Why are you homeschooling your children?

Kim - posted on 05/25/2012

My soon to be 1st grader has PDD and ODD. His school cannot handle his developmental disabilities and his behavioral disabilities. Instead of having an actual special ed class for kids with this disability, they want me to send him to a day treatment center. At first they told me it would be for 3-6 months and then they would try to integrate him back into the normal school activities. (He was having problems already going from a classroom by himself with a Para-professional and him back into the classroom, how they think they can integrate him from another school back in is beyond me.) We had his IEP meeting and they went behind my back and told our advocate that they wanted him in day treatment for 2 years. All this after we refused to put him in day treatment all together. The are extenuating circumstances as to why. At that point, we were left with the option of withdrawing him from their school and doing day treatment, going to another district, or homeschooling. The other districts in our area work with the same special ed program, so were were left with homeschooling. The school we chose to do online is wonderful and he should have an amazing year next year, with no problems, and still get the services he was getting at a brick-and-mortar school.

Elaine - posted on 04/19/2012

I decided to homeschool when I became a substitute teacher and actually saw what schools are like nowadays. Even I can't sit still and be quiet for the amount of time that little children are expected to be quiet. Half of their day is spent waiting for something (waiting to line up, waiting to switch classrooms, waiting to go to lunch, waiting for dismissal, waiting for their turn at the bathroom). Of the remaining half, some of it is direct instruction and the rest is drill-and-kill or testing. And the language! You would not believe what you overhear children telling each other. There are 4th graders who are "going steady" with someone, and all sorts of mean little cliques. Finally, one day a kindergartener in my school district pocketed his uncle's gun as he was being dropped off. It fell out of his pocket when he sat down at school, discharged, and hit him and two other kindergarteners in the legs. Thank goodness nobody was killed! However, I simply can't bring myself to put my children in public school, and I can't afford private school, so homeschool it is.

Cyndy - posted on 06/04/2011

Kristina, what system do you use, my children are in 5th and 3rd grade. My 3rd grader is well above average and reads at a 7th grade level but she has to sit thru all the third grade stuff, every subject is the same. She is so bored. My 5th grader use to be a great student but his grades have been dropping quickly because of being teased and hanging with the wrong kids. I want to home school them but I'm not sure I have the patience or the knowledge in order to do this. Any help would be wonderful.

Ann - posted on 06/04/2011

My son was reading and doing simple math at 4 years old. I was told by a public school teacher that I need to stop working with him or he would have problems in kindergarten being ahead of the other children. What?? We had already made the decision to homeschool, but that kind of cemented it for us. The last thing I want for my son is to hinder his desire to learn. He is finishing up 6th grade and looking at 7th in the fall. We are so pleased and happy with our decision. :)

Lindsay - posted on 05/24/2011

Because by homeschooling and being a SAH Mom, I can teach and instruct my children according to our religious beliefs and protect them from the things I don't want them exposed to out in the "world".

Crystal - posted on 04/29/2011

I haven't officially started home school with my daughter, she is currently 8 yrs old, in the 3rd grade and in a public school. The teachers are wonderful, there is a lack of back bone as far as the upper administration is concerned! I also am a substitute teacher in this school district. My child is a very bright and intelligent, she is currently reading on atleast a 6th grade level is not higher, she is very good at math and only has to be shown a time or two how to do it and she has it (as a matter of fact her teacher told us that my child could probably teach the class), at the school there are currently 4 third grade classes and each class has atleast 2 disruptive children in it, and when a teacher is only gives approximately 45minutes to teach a particular subject and she spends about half of that time trying to get those 2 disruptive children back on task then that does not leave much time to actually teach the lesson! I have personally witnessed a child throwing his books down the hall and the principle watched him and the only thing she did was tell him he had to pick the books up before he could get on the bus and go home!

Not to mention the attitude she comes home with! There are two or three children in her class that have basically told me the only reason they are there is because the have to be... when they get in trouble they don't care. I had one student actually tell me she didn't care if she got in trouble and the REALLY sad part is her parents don't care either. There is another student in my daughter's class and her mother actually told her to hit other students if they were bothering her or picking on her! What kind of a parent does that? So with that being said, if we continue to live in the home we are currently in, I am going to home school my daughter because she is advanced and gets herself in trouble because there is NOT enough work for her to keep her busy, and then because of the I don't care attitude she is coming home with. My child has ALWAYS liked school and done very well in school, besides how sad is it when you have teachers in the school with elementary age children that will not put their own kids in that school. Now just to find the best one for my child!

Elizabeth - posted on 02/23/2011

My name is Elizabeth Walker. I homeschooled kinda by default..looking back on it now, its been God's way of truly blessing me and my kids. I lost my job in 2009 as an educator at a private school due to low enrollment. My then 3 year old daughter and 6 month old son were in daycare. My husband and I couldn't afford daycare any longer, so I picked up where the daycare provider left off. My daughter already knew quite a bit (abc's, colors, numbers, shapes, ect.). I like others was apprehensive because I have never taught pre-K or Kgn. I prayed about it, contacted some friends I had who were teaching preschool and began this wonderful journey with both my kids. There is a multitude of free educational websites that are wonderful for preschoolers, as well as great bookstores like Borders, which I purchased some workbooks and other materials to help me. My daughter was already an curious and excited learner soaked up lots of material. There were days when there was little bookwork, due to us just playing, going on a field trip somewhere, or because she was so fascinated by a topic we taked about it and explored it online together!! Being able to teach my daughter at her own pace and allowing her to experience her first "failures" at home are very important because she has already learned that mistakes are some of the greatest learning tools ever...and that it's okay to make them as long as you trying. Some kids don't get that lesson taught at school, and it can crush their spirits.

My daughter who is now 5 and my son who is now 2 have had the safety of learning at their own pace, coupled with trips to museums, zoos, libaries, and other places school-children don't go to anymore because Public schools limit field trips due to budget constraints. I am considering allowing my daughter to attend kgn this year at a public school since she is now old enough (she has a late birthday of Jan.19th), but I plan on staying home with my son, and being an active participant in my daughter's educational journey.

I have heard many comments on how public schools are "failing our kids". I cannot disagree with them, but I am a product of the public school system and I had great teachers who really cared about my academics and me as a person. I wish more parents would spend time working with the schools to make them better. Trust me when I say-it's not an easy profession to be a teacher these days. I taught for 13 years and I have been yelled out, cursed at, under-payed and under appreciated. But through it all I know I made a difference in the lives of hundreds of kids that entered my classroom doors on a daily basis. Now I am on the flip side of the coin and I want to work with my child's teacher and school to make learning exciting and new for her!!

I don't expect the school to teach my child everything-that's not there job to do. I expect there to be a partnership and where I have to supplement, I am willing and able to do so for the benefit of my children. So this is why I have home-schooled...be blessed.

Emily - posted on 02/22/2011

I was home educated, myself, from the 4th grade, on. My parents pulled me out of school, because the teachers had not been able to teach me how to multiply, and had no interest in doing so. Also, there was suspicion of abuse. When it came to my own children, there was no question that we would teach them at home. But it was for entirely different reasons.

I want my children to be good, strong, intelligent individuals, not sheep, or cogs in someone's machinery. The morality of today's society, in general, is far from what I would hope for my children. I don't want them to learn that sexuality is a selfish pursuit of pleasure. I want them to learn about it as an expression of devoted love in the context of marriage. I don't want them to learn to judge people based on appearances, wealth, or status, but on their behavior; and even then that we should look to their better side, whenever possible, so that we can treat them with respect, no matter what or who they are. I want them to learn about God, as a loving Father, who cares about them. I want them to learn to approach ALL views with an open mind, and to seek to learn the truth for themselves, and not have it spoon fed to them by others. You won't get that kind of education in a government school.

Yes, I teach them far more, academically, than they would ever learn in a government-run facility. (Latin and algebra in 1st grade, etc.) But that reason is a distant second to the education in character that I desire for them.

Lynda - posted on 10/05/2010

I am homeschooling my son because my son was suspended 8 times in his fifth grade year and assaulted by the principal and bullied by staff and peers in the PS systems which need to refocus on the kids and their learning i have been doing this for almost a month and he is making improvements on his self esteem and attitude and i would like to know what computer curriculum it is also and any pointers would be greatly appreciated

Brandy - posted on 08/04/2009

I began homeschooling my children after thinking about it for 1-2 years and many nights of being frustrated with the PS and work my kids were bringing home. My daughter went from being ahead in class to being behind in 1 year. How can that happen. The teachers did nt seem invested enough in figuring out why. My son was behind in reading and they would do nothing for him until he was officially 2 full years behind! What, how can a school want to wait until a child is 2 full years behind to help. Do they realize how hard it would be to catch up? Either they dont or they dont care. So, after attending a parent teacher confrence my husband and I decided on the way home, enough is enough, time to do it no more thinking, just do it!

Later on that evening I talked to my kids and told them and asked their opinion because I wanted them to be involved(but even if they opposed it, I was doing it anyways).

The second reason was because of God. I could not believe all the things that were happening in the PS. My kids were experiencing to many "worldly" things and it is scary since they were only in the 5th and 3rd grade. To top it off, evolution was being taught as absolute fact, no other ideas allowed!

2 weeks later was Christmas break and that was an end to PS for our family. We havent looked back since. It is the best thing that I have done for my kids and my family. They are both above their grade levels in every area.They are respectful, Love God and are excited about learning(my son still does not like to read though). My son is 15 this month and is gonna be in 10th grade this year and my daughter will be 13 in 4 days and in the 8th grade.

I would encourage anyone thinking about homeschooling to just do it, give it a try. The only thing you can loose is a PS that teaches for standarized testing instead of learning about life and different experiences.

Many Blessings,

Brandy

Patricia - posted on 07/23/2009

We decided to homeschool before she was even conceived. I had worked in Daycares for years and then into the Private and Public school systems. I had actually quit working 4 years prior because I got tired of the politics. I so love having her home with me and seeing her precious face light up whenever she learns something new. She is 7 years old and we plan on homeschooling up to College.

Katherine - posted on 07/15/2009

I am a 29 year old mom of three who marrid a man that was homeschooled, nd I just finished my first year of homeschooling andtere were rough spots, but I am soooo lookig forward to the upcming year.

We dcided to do it because of separate issues we were having with our two oldest girls in public school. My oldest wasbehid in reading and they told me was a hopeless case hen it cameto math. Thn my second child has physical issues that continuously get the school dstrict to call social services after every height and weight session. Just bcause she is shorter and undrweight, and eve though she's had the same doctor her whole life who wll vouch for hercondition, it is still like the schools waste my time andtheir resources deciding that I starve my daugter..(she is a 9 yr old andweighs but 39 lbs.)

But the last straw was when discovered how uch my then 3rd grader knew about sex (and a lot of it wrong) because they allowed a student to read cosmo at school, and she was getting just awful informatin before I had had the oppurtnity to teach her these things as a mother. And when I complained, no one cared.



Maybe I am old fashioned, but I a proud and happy to spend my life raising my children withou too many outside influences. and we met with a local group and do feild trips and band, andso I say "pooey" to those that say there is no socialization.

I just think woman should be woman, an men, men. Wen mothers are home, the kids are far less likely to be into the wrong thing.



So thosere my htoughts. But what a bter way to spend my days tan with the most precious gifts that this life has to offer, and that is th prescese and love of my three gals.



Kathy

Elayine - posted on 07/11/2009

I have always planned to homeschool. I was bullied unmercilously right from kindergarten. I was bored out of my brain and was a bit of a smart mouth as a consequence. I was pushed down a flight of stairs in high school and all my cries for help were answered with 'just ignore them' I tried suicide at 13. I hated school but with my love of reading I excelled at home by myself. My husband had a similar experience he left at 15 after being dux of primary school, he couldn't adapt to changing classes every 40 min. He also thought about suicide. Our 5 yr old is a very sensitive child anyway so there is no way I am going to put him in a position where he might have the same issues we did. I love being with my kids, they love the freedom of homeschooling, and I have never met such well adjusted kids, especially the teenagers, as I have with the homeschoolers. It is worth all the hassle from family and the government.

Crystal - posted on 07/10/2009

Hello, my name is Crystal and I've been homeschooling my children for 15 years!

The reason my husband and I decided on homeschool is because his job required that he travels all over the US and we wanted to stay together. So that's what we did...we lived in a travel trailer and learned and explored all over the US. My girls have seen a lot of places that other kids can only dream of.

Now my husband is planning on retiring and staying home. This poses a problem on homeschooling because I will have to get a job and my husband can't handle teaching some of those harder classes! I don't want to send them to PS because homeschool is all they've ever known, and I, like most everyone else on this forum, hate the system! It's bad enough that our state requires the kids to take a state mandated test, not that it really shows what they know! I know what my kids know...I don't need a test to tell me that.

Anyway...I still want to continue homeschooling. I love being with my girls and having that closeness...nothing can compare to the relationship you can have with your children. They can talk to me about anything! I love them so much. That's why I homeschool!

Kristine - posted on 07/09/2009

I am thinking about homeschooling, the problem I run into is my 10 year old is special needs, he receives help in everything, how could I possibly be able give him what he needs.

Sue - posted on 06/16/2009

HI... They said he was slow in everything...He had sight problems, i took him to 4 docs... There was not a problem- They( teachers)said he could not hear...I went to more doc's there was nothing wrong w his ears--They put him in with a teacher in a room by himself... they said it would help......No one at 5 should hate to be at school- he hated it...He started acting out kicking teacher's .. So not my Morrison...He has always been a very happy, social kid...Slowly he started to lose that...The last day I took him I had to drag him in. He was screaming- SO not my Morrison..
When i asked the teacher what the deal was, she said he just missed me.- she had no idea what he was or who he was- ..NOT even sorta my Morrison...He loves people-In preschool- he was that kid that said" mom go home now Im fine".. I was so pissed off at that point...She(teacher) called a few days later asking me to bring him back- offered half days- I laughed and said "Did you ever know how his mind worked?" She said "of course she did".. She had no idea...We left that day and never looked back


There is a box they must fit into- For me the box was just not big enough- Why cant they be little, when they are little- We all lived through school as a fun thing- What made the schools view kids as learning robots..
I want to let him be who he is...not lost among 25 students.. Not a place where his dance and singing would have been picked apart by other kids...
When he was in PS he would bring 25 sheets of Homework home a night- at 5...Imo that was just crazy...let them be little...Let them play...

Tracey - posted on 06/12/2009

What computer based curriculum is it? Thanks

Chicky - posted on 06/11/2009

i homeschool my children because of the public school system. in my opion it sucks! when a 12 year old girl gets pregnent, where are there parents, or teachers to see the signs that something is wrong? what about takin god out of everything that our country stands for, the pledge of alegeince, the national anthem, in god we trust, even on our money? to me school is a place to learn not to socialize.

Angela - posted on 04/03/2009

Well, we will be new to HS this year. I have 2 boys 9 and 6,( 4th & Kinder.) My oldest has gone to Public and now Private schools and I have had issues with both! My kids like their Private school but it has become ungodly expensive. We live in a very rural area where the public schools are bad even by the states standards. HS is my only option really. 2/3 of my church's youth depatment is homeschooled and I have found a homeschool group that I'm very excited about as are my kids. I also choose it for many of the same reasons as others have stated on here but I have only just begun. I'm praying for a fruitful journey with lots of fun and excitement along the way. I appeciate this forum to gain insight from others already there so I can get a feel for what lies ahead of me. I just want to enjoy my children as much as I can while I have them because as we know, here today gone tomorrow. This part of our life may seem long but in retrospect it is fleeting. I can't believe my 9 yr old will be 10 in a few months! WOW where did 10 years go! I believe God's Word and He promises us that He will guide us and instruct us in the way we should go; He will counsel us with His eye upon us. How can it be bad for our kids when He is the complete center of their learning! If Jesus was coming tomorrow, what would we do different today? I wish I had done HS from the beginning, but better now than never. God gave us authority over our children yet our culture dictates that we are to hand that authority over to others. I feel HS puts it in the order that God wants it to be and I want that for my family. I'm not so concerned if my kids become little geniuses but rather they have a genuine love for God and a faith that honors Him.

Ronda - posted on 03/04/2009

Pretty much all of my reasons for homeschooling have been mentioned as well except for the main reason that I chose to homeschool.

I have a severely dyslexic son who is getting ready to turn 14 yrs old.  During the elementary years in PS, I was constantly at the school for various reasons from IEP's, PTO, ran Volunteer Services, volunteered and was a homeroom parent.   We bacame very disappointed in how the system was helping him. 

They talked me into placing him in the Special Resouce Dept.  As I was in the school on a daily basis, myself and others started to notice that he was being used as a teachers helper.  No wonder he wasnt learning except for what our private tudor or myself was teaching him.

It came time for him to move on into Middle School.  I was constantly being called for a meeting about something.  It became very clear that I had been lied to about his reading level. Because of his intelligence, he had learned how to hide this.  He had became very strong in visualization learning but when it came to test or assignements, he just could not do it.  They threw him into the main stream knowing he could not function and there was nothing that I could do about it.  They were just going to continue passing him on.  I am not that kind of parent. Education is very important especialy at this day and time. 

I would drive him to school although it was just 5 minutes from us.  I would go outside for something after getting back and he would be setting in my vehickle.  He knew if he came in our house, I would drive him back.  So he would skip school hiding in our back yard or my vehicle. Then he started having panic attacks.  He bacame very upset because they put him in Spanish and he couldn't learn it or do the assignments.  They were trying to punish him by putting him in after school detention.  I became furious because you do not punish a child for learning disabilities and pulled him out. Istarted him in a distance learning program which our district recognizes as "homeschooled".   Within a 9 week period, he was writing and reading on a 3rd grade level because his instruction was designed for him and his dyslexia.  He was no longer in tears and is now enjoying learning.

Now that I have him reading and writing, I am looking into an online program since he likes working with his computer.  He had hopes of playing football in middle and high school, but I really don't think he will be able to go back as far behind as he is.

Being homeschooled in our area, the county requires that the child must have the standardized testing every year in order to go back into the correct grade.  They managed to forget to contact us last year and we weren't contacted this year which means he would go back to the grade that he left on.

We are currently being harrassed by the school system because of our decission.  They have now called CPS stating that I have not been certified for homeschooling and that he has not attended school all year.  Over half the year is over and now they are questioning where he is.  I found out about other students that are in this very same program that he is in with the very same district; they handled them as a transfer student.

I just don't understand, they did not want to help with his dyslexia but they do not want me to either.  It is sad because he is very smart and has a desire to work with the FBI in special forces and is wanting to serve in the miliatary.  This is a dream that would not have happened if we didnt change the situation.

I am a parent that is for school vouchers for the school of our choice and am also wanting homeschool laws to be changed and used fairly and equally. Which is not happening in our situation.

Thank you,

Ronda

Melissa - posted on 02/27/2009

I love reading why everyone has chose to homeschool.  My reasons have been stated by more than one of you. 

-get to BE with my children

-allow them to BE who they truly are

-allow them to learn at their own pace

-allow them to focus on what they are interested in

-create family unity

-more control (yes, I am going to use the C word) over who and what they are exposed to

-teach them TRUTH!

-give them a strong Spiritual grounding

-Have FUN!!!!

-know my children as well as I can while they are with me

My kids are still young, and our "schooling" hasn't been much, but I can't imagine any other way being better for us!  I am thankful for our freedom to do so!

Tricia - posted on 02/26/2009

My name is Tricia and I will be homeschooling my son. He has digeorge syndrome and an Immune Deficiency Disorder. If it doesn't correct itself by 5 he will be homeschooled for sure. Right now he is 2 years and 9 months. He can't talk yet and is learning sign. He will not be able to go to preschool or anything with other kids until it gets better. He has 4 therapists that come to the house occupational, speech, physical and infant stem. Kindly like school because he sits in a little chair with a tray on it... He does real well for them. Who knows how he will react with other kids. Since he can't play with them right now. He will probably go crazy in a classroom full of kids. He gets so excited when he sees kids.



I have had to start a business at home due to this.. If anyone would like to do this you can go to www.supportingzach.com... It is very difficult to be a single or stay at home mom at times. This helps me with extra money and hopefully eventually I can stay home full-time.

Crystal - posted on 02/24/2009

I want to say because I'm a caring sensitive mom who wants what's best for her child... That's what I WANT to say.

When my son expressed his desire to read at 3 yrs old I knew we wouldn't be able to wait. We tried a public preschool. The result was a lack of attention and behavior problems. Once we "detoxed" my well behaved and very talented learner re-emerged. From there it's all been down hill--with a few major bumps along the way--including his two younger siblings and NY state requirements. (Gag!!!)

I've always had issues with public schooling--and it's politics. What does it do to a child's self esteem? What kind of self discovering does it incur or negate? Whose values are represented and promoted? And how can any kid who gets so little positive reinforcement hope to excel?

Every child is precious. Every child deserves a personal relationship with an educator who cares individually about them. (That's my "mature" perspective on the matter after 5 years of practice.)

Yoly - posted on 02/22/2009

I looked at the families who were homeschooling and though WOW those kids don't act thier age.  Than my husband started working more (hes a coach at a college) So the kids would rarely see him if they started school.  I really  base my homeschooling around his schedule so its more like a college school year.  We also can travel with him, which makes it nice to take our books with us.

Since my husband works for a acedamic college we found out that they want homeschool kids because they do better and are more propared than PS kids.

 We both had a problem with PS  that if you don't fit the mold your left out.  I also had the problem that I would never see my kids with school and extra curriculm. I can go on and on about why we homeschool now.

Holly - posted on 02/04/2009

My oldest was abused twice in the PS system. It was obvious she needed to stay home and learn about Jesus, kindness, love, all the fruits that she was missing out on in school.

Crystal - posted on 01/30/2009

There are many reasons we decided to homeschool our kids. The first was that I hate the way the public school system is today. There is too much emphasize on standardized tests and not on actual learning and the joy of learning. Second, I was gifted, and instead of allowing me to excell I was held back and told to go at the other students pace, not that I listened, but it was frustrating, and I also did not see the point on having the socialization at school, sure it was fun having my friends around me all day long, but it took away from my learning. I preferred really to hang out outside of school and tried, and failed a lot at keeping school just for learning. My kids won't have that problem, they will have their friends outside of school, and school will be just for learning. My husband had problems also, he is incredibly intelligent, but they held him back because the school never realized that he was dyslexic and that was why he was having so much problems in English and Math. He became discouraged, and eventually just gave up trying to learn. He still has issues with all this, thinking he can't learn, or that he isn't smart enough to do things when I know that he can, he just has a hard time reading. I would too if the letters didn't line up right in my sight.

Because of all that we had decided to consider homeschooling, although my husband was worried about the socialization also, but I convinced him when he joined the Army that homeschooling would be the best thing. I stay home to give them stabilization, I'm their rock, their one parent who doesn't leave and is there for them 24/7. We decided that it will be hard enough on them making friends in their extra curricular activities and then moving, that we didn't want them to have to deal with going to new schools on top of it all. That's why we homeschool.

Stacie - posted on 01/28/2009

Well my son has high functioning autsim and when he went from early childhood to kindergarden he went from a few hours to all day. We all thought he would handle the transition well and he didn't he just started to go down hill from there. The teacher wanted to help me out but really the principal, special ed director, super intendent wanted to put up a fight and I got tired of them being un educated about autism and them not listening what would be best for my son. So I decided to homeschool him. This is our second year and at times I am lost but we truck right along.

Mindy - posted on 01/27/2009

Hi!

When we had our kids my husband always talked about homeschooling them.  I was against it because I didn't feel like I could do it.  I have my Associate's in Physical Therapy and he has a Master's in Environmental Science so I felt like he would be better qualified :)  So off to PS they went. Well, after my son hit 4th grade and my daughter 3rd grade and I was practically living at their school as the PTO president,  I started changing my mind.

My kids are both strong students (thank the good Lord)  but they were both coming home upset by something they saw or heard from the other kids.  We are a christian family and they know right from wrong, but that didn't stop what they were being exposed to.  It would take several hours a night to try to "re-program" them just to have to do it all over again the following day.  I realize that the teachers could not control all the kids all the time (I saw it firsthand), but what bothered me was how much stuff they let slide that they DID see.

The students did not have respect for the principal or teachers and therefor did not care if they got in trouble.  It was like it was all a big joke to a lot of them.  Well, since I was blessed to be a stay at home mom at that time, we prayed and decided to give it try!

One and a half years later, after many frustrating and tearful days, i can say that it has been worth it.  I hope my kids see this as the blessing it has been when they are older..a time to re-connect with their immediate family and with God.

We plan to re-enter into PS next fall, not the same one though.  This school is known for being very strong academically and they expect every student to obey the rules and respect each other.  I'm a bit nervous, but I know that I have done what has been best for my kids.

Anyway, enough about me!  Thanks for all your wisdom and experience!!

Mindy

Carolyn - posted on 01/26/2009

Greetings all!

Although I never really thought about having kids, when I did homeschooling was the only option for me. I was homeschooled for 3 years in the 1980s and then entered a public school for middle and high school.

My oldest is 13 so I say I have been home educating for 13 years. He started more formal learning at 3 (so 10 years if you count then). I now have 4 boys (13, 10, 8 and 6). The decision to homeschool involved a number of reasons. First, I knew I could do better; then there is the socialization issue (I do not want mine socialized the way the schools do it). Finally, while getting my PhD in education at Capella University, I realized that all my teacher education training was wrong. We get it wrong in organized schooling. That is not the way children learn best and it drives the love of learning out of them. Then there are the religious reasons and so many others. I will leave it at that.

I look forward to getting to know all of you. Thanks for sharing.

Blessings,

Carolyn

Kristina - posted on 01/16/2009

HI, Im new to the group.....  We decided after 5th grade of my eldest that we were gonna pull them out of the PS system and homeschool.  I was just recently laid off from a job and not wanting to return to the work field anyway and was really sick of the PS teachers and staff trying to tell me how to raise my daughter.   They thought they knew better than her own folks so that was the straw that broke the camels back.  I have been homeschooling now for 2.5 years with a little of this and a little of that to see what works with my kids and what doesnt.  I finally found a computer based cirriculum that both my older kids seem to enjoy that works out great for our family situation.

Jennifer - posted on 01/12/2009

I haven't "officially" started yet, but my reason is because of what I've been seeing in our school system.  My husband and I both teach (in my case taught) in public schools.  We believe there is too much emphasis on standardized tests, and not enough on the students.  Not that testing is bad, but it's not the most accurate.  I had a friend who was accetional in math, but because he was sick when he took his SAT's, he did poorly in the math section and had to take remedial math as an engineer major.  Also, the school district I worked for has high test scores, but I heard teachers admit in meetings that they skipped some subjects so they can spend more time on math.  I just don't think that's right.

Another thing, teachers tend to complain about how parents are raising their kids.  I've often heard teachers say they felt like babysitters.  I taught music, and I heard these comments from other teachers.  But when I came to the class room, I would usually get the feeling that I was not regarded as a real teacher.  I walked into a classroom and heard a teacher tell another "the preps are coming to the class."  That's what I was to her, someone to babysit so she could prepare her lessons for the next week.  I could give so many reasons why the arts are important.  I can even give references form research, but that didn't matter.

Sorry for the venting, but I really am disappointed with the current system that's in place. If I could find a good public or private school that I'm satisfied with, I'd send my kids there.  Until then, they're staying home.

Nicole - posted on 01/11/2009

We had decided to homeschool because our second child has emotional and social issues that  look like ADHD. We decided to start with our oldest. He went to Kindergarten when I was pregnant with our 4th. He had all sorts of social issues with the girls in his class. They were playing middle school friend games already at 5. We were going to keep him home for 1st grade but were pressured by him and our family and friends to send him. He went from Sept to Christmas break. It was awful. He loved school and did very well, but came home tired and grouchy and hard to deal with. We just didn't like him. He was also gone from 9-4 every day. We pulled him out in January. It was a rough first few months, but this year has been so much easier. We are loving it. He takes a class at the Y and at the resource center in our school district. I'm just starting to get nervous about schooling our 5 year old next year. I love it that my kids are home with me all day though. It's crazy busy here and a serious mess, but I wouldn't have it any other way. We plan to homeschool all 5.

Natalie - posted on 01/09/2009

Hi Allison,

My name is Natalie and I have two children 14.5 months apart. They will be 4 and 3 this year. Our family's desire to homeschool has stemmed from our histories in school. I excelled in most every field and was inspired to go to school but my husband was incredibly intelligent but only pushed to accomplish the minimum standard so that is all he did. Our children are already showing many gifted signs academically and we don't want them to be tied to a standard our school systems comply to or be bored in school because the schools have to follow the path of the slowest learner. I understand that every child deserves to learn, but my children should also be allowed, in the same respect, to learn at their abilities.

Amy - posted on 01/09/2009

Our initial reason to begin homeschooling was our daughter who was delayed in almost everything in her young life. She was late to sit, crawl, walk, talk, hop, pedal... just about everything! Our pediatrician wasn't worried, she just said that some kids take longer to "get" things than other kids do. I was OK with that, but there was another thing that bugged me about my precious little one.

From the time she could sit up, we started noticing that she displayed perfectionistic tendencies. She wouldn't play with a new toy until we left the room; she wouldn't attempt talking until she was alone; she just seemed to have an innate fear of failure at not even one year old! I knew this could be a bad combo: delayed motor skills and perfectionism. I knew that she needed to learn at her own pace, without the pressure of "smarter" kids making fun of her. So, we began simple preschool activities at home when she was three.

We're involved in a church, so she was able to be with her peers in non-academic situations about twice a week. But those first years of preschool at home made me convinced we were doing the right thing. It was my goal to allow her to realize that messing up is part of life and part of learning. This might sound funny, but I actually wanted her to fail--in the safety of our home--to see that it's not the end of the world, unless we allow ourselves to stay down. Life is about getting back up again and giving it another try.

She's now in 2nd grade and performing at grade level in most areas, and above grade level in reading. But more important than that is the fact that she now will try almost anything--physical, academic, you name it! She's still behind most of her peers in almost everything physical, but she doesn't let that stop her from trying! And she has developed quite an attitude of encouragement that she shares when other kids get discouraged. Over the last few years, our daughter has grown into a much more confident and persistent individual. She sticks with things until she gets it. What an awesome lesson she has been to the whole family!

And THAT's why we homeschool. :)

Samantha - posted on 11/14/2008

I was homeschooled my whole life and so it was natural for me to school my kids! I have a 2nd grader and a 1st grader, and I love teaching them and learning along with them (there is soo much we forget from school!) and just being with them all day and doing things with them. I love being the one who gets to see them as they learn and discover something new!! its the best.

Brianne - posted on 11/11/2008

Hi Allison,



My name is Bri and I am a former PS teacher who watched students being left beind for YEARS! Once my son started to take an interest in reading, I quit my job and now homeschool him in Kindergarten.