Are you currently homeschooling?

[Melissa Louise]

Just now, lewelma said:

Yes, I am tired. There is a lot of stress associated with 'the buck stops here'.

It is a relief when the kids are launched academically or career/work-wise. 

And it is very pleasant to have one's time and energies available for personal goals or projects. 

I do miss reading aloud with my children - we did a lot of that - but I'm happy to trade it for yoga/writing/gallery/travel time!

Not long for you! 

[lewelma]

6 minutes ago, Melissa Louise said:

And it is very pleasant to have one's time and energies available for personal goals or projects. 

Come February, I'm retraining in environmental geology.  I plan to clean up rivers, mines, and landfills!  

[stephanier.1765]

Retired homeschooling mom. Graduated 3 boys. But I find I still have so much to learn from y'all that I stick around to soak it all in. Plus, you all are great company.

[stephanier.1765]

8 hours ago, VickiMNE said:

I've finished my homeschooling journey (youngest is 25, oldest is 33) and I was HSing long before WTM boards (the first!) were a thing.  Actually, I when I first bought some Sonlight Curriculum (1994-5) for my 2nd grader, I talked to John himself on the phone. We had a nice chat.  Man, that was a long time ago, though! 

For just a split second, I had to double check that I hadn't already replied to this post. My youngest is 25 and oldest is 33 so seeing those same ages in your post caused my brain to blip like old TVs used to do. To this 56 yo, it's a huge relief to know I really hadn't forgotten that I had already posted. LOL

[Melissa Louise]

10 minutes ago, lewelma said:

Come February, I'm retraining in environmental geology.  I plan to clean up rivers, mines, and landfills!  

Wonderful!!

[serendipitous journey]

8 hours ago, BaseballandHockey said:

I am committing some sort of educational neglect, involving a 10 year old and 13 year old who don't go to school.  They get some outsourced stuff but shockingly little education from me.  

I picked yes because you forgot the "ummmm sort of, at least that's what I tell the government" option. 

🙂  I agree with Not a Number: just a marketing thing ...

21 minutes ago, Melissa Louise said:

This was us last year. It worked out ok. Gotta make room for life and it's troubles sometimes.

You know, just over a year ago (as in March 2020) I set aside all my big, "get-us-back-on-track after a year of a very, very ill child + heartbreaking church problems" goals in exchange for getting my whole household through the next year alive while also trying to help folks outside the house as we were able.  Not something I had total control over, but that was where my energy went. 

Here we are.  Not nearly so academic as I'd wished, for sure.  But everyone is still here, including my mother-in-law who lives upstairs & has now survived both the Holocaust and the pandemic.  And the boys are well little organisms: we've navigated several real challenges (hasn't everyone this year?) and mental health troubles, esp. anxiety in my younger, and yet the boys are enjoying their lives and are, on average, great people. 

Of course it's taken absolutely everything I've got, and tons of support from DH and others, and I started to crack a few weeks ago & had to dial things back while I recovered.  So there's definitely a cost.  !!!

[Kareni]

9 hours ago, Catwoman said:

...I have been here since before we started homeschooling and I stayed here after we finished.

Same here.

Regards,

Kareni

[Gobblygook]

Yes, I have three I’m homeschooling right now. Ages 8, 11 and 14. Our 16 yo was homeschooled from grades 4-7 but is now attends a local private school. Our 14 yo will follow him next year and the 8 yo will return to public school due to his profound special needs. I’ll just have the 11 yo home. It’s likely that next year will be our last, since the 11 yo would like to go to school in 7th grade.

[bookbard]

There isn't a space for where I am - have homeschooled in the past and planning to homeschool our high school (ie yr7 onwards). My daughter is in a good gifted primary program (yrs 5-6) but there are no gifted high school programs in our area (semi-rural). They come out of the primary program having done maths up to yr 9 level and are then expected to go back into mainstream and do it all over again. 

I am planning to continue the maths traditionally but do child-led project-based for the rest of the subjects, at least for 7-8. My child is already doing these in her own time, researching and creating (eg researching post-war rationing in London to add detail to a novel she's writing). We shall see how it goes! 

[Lecka]

I have never homeschooled.  
 

Currently after-schooling one in math :)  

 

 

[GailV]

I wandered off after my 2 graduated, but happened to check back in the other day. 

And now I discover that it's apparently okay for former homeschoolers to hang out here, given that several are, so I will de-lurk for a moment to wave hello, although I was mostly in lurk-mode for the past several years and a quite unremarkable presence on the board. 

[medawyn]

Currently homeschooling and my oldest pupil is 8 🙂 We currently have a school of two, but DS4.5 will join us after his 5th birthday next weekend.  That just leaves DD3 to wander about unattended during school hours...

[elegantlion]

I wanted to comment why this board was/is so great. I posted on another homeschooling forum (not a big name one) for a while, but I could never get real feedback on material. All the comments were it's great, my kids love it, sometimes with the lovely disclaimer of it's great, we started last week! 

When I came here, people asked questions and wanted to have real dialogue about whether a book or curricula was good for your particular child and situation. It was a breath of fresh air to get real feedback and well thought out questions and replies. 

[Catwoman]

25 minutes ago, GailV said:

I wandered off after my 2 graduated, but happened to check back in the other day. 

And now I discover that it's apparently okay for former homeschoolers to hang out here, given that several are, so I will de-lurk for a moment to wave hello, although I was mostly in lurk-mode for the past several years and a quite unremarkable presence on the board. 

Well, you’re remarkable enough that I remembered you right away!

WELCOME BACK!!!!!!!

[GailV]

1 hour ago, Catwoman said:

Well, you’re remarkable enough that I remembered you right away!

WELCOME BACK!!!!!!!

LOL, I was just thinking that maybe being unremarkable is my super power and I would be an excellent spy.  I'll put that career move on the back burner for now. 

 

 

 

[Starr]

2 hours ago, medawyn said:

That just leaves DD3 to wander about unattended during school hours...

"Too funny," says this old mom.

[theelfqueen]

Just the 16 year old still homeschooling. 

[LMD]

Yep. I currently homeschool 2nd grade through 10th grade. None of my kids have ever been to school and I've never outsourced anything apart from music lessons, with the single exception of my oldest taking an undergrad class this year. All the co-op-y type things we've done have been organised and run by myself.

Edited April 26, 2021 by LMD

[BlsdMama]

19 hours ago, MEmama said:

I’m not sure there were major benefits to keeping him home other than we got to have a lot of fun together.

Even if that was the only benefit you gained, that has incredible value. ♥️ 

[Soror]

I homeschool my 2 youngest, 3rd and 6th next year. My older 2, to my disappointment went to PS in 8th. We live in a rural area and there aren't many hs'ers or things for hs'ers to do. I'd love to hs my younger 2 all the way through but we'll see. I'm not up to forcing teenagers to hs against their will.

[BlsdMama]

We’ve graduated three, the fourth next month. However, we are very much in the thick of it - seven still at home and the youngest two are 6 & 8. 

[MEmama]

2 hours ago, BlsdMama said:

Even if that was the only benefit you gained, that has incredible value. ♥️ 

I mean, I thought so at the time but I’m realising now how much of myself I lost in those years of being a housewife and homeschool mom. Long term I’d have been better off, in so many ways, having stayed in the work force. As for my relationship with DS, I don’t think homeschooling affected it one way or another.  Again, no real regrets, but it feels disingenuous to insist there were any real gains.

[Not_a_Number]

1 minute ago, MEmama said:

I mean, I thought so at the time but I’m realising now how much of myself I lost in those years of being a housewife and homeschool mom. Long term I’d have been better off, in so many ways, having stayed in the work force. As for my relationship with DS, I don’t think homeschooling affected it one way or another.  Again, no real regrets, but it feels disingenuous to insist there were any real gains.

I think it’s good to admit that sometimes, we do our best and it still may have been better otherwise 🙂 . Like, we sent DD8 to kindergarten, and that was pointless and I wish we hadn’t in some sense. But we couldn’t have known ahead of time, you know? Live and learn...

[2ndGenHomeschooler]

I have 4, ages 17(in a few weeks), 15, 13, and 11. But I’ve been in the homeschooling world basically forever. I was homeschooled myself from 2nd grade through high school and DH was homeschooled from 5th through high school. As far as being “in the thick of it”, I consider the upcoming year to be my “thickest” of all. My three oldest will all be in high school and my youngest will be in 7th. I still feel like I have a long way to go but there is a light at the end of the tunnel. I am very much ready to be DONE and have the time to pursue my own things. I’m hoping that after my oldest graduates next year that some of that time will start to be available. 

[cintinative]

I have homeschooled my 15 y.o. from 1st grade on, and my 13 y.o. from K on.

Most of my homeschooling friends have either put their kids in public or in a university model school.  

I feel like this is the busiest I have ever been with homeschooling, in part because I have been reading ahead/studying for history and Spanish.  I enjoy the self-education process, but as with all things, there are days when you wish you could just upload everything a la The Matrix.

Edited April 26, 2021 by cintinative

[GoodGrief3]

One current homeschooled high school junior, and two homeschooled olders that are now college grads (and in or soon starting grad school 🙂 )

[Melissa Louise]

21 hours ago, MEmama said:

I mean, I thought so at the time but I’m realising now how much of myself I lost in those years of being a housewife and homeschool mom. Long term I’d have been better off, in so many ways, having stayed in the work force. As for my relationship with DS, I don’t think homeschooling affected it one way or another.  Again, no real regrets, but it feels disingenuous to insist there were any real gains.

My kids got a more bespoke education, but I consider the cost to me as unacceptably  high. Nobody has a crystal ball, but I think I was over-sold on the benefits of homeschooling. 

Otoh, working in a school, I still consider school a dysfunctional system so you know...rock and a hard place. Would probably do it again. 

 

[Toska]

I have been lurking on the boards forever. I am graduating my oldest this year.  I have a 10th and 9th grader in public school virtually, who both hope to go in person next year.  My youngest with LDs is in 7th grade with a plan to homeschool all the way through.

[Mrs Tiggywinkle]

22 hours ago, MEmama said:

I mean, I thought so at the time but I’m realising now how much of myself I lost in those years of being a housewife and homeschool mom. Long term I’d have been better off, in so many ways, having stayed in the work force. As for my relationship with DS, I don’t think homeschooling affected it one way or another.  Again, no real regrets, but it feels disingenuous to insist there were any real gains.

My mom homeschooled from 1986 to 2017. She now feels very much like you do—what she gave up wasn’t worth the gains.  I think now she’s seeing that her friend’s kids who went to public school are just as well adjusted and close(often closer) to their family than the homeschooled kids.  On the other hand, she did give us a fantastic education and 3/8 have advanced degrees so far.  I think she’s struggling a lot with the fact that nobody but me stayed geographically close and several of my younger sisters almost never call.  One is actually estranged completely and we haven’t heard from her in four years.  None of us homeschool either(I think the estranged sister may) and none are homemakers.  I honestly think it’s difficult for my mom to realize that all the early 1980s-early 2000s homeschool promises from the likes of Jonathan Lindvall/Mary Pride/Vision Forum/local homeschool Christian leaders were false.  You know the whole, give yourself up, sacrifice for homeschooling, have lots of babies, etc and you‘ll raise close knit Christian family oriented children. Two of my sisters don’t even identify as Christian anymore.

Partly I think the early homeschooling movement was clueless about reality, and partly I think she’s seeing that she and my dad bought into a lie. 
(Please don’t quote)

Edited April 27, 2021 by Mrs Tiggywinkle

[Not_a_Number]

1 hour ago, Melissa Louise said:

My kids got a more bespoke education, but I consider the cost to me as unacceptably  high. Nobody has a crystal ball, but I think I was over-sold on the benefits of homeschooling. 

Otoh, working in a school, I still consider school a dysfunctional system so you know...rock and a hard place. Would probably do it again. 

 

If you don’t mind me asking... what benefits were you oversold on?

From where I stand, homeschooling is amazing for my kids academically, great for their autonomy, not great but not awful for them socially, and it’s hard on their relationships with me. 

I feel comfortable making this trade, but it doesn’t look like all sunshine and flowers from my perspective, either. 

Edited April 27, 2021 by Not_a_Number

[Melissa Louise]

1 minute ago, Not_a_Number said:

If you don’t mind me asking... what benefits were you oversold on?

From where I stand, homeschooling is amazing for kids academically, great for their autonomy, not great but not awful for them socially, and it’s hard on their relationships with me. 

I feel comfortable making this trade, but it doesn’t look like all sunshine and flowers from my perspective, either. 

Mainly the benefits to family relationships, esp sibling bonds. 

I can't see they differ significantly from the familial relationships of always schooled kids. 

Mostly I was personally very naive, and thought a bespoke education was the key to a happy life, ha! What a dumbo! 

I gave my kids what I begged for and didn't get - freedom from the stifling effects of school - and thought that would automatically make their lives freer, deeper, more authentic and ultimately, more successful. Nope. 

[Mrs Tiggywinkle]

1 minute ago, Melissa Louise said:

Mainly the benefits to family relationships, esp sibling bonds. 

I can't see they differ significantly from the familial relationships of always schooled kids. 

Mostly I was personally very naive, and thought a bespoke education was the key to a happy life, ha! What a dumbo! 

I gave my kids what I begged for and didn't get - freedom from the stifling effects of school - and thought that would automatically make their lives freer, deeper, more authentic and ultimately, more successful. Nope. 

You said it better than I did.  This is exactly what my mom is struggling with so much now.  The homeschoolers we knew are now in their 20s to early 40s, and there really isn’t a significant difference in their lives between always-homeschooled, mostly homeschooled, and never homeschooled.

This isn’t to say that homeschooling doesn’t have some unique benefits, because it does, but a lot of people really were oversold on the benefits.

 

 

[Not_a_Number]

9 minutes ago, Melissa Louise said:

Mainly the benefits to family relationships, esp sibling bonds. 

I can't see they differ significantly from the familial relationships of always schooled kids. 

Mostly I was personally very naive, and thought a bespoke education was the key to a happy life, ha! What a dumbo! 

I gave my kids what I begged for and didn't get - freedom from the stifling effects of school - and thought that would automatically make their lives freer, deeper, more authentic and ultimately, more successful. Nope. 

Hmmm, yes, I’d also wished for freedom from school. Then again, when I had summers off, it was pretty clear I wasn’t all that good at managing that freedom. One of those “be careful what you wish for” situations...

Did you observe any long-term benefits?

Edited April 27, 2021 by Not_a_Number

[Wildcat]

I'm no longer homeschooling, but I used to.

I just did the math and it scared me. I've been here for exactly 15 years. 😅

I homeschooled for nine and have been just hanging out for the last six.

 

[Melissa Louise]

27 minutes ago, Not_a_Number said:

Hmmm, yes, I’d also wished for freedom from school. Then again, when I had summers off, it was pretty clear I wasn’t all that good at managing that freedom. One of those “be careful what you wish for” situations...

Did you observe any long-term benefits?

Hard to say. More short term benefits, I think, particularly in terms of not having to battle school for appropriate gifted and other support. Saved me a whole lot of school-related frustrations.

Two so far academically successful, though that's not caused by homeschooling.

Idk. Long term? Who can say?

Edited April 27, 2021 by Melissa Louise
Typo

[Melissa Louise]

25 minutes ago, Mrs Tiggywinkle said:

You said it better than I did.  This is exactly what my mom is struggling with so much now.  The homeschoolers we knew are now in their 20s to early 40s, and there really isn’t a significant difference in their lives between always-homeschooled, mostly homeschooled, and never homeschooled.

This isn’t to say that homeschooling doesn’t have some unique benefits, because it does, but a lot of people really were oversold on the benefits.

 

 

My oldest are early twenties, and I came at it from a radical unschooling perspective, initially. Very ideological. I thought school encouraged proto-fascism, lol. 

Don't get me wrong, I hate institutional schooling. Working in a school has only confirmed that for me. And I very much liked the autonomy of homeschooling. It felt pretty darn good at the time. 

But whereas a career leaves you with substantial savings, kids grow up, move away, family dynamics play out, you're left with lovely memories of read-alouds and nature study and not much else. 

I don't blame anyone except myself - I allowed myself to be oversold - but I am sometimes mildly regretful someone didn't stop me!

[Not_a_Number]

12 minutes ago, Melissa Louise said:

Hard to say. More short term benefits, I think, particularly in terms of not having to battle school for appropriate gifted and other support. Saved me a whole lot of school-related frustrations.

Two so far academically successful, though that's not caused by homeschooling.

Idk. Long term? Who can say?

You might be being too hard on yourself there 🙂 . It's probable you did contribute to their academic success, no? 

[Melissa Louise]

14 minutes ago, Not_a_Number said:

You might be being too hard on yourself there 🙂 . It's probable you did contribute to their academic success, no? 

It's likely aspects of family culture ( lots of books, experiences, music, connections, art, conversation ) contributed, as it does in schooled families with similar cultures. 

 

[Not_a_Number]

4 minutes ago, Melissa Louise said:

It's likely aspects of family culture ( lots of books, experiences, music, connections, art, conversation ) contributed, as it does in schooled families with similar cultures. 

Eh, one-to-one student to teacher ratio can help 😉 . 

Watching the families that I know, family culture is worth a lot, but it's worth less than actually being hands-on. The people I know who are having a lot of academic success with their kids help them out, choose their schools carefully, teach them things, get tutors ... but they don't necessarily homeschool. 

However, having an educated family culture doesn't offset a school that doesn't teach well if the parents stay out of things. 

That's just my observation with our set of friends, though. I'm curious how this will look when the kids are older, because the kids I'm observing aren't even teens yet. 

[Melissa Louise]

1 minute ago, Not_a_Number said:

Eh, one-to-one student to teacher ratio can help 😉 . 

Watching the families that I know, family culture is worth a lot, but it's worth less than actually being hands-on. The people I know who are having a lot of academic success with their kids help them out, choose their schools carefully, teach them things, get tutors ... but they don't necessarily homeschool. 

However, having an educated family culture doesn't offset a school that doesn't teach well if the parents stay out of things. 

That's just my observation with our set of friends, though. I'm curious how this will look when the kids are older, because the kids I'm observing aren't even teens yet. 

I'm just not sure, you know? It's very hard to quantify to what extent homeschooling 'works'. There's no control for your own kids! You can't compare them with their hypothetical schooled selves.

Pros and cons, like everything. You sound far less naive than me, so I'm sure it will be positive for your family for as long as you need/want to do it. 

 

[Not_a_Number]

8 minutes ago, Melissa Louise said:

I'm just not sure, you know? It's very hard to quantify to what extent homeschooling 'works'. There's no control for your own kids! You can't compare them with their hypothetical schooled selves.

Ugh, I do know. And I wonder sometimes. For us, it became easier to decide after we tried kindergarten and DD8 learned a negative amount 😂. But I'll say that socially, it was easier than homeschooling, and that's despite a LOT of hustling on my part. And I do wish there was some way to run an alternate reality where they go to school and I see how they do 😉 . 

 

Quote

Pros and cons, like everything. You sound far less naive than me, so I'm sure it will be positive for your family for as long as you need/want to do it. 

Yeah, pros and cons is right. Thank you for sharing your perspective -- as this is a homeschooling board, one doesn't hear it all that often, and I think it's a worthwhile one. 

And I do know that I'm abandoning my career when I choose to do this 😕. That does still rankle. I doubt it'll stop rankling. 

Edited April 27, 2021 by Not_a_Number

[Rachel]

8th year of homeschooling but I still feel like I’m a beginner in some ways because all three kids have been so different. Oldest is finishing 7th grade and will be taking a couple of outsourced classes for the first time next year. Middle is finishing 5th grade. Youngest is 8 and I never know what grade to call him. If we had sent him to public school he would be in 2nd, but officially he is registered with the county as a 3rd grader. He is dyslexic so reading has been quite difficult and that has flowed over into everything else school wise. 
 

We are very much in the thick of things. 3rd grade the third time around is completely different than the first and second times. 

[RootAnn]

On 4/25/2021 at 10:07 AM, Not_a_Number said:

. I just wanted to distinguish people who were close-ish to done and people who were still in the thick of it.

Over halfway done here. Almost done w/ my 15th year. 7ish more to go? 

On 4/25/2021 at 11:56 AM, Loesje22000 said:

Homeschooled 1 child from 4-17yo, preK starts at 2yo here so she visited school during 2 years but otherwise I homeschooled ‘whole way through’

Good to see you! Missed your posts! Wondered how you were doing! 

On 4/25/2021 at 5:10 PM, skctgbrlis said:

I have 10 kids, ages 1-24. I’ve been officially homeschooling for 20 years, with 17 to go!  I tell my kids that I hope to have this all figured out in time to help homeschool grandchildren. 

I tell the new homeschoolers that I just started figuring it out a couple years ago but as each kid is different, I'm always kept on my toes.

9 hours ago, Toska said:

 I am graduating my oldest this year. 

Feel free to hop over to the College Board subsection if you feel like it & post on the 2021 College Decisions thread. We're celebrating our high school seniors having made their decisions.

In a few weeks, I'll have graduated two & have three to go: 11, 13, & 15 yr olds. 

Re: Is it worth it?

I definitely think there are trade-offs. Even SWB said she'd have sent one of her older kids to school in hindsight  (and did end up sending her youngest). So far, in the thick of it, it is worth it here. 

I just talked to the mom of one of my graduating senior's acquaintances. Her kid & mine have similar interests & insecurities. Us two moms are completely different & they are avid public schoolers. She has real regrets about the last couple years of high school but can't see herself doing anything different if she could. I will always have regrets because I'm not perfect, but I think home was better for my first two. If we lived somewhere else with more outside opportunities or a bigger friend cohort, maybe my opinion would change.

Edited April 27, 2021 by RootAnn
Typo

[happypamama]

Homeschooling everyone from toddler to teen here!  I started here when I was pregnant with my fourth child, who is almost ten.

Edited April 27, 2021 by happypamama

[Jann in TX]

I homeschooled for 13 years-- (2 of my 3 girls graduated from our homeschool).  Both went on to graduate college with honors -- but homeschooling journey was not what I would call 'easy'-- high functioning autism and medical (and mental health) issues...

Youngest dd was in PS all the way through.

I've been teaching math to homeschoolers (other than my own kids!) for the past forever-- using online classes exclusively for past 18 years.

 

LOVE the WTM-- it was a blessing to me in my homeschooling journey

[Not_a_Number]

18 minutes ago, Jann in TX said:

I homeschooled for 13 years-- (2 of my 3 girls graduated from our homeschool).  Both went on to graduate college with honors -- but homeschooling journey was not what I would call 'easy'-- high functioning autism and medical (and mental health) issues...

Youngest dd was in PS all the way through.

Any thoughts on PS vs homeschool in terms of pros/cons?

 

[Wheres Toto]

I had one that was public school all the way except two years (K and 1st) in Catholic school.  I worked full time until she was 11 (when her younger brother was born), then was a stay at home mom.   She was a very popular, smart enough without being too smart for the teachers to feel like she was extra work for them, participated in sports, cheerleading, plays, band, but mostly did dance outside of school.  

For her, school had a lot of positives.   She had no real negatives socially, academically or emotionally.    She's still friends with a lot of the kids she knew in 2nd grade.   She's finishing up a Masters degree in May.   Her Elementary/Middle schools weren't considered great, but her High School was one of the top in our state.  

That daughter and I are extremely close and always have been, despite school and my having to work most of her younger years. 

I have two that are NOT neurotypical.  One is on the spectrum and gifted, one has anxiety and ADHD.   One was in Early Intervention from 3 to 4, other has never been in school.   Even the year of EI was enough for us to see that school would not be a good fit for him.   Even an EI class with only 6 kids had a hard time meeting his academic, social, and emotional needs.  A larger class would have been a nightmare.  

So, I guess my bottom line is, it's impossible to make a general pro/con list because all situations vary so much. 

Edited April 27, 2021 by Wheres Toto

[Not_a_Number]

1 minute ago, Wheres Toto said:

I had one that was public school all the way except two years (K and 1st) in Catholic school.  I worked full time until she was 11 (when her younger brother was born), then was a stay at home mom.   She was a very popular, smart enough without being too smart for the teachers to feel like she was extra work for them, participated in sports, cheerleading, plays, band, but mostly did dance outside of school.  

For her, school had a lot of positives.   She had no real negatives socially, academically or emotionally.    She's still friends with a lot of the kids she knew in 2nd grade.   She's finishing up a Masters degree in May.   Her Elementary/Middle schools weren't considered great, but her High School was one of the top in our state.  

I have two that are NOT neurotypical.  One is on the spectrum and gifted, one has anxiety and ADHD.   One was in Early Intervention from 3 to 4, other has never been in school.   Even the year of EI was enough for us to see that school would not be a good fit for him.   Even an EI class with only 6 kids had a hard time meeting his academic, social, and emotional needs.  A larger class would have been a nightmare.  

So, I guess my bottom line is, it's impossible to make a general pro/con list because all situations vary so much. 

See, I feel like I could never trust schools to teach math or science to the standard I’d want 😕 . So that always winds up on my “con” list, regardless of the kid. But maybe that’s wrong?

[Momto6inIN]

I'm finishing up my 8th year hs'ing. We started when my first 5 kids were 8th, 6th, 4th, K, and a toddler and my 6th kid was not even dreamed of yet. So far I've taught every grade at least twice and some 3 times. So I'm kind of still a newbie and kind of a veteran, I guess 🙂 I've graduated 2 and am currently hs'ing my 11th, 7th, and 3rd grader as well as keeping the toddler alive. I am very much still in the thick of it and have enough experience with various ages to be of the opinion that a 10 year old is most emphatically not a big kid 😉

I would like to think I'll be able to homeschool my late in life toddler all the way through high school graduation. But I'll be 63 by then and starting in 6th grade she'll be the only kid left at home, so I don't know if that's realistic to expect or not. We'll have to see.

*FOR US*, having 8 years in public school under our belt before we started hs'ing, the advantages of hs'ing very heavily and obviously outweigh any small disadvantages and the relatively few advantages of ps.

My kids spent more quanity of time with peers in ps, obviously, but the quality of time spent with peers in ECs now that we hs is clearly superior.

My mathy oldest DS got way more out of self teaching AoPS than he ever could have taking Calc 1 at the local ps. Most of those kids barely got 3s on the AP exams, even though I personally know the teacher and am 100% sure she's a great teacher. The classroom set up just isn't equipped to handle my gifted kid. And he would have been swamped with homework from his honors/college prep schedule and wouldn't have had time to teach himself Python and computer engineering from MIT open courseware either.

I know that hs'ing doesn't guarantee anyone a perfect family and perfect harmony in relationships. But I also know that when my oldest DD was going through adolescent angst, I was right here with her to work through all the emotions and ups and downs instead of her going through it at school and me not knowing about 3/4 of her day. I wouldn't trade that time for anything.

One thing I had been worried about when we switched to hs from ps was them never having the opportunity to work in a group. But the group projects they've done with their ECs have laid that concern to rest as well.

[Arcadia]

11 minutes ago, Not_a_Number said:

See, I feel like I could never trust schools to teach math or science to the standard I’d want 😕 . So that always winds up on my “con” list, regardless of the kid. But maybe that’s wrong?

Perfectionism 😉

3 hours ago, Not_a_Number said:

Watching the families that I know, family culture is worth a lot, but it's worth less than actually being hands-on. The people I know who are having a lot of academic success with their kids help them out, choose their schools carefully, teach them things, get tutors ... but they don't necessarily homeschool. 

I know many whose kids are now in college and were in public school from K-12th. All of them went to the assigned public school and didn’t have tutors. One actually started tutoring English to neighbors since 6th grade and is now working part time as a dental assistant while in college as prep for dental school. Some kids are just driven. My kids’ former Chinese tutor is honestly low income, stays in a subsidized rent unit and her only child has always been in public school. The child is very independent and would be heading to her first choice college in fall.