Meadowlark Posted April 20, 2019 Share Posted April 20, 2019 It seems there are quite a bit of you from what I'm reading on the posts! First, congrats on making a great decision! You are in for quite a ride that will not be without challenges, but also will have the richest rewards too. Just a few questions-can I ask.... 1. What was the main deciding factor that led you to make this decision? 2. Are your kids on board? Anybody have kids who are not excited about the idea? 3. How is your family reacting? 4. If your kids are not on board, will you pull them anyway? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slache Posted April 21, 2019 Share Posted April 21, 2019 5 hours ago, Ordinary Shoes said: My family does not know yet. In fact, very few people know. I'm not ready to deal with a lot of questions yet so we're keeping quiet about it. I know my family will disapprove because they don't understand homeschooling. They always come around eventually. In the meantime come here and vent to us and we will talk you through it. I know it can be hard. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwik Posted April 21, 2019 Share Posted April 21, 2019 I am probably bringing ds12 home to join ds9. He is starting teenage angst and claims to be bored. I think he would benefit from more time with me (I am exhausted by the time he gets home since I start work at 5 to 5.30) to maybe solidify us as a family before high school next year. He is on board but not completely sure which is a problem. I can't have him home unhappy as life is too complicated. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knitgrl Posted April 21, 2019 Share Posted April 21, 2019 7 hours ago, Slache said: They always come around eventually. In the meantime come here and vent to us and we will talk you through it. I know it can be hard. They do come around. My father has always been a strong supporter of public schools, so he was not too excited when we decided to homeschool. We are into it 5 years now, and between what our dd knows and can do, and different policies the public school has enacted, he's thinking it's not so bad. On the other hand, this is a battle he has completely lost. He has two children, one of whom is homeschooling, the other sends her kid to a parochial school. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomeAgain Posted April 21, 2019 Share Posted April 21, 2019 27 minutes ago, knitgrl said: They do come around. My father has always been a strong supporter of public schools, so he was not too excited when we decided to homeschool. We are into it 5 years now, and between what our dd knows and can do, and different policies the public school has enacted, he's thinking it's not so bad. On the other hand, this is a battle he has completely lost. He has two children, one of whom is homeschooling, the other sends her kid to a parochial school. Similar here. I have helped it along by being very open about what we do, what our philosophies are, and do picture updates frequently in an album they can see. It has made it seem not so freaky-weird and really helped to highlight the opportunities that homeschooling has - different than public schooling, but opportunities just the same. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knitgrl Posted April 21, 2019 Share Posted April 21, 2019 6 hours ago, HomeAgain said: Similar here. I have helped it along by being very open about what we do, what our philosophies are, and do picture updates frequently in an album they can see. It has made it seem not so freaky-weird and really helped to highlight the opportunities that homeschooling has - different than public schooling, but opportunities just the same. We have an "open house" every October and show what dd is working on. Examples of her work are put on tri-fold poster thingies and we lay out the her curriculum for family and close friends. Dd gets up and talks about what she's doing in school in front of everyone all on her own. She has made friends with two elderly ladies from church, and they look forward to it every year and in the fall ask about when we'll be having open house again. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FairProspects Posted April 21, 2019 Share Posted April 21, 2019 18 hours ago, Slache said: They always come around eventually. In the meantime come here and vent to us and we will talk you through it. I know it can be hard. Well, I wish this was true, but it's not in our family and it's been years now. But we've learned to pass the bean dip, talk about other topics, and just keep homeschooling out of the conversation. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meriwether Posted April 22, 2019 Share Posted April 22, 2019 13 hours ago, FairProspects said: Well, I wish this was true, but it's not in our family and it's been years now. But we've learned to pass the bean dip, talk about other topics, and just keep homeschooling out of the conversation. Dh's siblings still do not approve, and I have a Sophomore. It is okay to proceed confidently in the face of disapproval. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RenaInTexas Posted April 23, 2019 Share Posted April 23, 2019 I am three years in but why not share: 1. What was the main deciding factor that led you to make this decision? The effect that standardized testing was having on education. The kids are taught what is on the test and nothing else; no science, no history, no grammar, no writing (unless it is the year it is tested). They are tested in reading and math and they spend most of the day there and too much of this teaching was focused on test strategies and not subject matter content. But I think what bothered me the most was that the schools are designed to teach to a mininum level. Students who reach that minimum level are sat to the side in front of a worksheet or computer while the teacher works with the other students. This is what they call differentiation. By the end of the year, my child had modest improvement, while those who were 3 ticks behind him had pulled within 1 tick. Fine, I am happy for them, but they have no resources to give every child quality instruction so that all children can improve from where they started. 2. Are your kids on board? Anybody have kids who are not excited about the idea? They were 100% on board. We had a family meeting where we talked about what wasn't working in school and how we wanted our homeschool to look. The boys decided that we would have 2 science classes each year and we do :). My oldest who was in 3rd grade when we decided stated many of the frustrations that I had (and had never told him). He didn't like that they never do science because that is his favorite. He didn't like that all he got to do was that boring computer stuff and worksheets. And he hated that all they talk about is the test, test, test. Both kids wanted more science and more project-based learning. 3. How is your family reacting? In the African American community, we have that extra guilt trip of ...but we fought so hard and people died so we could participate in equal education. We actually kept it a secret for a year. We told the kids not to lie, if someone asked about school tell them how it was going, but the fact that it was at home was a family secret. We finally told and my MIL actually screamed at the top of her lungs, 'NO! You did not take those kids out of school!' She even tried to talk the kids into wanting to go back but they don't and let her know it. Two years later she helps to check their work, is ok with it, impressed, supportive, but still has mixed emotions and still asks every now and then if they are ready to go back to school. I know her mixed emotions are from ... but I couldn't go to equal schools and they can. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8filltheheart Posted April 23, 2019 Share Posted April 23, 2019 On 4/22/2019 at 8:10 AM, Meriwether said: Dh's siblings still do not approve, and I have a Sophomore. It is okay to proceed confidently in the face of disapproval. I've graduated multiple kids who have successful careers, attend a top grad program (not only in the country, but internationally), are one of 20 student recipients of top competitive university scholarships and my siblings still don't approve and are incredibly offensive about our choices. I have put up with their snark and nasty comments for 25 yrs. If they had their way, homeschooling would be outlawed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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