Do you love homeschooling?

[Lillyfee]

I wished I would be a teacher. I really get nervous around middle school and when my oldest approached high school I really did not feel qualified to keep teaching her. 

Especially because we are not staying in the US, I am not a native speaker and I don't know how European colleges feel about homeschooling.

I really wished I could homeschool my kids all the way through though. Especially because I am not that impressed with high school so far.

[wintermom]

I homeschooled my 4 dc for 16 years, finishing in 2020. I am a trained teacher, which helped in many ways, and I loved following my dc all through their learning, while learning a ton along the way. I will say, though, that it would not have been as positive an experience for us if there wasn't an active and supportive social network of homeschoolers. My dc enjoyed interacting with other homeschoolers, and are still close friends with them even now, as am I with several 'retired' homeschool moms. There was enough variety of all kinds of families involved in homeschooling in our area so that it was possible to find good fits for my dc and myself. We were very fortunate.

Homeschooling can be very isolating, and there is a lot of pressure on the mom as primary educator, to try and get it done well. I look back on my homeschooling journey with many happy memories, but life after homeschooling is also challenging. Getting back into a career after many years away isn't easy. 

Edited September 13, 2022 by wintermom

[kiwik]

On 8/28/2022 at 12:23 AM, Cordelia said:

I love homeschooling. I do not love being a full time SAHM. My ideal scenario would be to homeschool and then work a bit on the side. 

I met someone once who homeschooled solely because she did not want to vaccinate her kids. It did not appear that any actual teaching was happening. As pro-homeschooling as I am, I found that situation alarming. 

I was going to say I would like homeschooling a lot more if I wasn't a single parent working 30 hours a week.  We don't have a home school community because I simply have no time to do home school activities.  

[fairfarmhand]

Meh. It was okay. But many days were drudgery. Many days were good. 

But the results? YES! I love the results.

 

[Guest]

6 hours ago, fairfarmhand said:

Meh. It was okay. But many days were drudgery. Many days were good. 

But the results? YES! I love the results.

 

What results do you particularly love? We will celebrate with you (and be encouraged). 
 

[ktgrok]

Thought of this thread yesterday as the kids and I were laughing hysterically during our prehistory unit. I'm struggling to try to pronounce these long names of prehistoric creatures, and at one point I'm trying to say (badly, and slowly), "Anamolocaris" and DD12 blurts out, "Kamala Harris?" Later, as I continue to struggle, DD5 tries to give the book to DD12, saying, "SHE knows how to read". AS if I don't? More laughter. 

Then we were reading a story book about a trilobite. It starts off by saying that this species has a latin name that translates as "Tony from Oklahoma" which I find hysterical for some reason. Later, Tony is being chased by a cephalopod and curls up into a protective ball. The cephalopod is confused, and can't figure out where his tasty snack went. Next to me, DD12 mutters, "Not so much with the object permanence, huh, big guy?" And I start laughing all over again...and say, "I LOVE homeschooling." 

And I do. 

Oh, also at one point DS9 takes the book away, then comes back telling us how to pronounce something. I asked how he knew and he says, with disdain, "you know you can google this stuff, right?" 

Too funny!

[Roadrunner]

It was everything from great to terrible but in the end not sustainable due to total lack of community. 
 

Absolutely adored k-8 years. 

Edited September 18, 2022 by Roadrunner

[Shoes+Ships+SealingWax]

I do love homeschooling.

It has not always been easy.

It was especially difficult in ‘19-‘20 when we (rapidly & unexpectedly) left our amazing overseas community to return to the US… only to have the world shut down. We were broke, lonely, & DS wasn’t diagnosed yet - which meant everything took twice the effort for half the results.

We purchased our home nearly 2yrs ago. We’ve settled in, gotten involved, made friends, & built a community… finally it is beginning to feel again the way it did in the early years.

DS is currently in 4th grade & if things carry on like this, I have no doubt we’ll continue through at least middle school. If DS wants to give something else a try, we’ll absolutely support him - but if not then he’ll probably just naturally transition to college coursework over time. 

[Not_a_Number]

I don't know if I love it. I find it both challenging and really rewarding, and that's a good fit for my personality. But as an ambitious person, I don't love the opportunity cost. 

But I think I'll come down to thinking it was completely worthwhile if my kids wind up thinking that! (Since they are still little, jury's still out.) 

[BlsdMama]

On 9/16/2022 at 4:46 PM, fairfarmhand said:

Meh. It was okay. But many days were drudgery. Many days were good. 

But the results? YES! I love the results.

 

Yes! And their friends! When homeschooled kids have homeschooled friends, you end up with a wide range of interests. They are fascinating humans and it seems as though they are never ever bored! 
I really am a bit over the tedium of Barton. (I’ve tutored seven of mine and Barton makes me want to run far away.) Teaching a child to borrow and carry and print isn’t the thrill it once was. Science is still exciting, lol, as is introducing them to new and favorite books. But high schoolers who genuinely love learning? Definitely on my “raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens” list. 

[kiwik]

On 9/16/2022 at 9:28 PM, kiwik said:

I was going to say I would like homeschooling a lot more if I wasn't a single parent working 30 hours a week.  We don't have a home school community because I simply have no time to do home school activities.  

But i am glad I can do it.  If circumstances had been different I would have done it from the start. But there is no denying my life would be simpler if the kids went to school happily.

Edited September 30, 2022 by kiwik

[happypamama]

I love it.

 

Now, is it always easy, sunshine and roses?  No.  Are there days when I don't like it?  Yes.  But loving it is deeper than whether I like it on any given day or not.  Loving it means it feels right overall for me/us, that it's something I have a general positive, warm fuzzy feeling about, and that I feel strongly enough to keep persevering when the days are rough and enjoying it when the days are easy.

 

There's so much I love about the homeschooling lifestyle, and there are so many reasons I have chosen and keep choosing to do it, but the main reason I love it is because I love being with my kids and sharing adventures with them, learning new things, watching them get excited as things click, all of it.  It's really special to be a part of their learning.

 

I also will admit that I did not give anything up to homeschool, nor to be a SAH mom.  Even in college, I never hoped for a career and was thrilled when I had our oldest and stopped working (which was always part time and bonus anyway).  I don't have anything I wish I could do or that I miss doing.  Of course it is a financial concern to have a single income, but since we've always planned it that way, we don't feel a loss the same way as someone who left a career to homeschool.

Edited October 1, 2022 by happypamama

[kiwik]

On 10/1/2022 at 3:41 PM, happypamama said:

I love it.

 

Now, is it always easy, sunshine and roses?  No.  Are there days when I don't like it?  Yes.  But loving it is deeper than whether I like it on any given day or not.  Loving it means it feels right overall for me/us, that it's something I have a general positive, warm fuzzy feeling about, and that I feel strongly enough to keep persevering when the days are rough and enjoying it when the days are easy.

 

There's so much I love about the homeschooling lifestyle, and there are so many reasons I have chosen and keep choosing to do it, but the main reason I love it is because I love being with my kids and sharing adventures with them, learning new things, watching them get excited as things click, all of it.  It's really special to be a part of their learning.

 

I also will admit that I did not give anything up to homeschool, nor to be a SAH mom.  Even in college, I never hoped for a career and was thrilled when I had our oldest and stopped working (which was always part time and bonus anyway).  I don't have anything I wish I could do or that I miss doing.  Of course it is a financial concern to have a single income, but since we've always planned it that way, we don't feel a loss the same way as someone who left a career to homeschool.

Or someone who is the single income and the single parent.