Serious negatives to homeschooling?

[lisaann]

So sorry you had to endure that scrutiny and criticism. It makes me feel a bit embarrassed by my collegues in the profession. A parent has to do what is right for their kids. I'm so glad homeschooling was such a great experience for you and your kids!

Lisa kuddos to you for keeping a Christian presense in the schools.

[EmmieAZ]

EmmieAZ, is there any update on your situation?

I've been teaching public school for going on 11 years now. I've always thought that homeschooled kids have an advantage over just about any kid that comes out of public school. If for no other reason, the teacher/student ratio can't be beat!

Parent wishes trump grandparent wishes in this department.

anyway, just my $0.02.

Wow! I haven't been on RR in nearly a week and I come back to this! Thanks so much to everyone for all of the input.

As far as an update, there really isn't any to report. I have sent a packet of articles related to homeschooling, virtually absent of anything negative, to my Dad. We'll see what he says after reading it - if he actually does. I know that I don't need his support, but I would appreciate it if he would at least take a moment to try and see where I am coming from on this.

My husband is starting to come around to the idea to - thank you Lord!!! He still says that he doesn't think it is a good idea for highschool b/c he feels that they would be missing out on things. But, that is a long way off so we will cross that bridge when we get there. And who knows, maybe we won't even be here when that time rolls around

On that note that DH has agreed to let me try Kinder with my DD next year I have mixed feelings. First and foremost I feel excited. Almost giddy about not having to "give up" my baby to a school next year. I'm excited about building our relationship and helping grow DD's and DS's sibling relationship as well. On the other hand I am scared as heck. Can I do this? I'm worried about not being motivated enough to get up and go in the mornings. It will definitely be a change in our daily routine. I have been home with her since she was born, but when you don't have school age kids there isn't any formal schooling that has to be done - just loving and playing and keeping up with life. I get nervous when thinking about adding something as huge as her education to that plate.
How do you ladies switch from Mom to teacher Mom each morning? It doesn't seem to be as easy to switch roles when you are at home as compared to working outside the home. If your job is outside the home, you get up, get ready, leave, and work. No home-type distractions - laundry, answering emails, etc.
Well, I will be praying hard over the next 10 months or so that God will prepare me in every aspect if this is what He is calling me to do. Even with all of the anxiety, I feel a sense of peace about this. But sometimes it's hard to determine if that is because it is God's will, or if I am relieved about not sending DD off to school next year.

[Kathe]

My husband is starting to come around to the idea to - thank you Lord!!! He still says that he doesn't think it is a good idea for highschool b/c he feels that they would be missing out on things. But, that is a long way off so we will cross that bridge when we get there. And who knows, maybe we won't even be here when that time rolls around

From a mom who recently graduated 4 teens from high school here is a list of things your kids will be missing out on by not going to public high school:

-rampant drug use by most of their friends and peers
-being forced to prepare a report on why evolution is true and God is a crock
-being forced to learn about every other religion our there but denied being able to hear about Christianity
-being told that they are the only ones in the entire school who hasn't had sex and how stupid they are because it's so fun
-constant peer pressure about drugs, alcohol and sex
-skipping school cause it's the cool thing to do
-did I say constant peer pressure about everything?
-dressing in designed clothes or else
-not having their own brand new car when they turn 16
-getting invited to parties where the parents handed out beer (because kids are going to drink anyway so they might as well do it under our supervision)
-being taught that homosexuality is normal and going through classes to teach them that they might be homosexual also
-political correctness gone terribly wrong
-getting bombarded with clubs "homosexuals, wiccans, etc)
-filth being played on the school radio station

I'm sure I missed some. You can be sure that our 2 youngest will be homeschooled at the way through. They will not be subjected to the stuff that our older kids were. It was terribly painful for us all.

Kathe

[Wally]

Helpful hint: #1

Homeschooling works best when you have some structure. You need a daily schedule, as well as a school year calendar. The schedule helps you allocate your day, allows for work, study, meals, with objectives and extra catch up time. You should only need about a half day normally. Your year schedule is for planning trips, testing, counting school days, and setting goals.

Helpful hint #2 Discipline yourself to follow Hint #1. Once you get it flowing alot of the stress disappears. It's not that hard and make sure you talk to other Homeschoolers, they'll have experience and tips and will ENCOURAGE you. Go for it!

[lisaann]

Remember also that you are not sending them to 'school' because you have already decided that they don't do a good job............why would you want to copy their ways at home? This is your school, do it your way! Granted you need to cover certain topics, and follow your states guidelines, but as long as the material get's covered have fun doing it. If you aren't a get-up-first-thing-in-the-morning-and-go type of family then don't. Do school when it suits you. We almost never get started around here before 10:00am. Once we get started I do have a schedule that we stick to and we are still done by 1:00 pm. I am currently schooling a 6yo and an 8yo.

Here is a link for getting started homeschooling:
http://www.youcanhomeschool.org/star...ult.asp?bhcp=1

This is HSLDA's (Homeschool Legal Defense Association) hompage. It has a ton of links to help you and you can even find your state through a link on the left:
http://www.hslda.org/Default.asp?bhcp=1

Talk to other homeschoolers about what worked for them and what didnt. Keep an eye on the homeschooling threads here. Those who have gone before you can really help you weed out what will work and what won't, what is a waste of time and what is worth it.
I will post a few links to things we have used and liked to help you get started looking at things. Hopefully others will also link products and ideas that have worked for them as well.

When I first started homeschooling my son in K we used Five In A Row which is a very sweet, gentle way to get them started in school. It covers every topic except Phonics and Math:
http://www.fiarhq.com/

We use Saxon Math:
http://saxonhomeschool.harcourtachie...ode%5EUSDen-US

Others here use Math U See which is also a very popular program:
http://www.mathusee.com/

I used Sing, Spell, Read and Write for beginning phonics and wasent too crazy about it. I think it would work well for an accelerated reader but that wasent the case with my ds. Hopefully others here have programs that they liked and can recommend. We are using Learning Language Arts Through Literature now with much more success.

Learning styles:
http://www.homeschoolchristian.com/FAQ/Styles.html

Awsome catalog for homeschool curriculum and products with good descriptions and good prices, contact them and ask for a catalog:
rainbowresource.com

[ninesixteen]

Anyone from California who home schooled a High Schooler? I was curious how they did on the CAHSEE Exam.

[imfree]

I thought of a "downside" Not enough bookshelves or wall space to house the bookshelves......

AMEN, AMEN!!!!!

The only downside? I guess my teenage son has given me some grief...he's very, very strong-willed and given to disobedience....but God's will always wins out. Still though, the benefits are too numerous to list.

[RRuth]

:
How do you ladies switch from Mom to teacher Mom each morning?

We don't. Home schoolers are mom's/teachers 24/7

Most home schoolers will turn EVERY situation into a LEARNING experience.

Ruth

[hapimom98]

The biggest negative I've found and encountered is from other Christians who insist our kids are supposed to be the "salt" in the public schools
Children are not little missionaries. While it's wonderful when a child can show Jesus to another, it's not their job or purpose for being at school

This is one of the reasons we haven't started homeschooling yet, because my husband believes this....the light and salt thing.

I don't feel like you should place that burden on a child.....but I will pray that the Lord will change his mind, or mine.

Good points!

[firstoftwelve]

Kindergarden is not very time consuming when it's just one child.
You'll be surprised that you get through your 2 or 3 worksheets and think, is that it????
Just have a great time being together and do it on your own time. We never get started first thing in the morning. Im just not a morning person.
right now I actually wait until after lunch, put the baby down for his nap and then do school with the other two. Then I have them go have a rest time, during which they often do their reading or handwriting. Things I don't have to be with them directly for. and I have some time to myself then too.

As someone else said, this isn't "school" teach them in the way that works best for you and your children. some kids may learn their numbers best by digging up worms. Ex: find 2 worms and put them in this bucket. Now find 3 worms and put them in this bucket. Now put them together on this plate, how many worms do you have all together???

LOl obviously i have boys but you see my point. You get to be creative in making learning fun and work best for your child.

D.

[NewWorldOrder]

This is one of the reasons we haven't started homeschooling yet, because my husband believes this....the light and salt thing.

I don't feel like you should place that burden on a child.....but I will pray that the Lord will change his mind, or mine.

Good points!

He may be singing a different tune, if instead of being the salt and the light, they are actually influenced by things that go on there. Our children were never meant to be used this way. We are to train them in the ways of the Lord, not throw them to the wolves. Some kids do fine in public school, others do not. I hated public school. I swore my children would never go. Put my oldest in Public school for about 3 weeks, and pulled her out when there was absolutely no order at the end of the day.

[adam423]

This is one of the reasons we haven't started homeschooling yet, because my husband believes this....the light and salt thing.

I don't feel like you should place that burden on a child.....but I will pray that the Lord will change his mind, or mine.

Good points!

I agree with Newworldorder...my oldest daughter was so influenced by peers in public school, she rebelled against our authority. One of her high school teachers told her she didn't need to listen to us and have a curfew, that she should stand up for herself. A teacher!!! And her friends agreed. Now, she is living with a married man and has cut off contact with me and has turned away from the Lord. When she was younger, she used to witness.

I read on one of the home school websites, that less than 10% of kids coming from Christian homes are believers when they graduate high school. School is a hostile environment, not a place that nurtures our children or allows them to seek Christ.

[Wally]

Two old truisms:

Clean doesn't rub off, dirt does.

Children - generally- are not equipped nor able to resist temptation. That is why we train them up first, so that when they are older they have tools to use. When they enter public school, all that we teach them is challenged and tore down. Now considering the time we spend, and the time they spend, considering home has discipline, school little or none, what we call wrong they call rights, keep going.... rare is the child who has the fullness of the Holy Spirit that they can be a witness.


Two dogs make half a dog.

It takes time to train a dog, commands, obedience, but as soon as a couple trained dogs get together... foof.....off they go, ignoring you, doing what ever they want. You wind up with half a dog between them. Irish setters are the perfect example, but most dogs are similar.

Children left to themselves reinforce each other, dare each other, and it seems only a matter of time till they do something really stupid - not that times have changed much. But when I was a kid, the parents in my neighborhood worked together. There was an expected level of conduct and if things got out of hand the parents reclaimed their kids and all were taught. I should have cut down that maple tree....

[Kathe]

Two old truisms:

Clean doesn't rub off, dirt does.

Children - generally- are not equipped nor able to resist temptation. That is why we train them up first, so that when they are older they have tools to use. When they enter public school, all that we teach them is challenged and tore down. Now considering the time we spend, and the time they spend, considering home has discipline, school little or none, what we call wrong they call rights, keep going.... rare is the child who has the fullness of the Holy Spirit that they can be a witness.


Two dogs make half a dog.

It takes time to train a dog, commands, obedience, but as soon as a couple trained dogs get together... foof.....off they go, ignoring you, doing what ever they want. You wind up with half a dog between them. Irish setters are the perfect example, but most dogs are similar.

Children left to themselves reinforce each other, dare each other, and it seems only a matter of time till they do something really stupid - not that times have changed much. But when I was a kid, the parents in my neighborhood worked together. There was an expected level of conduct and if things got out of hand the parents reclaimed their kids and all were taught. I should have cut down that maple tree....

This was an excellent post. After raising 4 children to adulthood (well 2 are in college) and still 2 little ones to go, your kids are not meant as little witnesses in the arena of public school. I dare say that most of us would not like that job even as an adult and yet we want our young children to do it. This is the time to built them up strong so that when they do get out in the world they can stand strong.

Kathe

[wife]

Two old truisms:

Clean doesn't rub off, dirt does.

Children - generally- are not equipped nor able to resist temptation. That is why we train them up first, so that when they are older they have tools to use. When they enter public school, all that we teach them is challenged and tore down. Now considering the time we spend, and the time they spend, considering home has discipline, school little or none, what we call wrong they call rights, keep going.... rare is the child who has the fullness of the Holy Spirit that they can be a witness.


Two dogs make half a dog.

It takes time to train a dog, commands, obedience, but as soon as a couple trained dogs get together... foof.....off they go, ignoring you, doing what ever they want. You wind up with half a dog between them. Irish setters are the perfect example, but most dogs are similar.

Children left to themselves reinforce each other, dare each other, and it seems only a matter of time till they do something really stupid - not that times have changed much. But when I was a kid, the parents in my neighborhood worked together. There was an expected level of conduct and if things got out of hand the parents reclaimed their kids and all were taught. I should have cut down that maple tree....

This is awesome. I love it

[nesecond]

I know of one downside at least. Every single person I know who has grown up being homeschooled has problems carrying on a normal conversation with other people. Even if they go to things outside of your homeschooling such as homeschool groups, 4-H, etc. they still act like a homeschooler. Not to sound harsh but you can really pick out someone who has been homeschooled from a crown of people who haven't. I'm not sure if I explained it well or not and of course there are exceptions. Also, you're not going to be able to homeschool your kids through college. They need experiance in an actual school evironment with other people their age. Just my two-cents.

[MidnightCry]

I know of one downside at least. Every single person I know who has grown up being homeschooled has problems carrying on a normal conversation with other people. Even if they go to things outside of your homeschooling such as homeschool groups, 4-H, etc. they still act like a homeschooler. Not to sound harsh but you can really pick out someone who has been homeschooled from a crown of people who haven't. I'm not sure if I explained it well or not and of course there are exceptions. Also, you're not going to be able to homeschool your kids through college. They need experiance in an actual school evironment with other people their age. Just my two-cents.

How many adults DO you know who were homeschooled?

As an observer of graduated young adults in large our church -- about half homeschooled and half "schooled" -- I would say that the homeschooled kids seem much more polite, eloquent, more nicely dressed and more are pursuing admirable ambitions than the schooled young adults.

[HSmomto4]

I know of one downside at least. Every single person I know who has grown up being homeschooled has problems carrying on a normal conversation with other people. Even if they go to things outside of your homeschooling such as homeschool groups, 4-H, etc. they still act like a homeschooler. Not to sound harsh but you can really pick out someone who has been homeschooled from a crown of people who haven't. I'm not sure if I explained it well or not and of course there are exceptions. Also, you're not going to be able to homeschool your kids through college. They need experiance in an actual school evironment with other people their age. Just my two-cents.

You have NOT a clue as to what you are talking about! There was a lady at our church who sounded JUST LIKE YOU and we were talking about how she could spot a HS child a mile away. I was just smiling and nodding and then she said, "I know your children are very popular girls in school because they are so outgoing and friendly, those poor HS children just aren't like your girls!" I laughed and told her we HSed. She turned bright red and she actually argued with me saying I was teasing her. My kids are VERY friendly and outgoing and anywhere we go they can make friends and jump right in. HS children are not backwards and introverts!

[HSmomto4]

Let me also add that my oldest daughter is a performance dancer who has danced in front of THOUSANDS of people at a time and yes she does have to talk to them, shake hands and even sign autographs...HOW IS THAT NOT BEING ABLE TO TALK TO PEOPLE???

My 2nd daughter ice-skates as well as dances and she again has to talk to people ALL THE TIME!

There are people who shelter their children and hide them from the world, but they are not the norm! The only child I ever met who couldn't talk to someone and actually took over 2 years of knowing me to say hello was a girl from public school that went to my daughters dance studio. Shoot...most of the girls on my daughters dance team are homeschool! The very idea!

[Cd4u_2]

I know of one downside at least. Every single person I know who has grown up being homeschooled has problems carrying on a normal conversation with other people. Even if they go to things outside of your homeschooling such as homeschool groups, 4-H, etc. they still act like a homeschooler. Not to sound harsh but you can really pick out someone who has been homeschooled from a crown of people who haven't. I'm not sure if I explained it well or not and of course there are exceptions. Also, you're not going to be able to homeschool your kids through college. They need experiance in an actual school evironment with other people their age. Just my two-cents.

I guess it depends on not able to understand the latest "cool" things. I remember going over to a friend's house who was homeschooled and was shocked that she still likes New kids on the block when they were out of style for years!!! And she wanted to talk about them, but we didn't. But now when since we all are adults, none of that matters anymore.

BTW, I was not homeschooled. I was public schooled and still can't carry on a conversation. But I am deaf too so I don't really count.