Could use your prayers, trying to figure this out...

[MidwestMama]

I realize this isn't the prayer forum, but I posted here instead because I know all of you know the big deal it is to make this decision!!

We have gone back and forth for years on homeschooling our son. He's 8 and finishing up 2nd grade. We're really trying to figure out whether to bring him home for next year.

DS is very bright and a couple grades ahead in both reading and math. Needless to say, the school tries to "enrich" him, but he's bored and not getting what he really needs. We're in a "good" district, and haven't dealt with some of the worst PS issues, but it certainly is far from perfect... he's learned some bad language, been over-exposed to the environmentalist agenda, among other things... stuff like that.

I've been praying and researching and trying to figure it all out... every time I think I make a decision one way or the other, I veer back the other direction. I don't know what it is I think will happen to finally make me go "Eureka! There's my answer!" but I somehow keep waiting for that moment.

I'm just hesitant to take that leap. It's a very big commitment. I'm able and willing to do it, and my husband is open to it. But I really want to make sure it's the best thing for DS and for our family. I want to make sure that I would be able to keep up with his academic needs. And I want to make sure that this is God's will for our family.

So if you would lift prayers, and offer me any advice... I would really appreciate it!!

[Lucy]

[yeshua'sbride]

[SaintTexas]

for you.

Homeschool is an excellent way to address individual learning needs and situations. ADHD is an issue for my kids, who are extremely bright but cannot sit still long, pay attention without medication, and don't learn well in a verbal-linguistic style. They do well hands on, and with a computer, something interactive that they can do that engages their brain, eyes, hands, etc. All of my son's stuff is internet/computer based. For my daughter, it's just math, but in the fall for ninth grade, she will use some of the Monarch courses online with others being written materials. She likes a variety.

How much flexibility you have will first depend on the homeschool laws in your state.

You do not have to be the primary teacher, if that intimidates you or you have younger kids at home who need your attention as well. This was our situation. I didn't homeschool for the three years I felt the Lord was calling me to because of both of the above, and then realized that it was from His resources I was drawing and not mine.

With my 8th grade daughter, I started off the year direct teaching her and switched mid-year because it was too time consuming to be the primary teacher with the attention the younger ones and our home needed. And then we bought home our 12th grade son in February as well. Both older kids are moving along both at their own pace and within some parameters I set as well for an end date which created a calendar for them as well. Both are happy and doing well. My son went from being all over the map with his grades and performance to being an A student.

We discussed the 5 year old last week, and she will be homeschooled (as will the 2 year old), and I am still deciding which program I am going to use, but Alpha Omega has been great for us---they have more than one program and format, which is what I am still deciding on. We use Apologia for science and will continue to because my daughter loves Wile (the author).

I really enjoyed direct teaching my daughter, by the way. It just wasn't working out with our situation. I have a friend who uses A Beka and is switching to something else after two years, but homeschooling is working well. I have a friend who uses Sonlight, which is very heavy literature and reading, and supplements with HIS classes (her kids have some reading issues) and has homeschooled all five of her kids.

[MidwestMama]

Thanks everyone, please do keep praying.

ST, thanks for the info. I just have one child, so no one else to worry about. I'm pretty familiar with laws in my state, nothing too burdensome but we do require reporting and assessment.

My husband and I have been discussing things a LOT the past week or so. We're strongly leaning toward bringing DS home for next year... it's just a big change so trying hard to look before we leap!!

[CircleSlide]

I loved the leap, and I am so glad we did. Dive on in the water is fine

[Reason&Hope]

Lord, please make this clear to MidwestMama and her husband. Show them in a way that they can look back on when there's a difficult day and say, "Yes, I know God wants me to do this."

[MidwestMama]

Thank you, dear sisters.

We haven't "finalized" anything yet but it's becoming more clear. Things just keep adding up in the right direction.

Would love for you to keep praying. I just want to know in my heart that this is absolutely what the Lord wants for our family!!

[jilly6]

Will be praying. Homeschooling is a blessing and challenge all rolled into one. You will love it if you choose to do so.

[MidwestMama]

Thank you all for the encouragement! We do feel this is where we're being led. My son is done with school for the year this week. We've gotten some "trial" curriculum for over the summer... just a couple fun things to do, after a couple weeks' break. This way we can implement sort of a trial structure and see how it goes with DS and I working on academics together. If, as the summer goes on, we have major problems, we'll talk more. I don't anticipate that. As long as things go fairly well, we've decided we'll probably take the plunge in the fall and not send him back.

I'm worried about being organized enough, disciplined enough, patient enough... I'm worried that DS will really miss his school friends, even though we'll plan to do other social activities... it's just a big life change, although I know if this is the right path, which it appears to be, God will take care of all those issues and more.

Please continue with the prayer and encouragement!! Thanks again...

[TrustHIM]

[stauros]

I pray that all goes according to His will I think you are making a great decision. And there are SO MANY resources available for homeschool kids today, that weren't available when I was a kid.

My mom pulled me and my four sisters out of school when I was 6. I'm 32 now and graduated through Christian Liberty Academy Satellite School

So did 3 of my other sisters. My older sister decided to go back to public school after a year or two of homeschooling, which was an option my mom always left open to us. Later in life, she's admitted that she had some regrets about not remaining in homeschool, though.

I agree that you should find a group like Homeschool Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) - my mom found them an invaluable resource (we were near the beginning of the Christian homeschool movement, and people were very nosy and 'concerned' about it - having never heard about it before).

[MidwestMama]

Thank you, friends, so much for all your prayers and encouragement.

[yeshua'sbride]