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KiddieCahoots 08:15 AM 09-10-2014
I've been thinking of homeschooling my little guy (6yrs.) and wondering what this would entail.
My two youngest children are extreme introverts, have anxiety that leads to upper GI issues, go to therapy to practice "mind over matter", etc., and just overall struggle with performing in large groups.
I'm still trying to figure out what would be more beneficial....sticking it out in school, or homeschooling?
In the meantime, can anyone give me heads up to what I'd have to accomplish with homeschooling?
Any advice on the pros and cons would greatly be appreciated.
Thanks
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DaisyMamma 08:24 AM 09-10-2014
Not sure if this would help, but perhaps a school with a smaller environment?
My DDs go to a Montessori elementary school, which has 18 children in the entire elementary program.
It's a great program. Self paced too. Very loving atmosphere. My older DD went to public school for 3 years. She says that going to this school is like being home schooled.
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LysesKids 08:50 AM 09-10-2014
As a momma that homeschooled my 2 youngest kids thru High school, I can say this... each state has it's own rules, some stricter than others, so you might live in a place that requires you have a BA before you can even consider it, or you might be in a place where you just legally pull your child from public school and just go about your business without state even knowing ( a non registration required like IN or MO).

Knowing where you live will make it easier to point you to some good starting websites. Small private schools are ok, however to expensive IMO... you can homeschool on a budget. I homeschooled in 5 different states, so learned quickly, which was easy and which weren't
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craftymissbeth 09:44 AM 09-10-2014
Originally Posted by LysesKids:
As a momma that homeschooled my 2 youngest kids thru High school, I can say this... each state has it's own rules, some stricter than others, so you might live in a place that requires you have a BA before you can even consider it, or you might be in a place where you just legally pull your child from public school and just go about your business without state even knowing ( a non registration required like IN or MO).

Knowing where you live will make it easier to point you to some good starting websites. Small private schools are ok, however to expensive IMO... you can homeschool on a budget. I homeschooled in 5 different states, so learned quickly, which was easy and which weren't
She lives in Utopia, so I can on,y imagine that the homeschooling laws are awesome there
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Play Care 09:47 AM 09-10-2014
In my state if I were to home school my now SA kids would count in my ratio. I'd have to let dck's go.

ETA: I'd do it in a heartbeat if I felt I was qualified to do a better job than the school. Our district has been pretty awesome with our kids, both of whom have ADHD and need some extra supports.
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MrsSteinel'sHouse 10:57 AM 09-10-2014
Let me preface this by saying this has been my experience and my observations, they of course do not hold true to everyone and may not be the majority opinions. I know there are good schools out there and good teachers, I just paid thousands of dollars for my dd to attend college and get her teaching license so I am not in anyone blasting all schools or teachers. I do believe that our school system is quickly falling apart but that is another discussion.

I have homeschooled for the past 15 years and will finish in June when my ds graduates and as previously stated I have a dd that just graduated college that was hsed from 3rd grade on.

Pros-
I am very close to my children. I think that learning together gives us a unique bond.
They got to explore their interests and talents.
Ds is a competitive shooter and he could not have kept up with this schedule without being hsed (He is currently in Spain shooting the World Championships!)
It was easier to shape them morally and keep them away from things that I considered them too young to be around.
I have to say it as a provider- I always have an extra set of hands around. I will miss ds! The kids sometimes respond to him in a different way than they do to me.
We got to stay home. My kids are content at home. They have learned to occupy themselves.
No one put down their interests. My dd could still play with dolls at 12. My son could spend time teaching himself to juggle.
We could delay some of the "techie" stuff like cell phones and computer access.

Cons-
You must have a strong discipline system in place. Your children must listen and obey you.
You are taking full responsibility for their academic success.
If one way of teaching them doesn't work, you must be willing to explore other ways (tutor, community college etc)
paperwork- documentation
It is a HUGE commitment.

If you have any specific questions on how we did it etc. Just ask.
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LysesKids 11:08 AM 09-10-2014
Originally Posted by MrsSteinel'sHouse:
Let me preface this by saying this has been my experience and my observations, they of course do not hold true to everyone and may not be the majority opinions. I know there are good schools out there and good teachers, I just paid thousands of dollars for my dd to attend college and get her teaching license so I am not in anyone blasting all schools or teachers. I do believe that our school system is quickly falling apart but that is another discussion.

I have homeschooled for the past 15 years and will finish in June when my ds graduates and as previously stated I have a dd that just graduated college that was hsed from 3rd grade on.

Pros-
I am very close to my children. I think that learning together gives us a unique bond.
They got to explore their interests and talents.
Ds is a competitive shooter and he could not have kept up with this schedule without being hsed (He is currently in Spain shooting the World Championships!)
It was easier to shape them morally and keep them away from things that I considered them too young to be around.
I have to say it as a provider- I always have an extra set of hands around. I will miss ds! The kids sometimes respond to him in a different way than they do to me.
We got to stay home. My kids are content at home. They have learned to occupy themselves.
No one put down their interests. My dd could still play with dolls at 12. My son could spend time teaching himself to juggle.
We could delay some of the "techie" stuff like cell phones and computer access.

Cons-
You must have a strong discipline system in place. Your children must listen and obey you.
You are taking full responsibility for their academic success.
If one way of teaching them doesn't work, you must be willing to explore other ways (tutor, community college etc)
paperwork- documentation
It is a HUGE commitment.
Some of our pros were my kids got jobs earlier than their friends
They could sleep in and still get their assignments done
I could count field trips to museums as part of the classes
I could travel more and at different times than When kids were in PS
Loved the fact we could learn in non traditional ways

Cons...
always documenting EVERYTHING especially for Highschool years (inc sports)
Getting the kids their drivers license in states that didn't offer classes
Sports... you need a good support team if the kids have cometitions and you can't travel
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BrooklynM 11:17 AM 09-10-2014
I've had friends that have homeschooled, but their kids were very socialized. They played sports, had big families and had lots of friends over, went to friends houses, etc. I think socialization is extremely important. If they are already introverted, maybe that may make it worse? Then again, you don't want to push them too much either. I would seek out advice from some professionals to see what their advice may be. It's a personal decision and you have to do what is best for your child to raise them up to be independent, capable adults so just do whatever is best for them and what is healthiest for them. I'm sure there are expert child psychologists that could assess them and offer suggestions?
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Laurel 01:06 PM 09-10-2014
Originally Posted by KiddieCahoots:
I've been thinking of homeschooling my little guy (6yrs.) and wondering what this would entail.
My two youngest children are extreme introverts, have anxiety that leads to upper GI issues, go to therapy to practice "mind over matter", etc., and just overall struggle with performing in large groups.
I'm still trying to figure out what would be more beneficial....sticking it out in school, or homeschooling?
In the meantime, can anyone give me heads up to what I'd have to accomplish with homeschooling?
Any advice on the pros and cons would greatly be appreciated.
Thanks
I haven't done it but if you go for it and you don't think it is beneficial you can send them to school again. So it might be worth the effort to try.

I had a part time assistant in my childcare for a few years (she started at 12 since she was home schooled and worked with me off and on till college). She was behind in her studies and needed extra help. Her parents tried a private school and it really didn't help so they home schooled her. It was great for her because she couldn't get as much one on one as she needed to succeed. Her parents brought her up more than a grade level each year until she actually surpassed her grade level. Her confidence shot through the roof. She chose to go to traditional high school though and did very well. She is now a teacher (she said because of me which was so sweet).

The pros that she told me were that she didn't feel like the 'dumb' kid in the class anymore. She was so grateful for her parents for catching her up. She is an only child with a mother that doesn't work outside the home so you would have an added challenge with daycare.

The cons she told me were that sometimes her parents got on her nerves, lol. That is why she decided to go to traditional high school. In other words, once she was more than caught up it was too much togetherness. She did tell me that her parents had to be very organized and disciplined and that it wasn't always easy for them.

Laurel
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Wubby 02:37 PM 09-10-2014
Have you looked into a charter school or virtual school like Connections academy or k12. We have been doing virtual school for 8yrs. I have 4 kiddos doing k12. 2 ar my own and 2 are dckids.
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Michael 03:48 PM 09-10-2014
We homeschool/ed both our children. Yes it is a commitment but we are so glad we did. There does come a point where tutors were needed for certain subjects. As they get older they can be assisted by the internet for their curriculum with educational sites like www.k12.com

Also suggest you join the Home School Legal Defense Association www.hslda.org/

More threads on Homeschool: https://www.daycare.com/forum/tags.php?tag=homeschool
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KiddieCahoots 04:03 PM 09-10-2014
Thank you so much everybody!
I greatly appreciate all the great advice and suggestions.
Had no idea where to even begin, I've now got some homework to do on this subject


Crafty, Utopia is the place I go to in my mind when the going gets tough ...........
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Michael 05:41 PM 09-10-2014
Originally Posted by KiddieCahoots:
Crafty, Utopia is the place I go to in my mind when the going gets tough ...........
You mean the Utopia on FOX?

http://www.utopiatv.com/home
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hsdcmama 06:49 PM 09-10-2014
I am currently homeschooling my 3 kids, this is our 3rd year. This year has been a bit tougher than others bc of starting my daycare business, but I am slowly finding my new groove & making it work. It can seem overwhelming at first, I know I was a nervous wreck the first day the school bus came & went and my kids weren't on it. But you can do it! The best advice I can give is to trust yourself and your kids; don't worry about what your kids are doing compared to everyone else, give yourself & the kids some time to decompress and figure out what they are interested in, what their strengths and weaknesses are, etc. There are so many different ways to hs, and no 2 families are the same. You may try one curriculum or workbook that you think will be a hit, and for one reason or another it just isn't working out; don't be afraid to change things up when you need to. We've done a different math program every year trying to find a good fit.

I wouldn't stress about socialization too much, just because a child is an introvert doesn't mean they can't or won't make friends. My kids have many friends of many different ages, who they met in our neighborhood, through other homeschooling families, church, their karate & dance classes, etc. They are so socialized that we have to be careful not to get burned out by it all!

It has been a unique and exhausting experience doing both homeschooling and daycare, but one of the reasons I chose this profession was that I would still be available to hs my kids. It works out for now because my kids are young enough that I can involve the dc kids in the hands-on parts of our hs (arts & crafts, science experiments, cooking & baking, etc.) which is a selling point for prospective clients because their kids pick up on what we're doing and learn with us.
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hsdcmama 06:50 PM 09-10-2014
Check out hslda.org, it has the hs laws for each state and is a good place to start.
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JoseyJo 08:39 AM 09-11-2014
I homeschooled my daughter from 7th grade through high school, and my sons from 3rd to 7th grades.

My boys decided to attend public school in 8th grade because one wanted to play football (they don't offer it here outside the public school system). My other son is very social, and didn't like doing his schoolwork all day, just me and him, so he followed his brother into public school the next semester (they are in the same grade). They are both thriving, with good grades, lots of friends, and the skill-set to make GOOD choices in a inner-city school.

I can absolutely say that it was the BEST choice I have ever made.

Homeschooling is the reason we started doing daycare, we couldn't make it without my income so I started watching a few preschool aged children and made it work by "schooling" them too

I loved the freedom to create my own curriculum based on my children's learning styles and my teaching style. We did use some virtual tools when my daughter was in highschool, but for the most part I re-learned along with them as I taught them. It was a LOT of hard work. But very, very rewarding.

If you love to learn then you will love homeschooling. I loved learning alongside them, especially when they got older, but even some of the base things like handwriting and phonics. I started college in the Spring of this year and I was able to test out of all the pre-reqs and go straight into college algebra and biology. Quite an accomplishment since I haven't been in school for almost 20 years! I got an A in both classes too


As for socialization, definitely check into the "groups" in your area, both homeschooling and other things like boy/girl scouts, youth groups, etc. Since I was also running the daycare sometimes I couldn't make the homeschool meets work (they want the parents to stay, and weren't always cool with 5 extra preschoolers running around). Boy scouts and youth group worked well for us, along with archery classes, karate, and dance (which can call be done after school/daycare hours).
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KiddieCahoots 09:04 AM 09-11-2014
Originally Posted by Michael:
You mean the Utopia on FOX?

http://www.utopiatv.com/home
Lol! I just googled this to see what you were talking about.
My utopia is an imaginary island with a perfect political and social system. I have a feeling that may not exactly be the same for the Fox show, haha.... Looks interesting though.
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KiddieCahoots 09:47 AM 09-11-2014
In your own experience.....

How much time did you find you needed for the prep work on the study?

How much time do you find you have needed for study with your child?

And how much time for the paperwork or documentation?

Sorry for all the questions, this is a little overwhelming, and I feel the more answers I receive from people that have already, successfully accomplished this, the better.
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LysesKids 10:11 AM 09-11-2014
Originally Posted by KiddieCahoots:
In your own experience.....

How much time did you find you needed for the prep work on the study? Depends on the age and subject

How much time do you find you have needed for study with your child? the beauty of homeschooling is there are no set times you have to work unless you are in a state that requires a minimum set hours each year. One kid flew thru math, while the other wanted to spend weeks on astronomy

And how much time for the paperwork or documentation? Again it depends on your state and THEIR requirements

Sorry for all the questions, this is a little overwhelming, and I feel the more answers I receive from people that have already, successfully accomplished this, the better.
The reason I asked for your state originally is because it does matter when it comes to doing things legal for Home school. The rules are so different in each state, there is no one size fits all for any part of it
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KiddieCahoots 10:29 AM 09-11-2014
Originally Posted by LysesKids:
The reason I asked for your state originally is because it does matter when it comes to doing things legal for Home school. The rules are so different in each state, there is no one size fits all for any part of it
Ohhh......I see.
Ok, good to know!
Reply
cheerfuldom 10:35 AM 09-11-2014
Originally Posted by MrsSteinel'sHouse:
Let me preface this by saying this has been my experience and my observations, they of course do not hold true to everyone and may not be the majority opinions. I know there are good schools out there and good teachers, I just paid thousands of dollars for my dd to attend college and get her teaching license so I am not in anyone blasting all schools or teachers. I do believe that our school system is quickly falling apart but that is another discussion.

I have homeschooled for the past 15 years and will finish in June when my ds graduates and as previously stated I have a dd that just graduated college that was hsed from 3rd grade on.

Pros-
I am very close to my children. I think that learning together gives us a unique bond.
They got to explore their interests and talents.
Ds is a competitive shooter and he could not have kept up with this schedule without being hsed (He is currently in Spain shooting the World Championships!)
It was easier to shape them morally and keep them away from things that I considered them too young to be around.
I have to say it as a provider- I always have an extra set of hands around. I will miss ds! The kids sometimes respond to him in a different way than they do to me.
We got to stay home. My kids are content at home. They have learned to occupy themselves.
No one put down their interests. My dd could still play with dolls at 12. My son could spend time teaching himself to juggle.
We could delay some of the "techie" stuff like cell phones and computer access.

Cons-
You must have a strong discipline system in place. Your children must listen and obey you.
You are taking full responsibility for their academic success.
If one way of teaching them doesn't work, you must be willing to explore other ways (tutor, community college etc)
paperwork- documentation
It is a HUGE commitment.

If you have any specific questions on how we did it etc. Just ask.
KUDOS to you for making homeschooling work! It sounds like your kids are educated, well rounded and thriving and if that is not a success story, I dont know what is. How wonderful!
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cheerfuldom 10:43 AM 09-11-2014
You might also look into untraditional school options in your area. For instance, our town has a university model school. Meaning they mainly cater to homeschoolers and your child pays by the class like a college. This is great for higher math and science in high school! But for the primary, they have extras two or three morning a week. The parents are guided in homeschooling core subjects at home (if they need the help) and the school mornings are used to music, PE, languages, tutoring and other extras that parents may not be able to provide at home or things that can only be done with a group, like choir. It is a really great option that we are considering down the road so you really get the best of both worlds. The parents work together and support one another while also having the majority of the week to instruct their children as they see fit. You can take the state exams at the school or other things to see where your child is progressing in comparison to the norm.....but you dont have to. Everything is on a pay-as-go type basis and the fees are much cheaper than private schools.
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GKJNIGMN 10:57 AM 09-11-2014
I personally spend very little time on prepwork. We have textbooks (like school style textbooks not homeschool curriculum) but I rarely touch them. I use them for Pennsylvania history which I am required to teach but since I'm not from here I don't know it and Science. Other than that I have a rough idea what main things I want to cover in each subject and I go from there.

I think the pros of homeschooling for me have been seeing what my son's actual issues are. The school could tell me but when I see it myself I have been able to figure out how he learns. We use a lot of worksheets I print from different websites.

The con for me was just how nervous I was. I worried that I wouldn't be able to keep up with it or that I would fail - It really isn't as hard as it appears.

I spend a very tiny amount of time on paperwork. I live in Pennsylvania and have to have an evaluator review his progress at the end of the year. I put any work he does in folders by subject and I created a spreadsheet for each month and just check off what subjects he covers everyday. That allows me to see how much I am teaching in each area and confirms the number of days he was taught because we need to do at least 180 days. I also keep a list of field trips we take and books he reads.

As far as direct teaching, some days I do almost none with just him doing work and me clarifying any directions if he is reviewing things we have already covered. Other days I would say up to 3 hours is my max but it doesn't have to be 3 straight hours if I can find a block that large.

It's really an individual choice and, if it is a choice you make, you won't stop worrying until you are doing it and you see the progress.
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JoseyJo 11:14 AM 09-11-2014
Originally Posted by KiddieCahoots:
In your own experience.....

How much time did you find you needed for the prep work on the study?
I enjoyed the prep work so I probably spent more than necessary- but probably about 5 hours a week total

How much time do you find you have needed for study with your child?
Much more when they were younger (with a 6 yo I would think you would probably need to be with them most of the time they were doing work) when they were older only about 1/2 to 1 hour a day

And how much time for the paperwork or documentation?Depends on your state- in KS there is almost no oversight so very very little.

Sorry for all the questions, this is a little overwhelming, and I feel the more answers I receive from people that have already, successfully accomplished this, the better.
Good luck!
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