How did you know homeschooling was right for your family?

[EmmieAZ]

Hello ladies. Unless God has plans otherwise, I will be homeschooling my DD next year beginning with Kinder. However, I still wonder if this is what God really wants for us. I am one of those who has trouble discerning what is from God and what is me just really wanting something. How did you know it was what God wanted for your family? Or did you just jump in with a wait-and-see approach?

[topekaclark]

For us, our youngest dd was struggling in school. I dealt with the school for 7 months, trying to get her an IEP. I would come home crying after each meeting. Frustrated and tired, I finally gave it up to God (you think as a christian I would have done that in the first place, duh.).

I never even gave hs a thought, I woke up one morning and realized I could hs her. It came to me that I could start her back on square one and work up. I believe God is the one who made me realized to hs. She is doing awesome now and I give God all the glory.

Now we are hs her older sister, I prayed on it too. She was going into middle school and it was very heavy on my heart to hs. I felt like if I allowed her to continue in public school she would pull away from us and God. I believe she is more likely to walk with God if she was in an environment that puts him first in everything.

It sounds selfish, but with the rapture so close I don't want to loose our kids to the world and them be left behind.

Ok, this turned out to be a short story................:pound


The end.

[MochaMel]

We jumped in SLOWLY... I wasn't listening or just did not know what God was calling me too; i kept trying to find a way for private; but it wasn't going to happen on one income. We were also brand new christians and i believe he gave me those 2 years to really KNOW Him before God led me to find out about HSing.... We tried private school one year -- that was great; but we couldn't afford to keep doing it.

My oldest was always in PS -- my 13 y.o. -- who was in 1st grade at the time had been struggling from the begginning.. I kept feeling nudges; but knew nothing about Hsing -- and wasn't really sure i was educated enough to do it. As the last year of school went on -- i noticed i desperately hated sending them to school; absolutely felt in my gut it was not working -- so many problems with the school getting him tested and him falling farther and farther behind -- not to mention the endless teasing; and he was SO sad to be away from me all day... We are VERY close to this day and he's a teenager.

My oldest who was doing SO well the year we did private school; He started to act out alot in rebellious ways, not wanting God, doing things behind my back, etc. Needless to say he ended up wanting to go to his Dad's and the farther away he pulled from us; the more resistant he was to HSing.. Ultimately it has damaged him for being in a public school setting; and i'm sure countless other worldly things he dealt with at his Dad's -- No God, church, being able to do exactly as he pleased, etc.

By the end of that year i knew -- i had spoke with my cousin who was the only one i knew that HSed i talked to her alot the year before we did it; she gave me lots of valuable information -- though i still felt inadequate and ill prepared... I jumped in the next year and have never looked back -- sometimes felt like giving up; and some years really wishing i could do PS --but ultimately God is in control here and i wanted to be obedient. And i don't regret it... Not even on those days that are not so great.

We are now on year 7.... and honestly i can't believe the changes in my children and the wonderful way they are going. They may not be the children that are excelling academically as the 13 y.ol has some learning disabilities and my dd is a struggling reader -- but spiritually they are above the average! :lol2 I am there Mom though -- so i know i'm boasting. :heythere God has not stopped me from doing this though; I believe he is more worried about them being spiritually sound and having foundations then being scholars just yet -- with that said: my 13 y.o. has come into this own in his timing with his learning style. I can't even believe i ever worried he would ever catch up... I will start to do that with my dd and must remember she is learning at her pace -- not what everyone else thinks she should be.

I did ALOT of praying -- and God just kept confirming day after day and week after week -- and now i wouldn't change it for the world!

Hope that helps!
Mel

[HSmomto4]

Why I homeschool

I. Time with Family
a.Amount of time
b.Quality of time
c.Flexible schedules

II. Learning Style
a. Learning styles can be more efficient since methods can be used that suit a child’s particular learning style
b. Children can avoid being forced to work in “cooperative learning groups” which include children who have very uncooperative learning styles.
c. Children learn to work for internal satisfaction instead of for external rewards
d. Allow subjects to be taught that aren’t found in traditional schools

III. Hands on learning
a.Individual attention
b.Field trips
c.Non academic activities like art and music
d.Learning the basics through simple at home activities
e.Continuing the education through at home learning for older children

IV. In-depth Studies
a.Allow children to have time for more in-depth study than what is allowed in school
b.Allow learning at their own pace
c.Allow learning at the level that is appropriate to their own developmental stage
d.Provide long uninterrupted blocks of time for writing, reading, playing, thinking, or working so that the child is able to engage in sophisticated, complex activities and thought processes.

V. Personal Responsibility
a.Children learn to help more with household chores, developing a sense of personal responsibility
b.Children learn life skills, such as cooking, in a natural way, by spending time with adults who are engaged in those activities
c.More time spent on household responsibilities strengthens family bonds because people become more committed to things they have invested in (in this case, by working as a family)
d.Children will learn to devote their time and energy to activities that they find important and worthwhile

VI. Community involvement
a.Community service
b.Political involvement

VII. Family Values
a.Children can be consistently guided in a family’s values and can learn them by seeing and participating in parents’ daily lives
b.Children will not learn to “fit into society,” but will, instead, value morality and love more than status and money
c.Children will be able to learn about God in a manner that is not demeaning

VIII. Social Interactions
a.Social interactions will be by choice and based on common interests
b.More time will be spent with people who really love and care about them.
c.Children will bond more with siblings and parents

IX. Safety
Children will be safer from gangs, drugs and guns

[MochaMel]

^^ That is by far the BEST post i've read on the positives of Homeschooling and exactly why I do; i love it all summed up very nicely!! :yeah

[Sealed]

I love telling my story...
My son has learning issues and struggled all through the elementary years. We had an IEP and that wasn't worth the paper it was printed on. Third grade was almost unbearable and I pleaded with DH to get him out of there, but DH was from a very academically successful and traditional background and HS was WAY out of the box for him. SO, I prayed all through 4th and at the beginning of 5th I finally let it go (stopped worrying). I remember sitting at the table talking to God and saying that I knew He had a plan for my son and I fully trust Him to guide us. And I thanked Him for that. I told realized that HS was not an option, b/c of DH and if it ever was one I would know it was His plan because He would have to change DH heart about the matter. Well, one week later DH approached me about homeschool. I had not even mentioned it to him since 3rd grade! Imagine my face as he said it.....my jaw was on the floor! This is our first year to HS. Ds is in 6th grade and I am LOVING it! What a blessing!!!! DS is becoming a relaxed, happy child again. Other family members have commented on this, too. And, I do not here "mom, I am stupid" anymore. He is learning alot and having a good time with it! Thank you so much, God!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[MochaMel]

^^ I know that is an awesome testimony! My 13 y.o. said the same things; and tells his bio dad who does not agree this is just one of the reasons he loves homeschooling; he doesn't feel like he's stupid anymore.



I love it!:yeah

[Sealed]

patnmel97 :thumb:hug

[denny272]

HSMomto4

All of your reasons are exactly why we homeschool too!

:thumb:hug

[JenGC]

I also struggle with this issue. I am able to afford Private school and God definately got my daughter in the best private school in our area (we tried them all). I really struggle with wondering if I should homeschool her. There are many reasons why I havent. 1) I am the only income for the family and the responsibility of keeping my daughter and teaching her would be on my mother and she is not very secure in that area. 2) My daughter is SO socially needy. She drove me crazy this summer with constantly wanting to go to the neighbor's houses to play.

According to her teacher, she is struggling with finishing her work. On the work she completes, she gets all As. She is the youngest in her class and I probably should have kept her out a year, but their jump from Kindergarden to 1st grade was ENORMOUS! I just think that I could do it better (of course) but worry about the other complications.