the day, so we could start having wonderful, relaxing evenings?  The teachers could be the 'bad guy' sometimes instead of me?  

 

I wish I could do a trial run that the children wouldn't remember and then decide. :)  But that probably won't happen.  I have always been a homeschooler-for-life type person, but the little schools are just so good.  A few years ago I never would have believed I would seriously consider it, but here I am... asking.

 

Any advice?

Yes, early teens, yes, I regretted it.  

 

High school is not the place you remember today. 

[woolybear]

Ds was homeschooled until 7th grade. He then asked to go to school so we sent him. He really was mostly interested in the social aspect of school. He really liked it. We did not. He became much more unpleasant, impatient with his little brother, argumentative, angry with dh and myself, did very little homework. I was not informed about much of what went on there by teachers, till later. He would tell me he only had certain homework, when there would be more. He was not the worst behaved kid there, but by my standards not great. He did skip some classes, failed some, got some detentions. When he did actually put the effort in, he got As and Bs. So, long story short, we pulled him out. Intended to send him to a private school which did not work out. He is homeschooled now (and last year), but takes all his classes at a hs program. He is still angry and resentful for not being there. I think because he was older and it was his choice initially to go, it has made it harder. Do I regret it? Yes. But I guess if he hadn't gone, there would be a question lingering if it could've been a good thing. He still thinks it was FINE!!

[Cinder]

What happened?  How old were they?  Did you ever regret it? 

 

We did. Although we'd always said homeschooling was a year-by-year decision, I really thought we'd homeschool all the way through to graduation. My oldest was in 8th grade when we started realizing homeschooling might not be the best fit for him. It was hard--he'd always been homeschooled--but our relationship was becoming adversarial. At the time he saw everything as black/white and he was having trouble with my being parent *and* teacher. He needed to be able to separate the two roles and it wasn't working. We chose a small private school and he entered in 9th. Our relationship greatly improved once he could separate his school life from his home life. He didn't love it there but now--at 20yo--he's glad he went there.

 

One of the toughest parts for me was letting go of control of his education. I needed to be comfortable with their choices and trust that what the school was doing would be good for him. Dh and I didn't agree with everything the school did, and there were times we wondered if we chose the right path, but overall it was a good decision and I don't regret it.

 

We also sent ds2 to the same school but he started a year after ds1 and then only part-time, 7th grade. The next year he went full-time for 8th and has been at that school ever since. He was willing to try new activities in school that he was unwilling to consider at home, namely cross-country and drama.

 

OP, I hope you're able to find peace with whatever you decide.  :grouphug:

[Word Nerd]

My younger son went to school at age 10. It went fine. Any initial bumps were smoothed out easily with the school.

 

This was our experience. At our first parent-teacher conference, the teacher seemed surprised at how easily DD had made the transition and that she wasn't behind academically or socially. (I tried not to laugh when she caught herself starting to say something stereotypical about homeschoolers but caught herself.) We had to catch her up on cursive and Shurley grammar at home, as I hadn't started cursive with her while homeschooling and she had to learn the Shurley method, but that wasn't a big deal either.

[Anne in CA]

Last fall I put my always home schooled 14yo dd in the local public school. There wasn't much choice. We live in the middle of nowhere and she was very lonely. She made great friends right away and was on the honor roll. This year she is a cheerleader and going out for track later. It was probably harder for me to give up my identity as a home school mom than it was for her to adjust. That said, she is my youngest, adored child and people tend to adore her. That is a personality trait she did not get from me, or dh, lol, it worked out that way.