can some of you mama's tell me your exp's of homeschooling pro's con's stresses how you do without a job? how well your children achieve /with or without other children around communication skills etc I haven't had children yet but i'm a Early childhood education student in college and i'm debating wether or not to send my child to school or not.
Sorry I haven’t been around lately – real life has been super hectic & I’ve kept the computer off to compensate. I think I can give you a few answers though, from one homeschoolmama’s perspective. For reference, this is my 6th "official" year homeschooling my kids: 11yo ds with developmental disorders but above grade-level aptitude in everything but math and 7yo dd who is above grade-level in everything but reading. Homeschooling is a blessing... and a curse. Truly though, most days I only see the positive. Some of the biggest pros I see are: Being able to teach my kids at their speed & level for each subject – spending as much or as little time as they need to truly "get" every new concept, and using non-standard teaching methods (unschooling, waldorf, montessori...) when they will work better. Setting our schoolyear & daily hours to OUR lifestyle rather than what’s convenient for everyone else – we school year round, taking 2-week mini vacations off each season, and family birthdays are “school holidays.” Family vacations are NEVER at inopportune times in the schoolyear, and we can start school 2 hours later than normal, giving my kids free-time each morning when they aren’t as ready to learn. Field trips… we have a field trip every single week. And because I’m only hanging onto 2 kids, we can actually sit & discuss what we’re seeing more than a teacher who’s got 5-6 kids to keep track of. When we call ahead for trips, many places have invited us for “behind the scenes” visits that wouldn’t be possible with a larger group too. And for my son, knowing that he is getting the extra help he needs... without any stigma that would come from being "special ed." Some of the cons that I see are: It is time-consuming. We school from 9:30-5:30 every day, (alternating kids) and even using curricula for both kids I'm still researching, planning lessons & prepping things for about another 7-10 hours every week. Yes, there is the occasional day when I feel as if literally EVERYTHING I do is for the kids & there is no "me" time. And while I don’t consider this a “socialization” issue… things like large-group activities & sports take a lot more imagination/time/planning to pull off. There are things like homeschool sports groups out there, but they’re expensive and/or take a LOT of time in an already busy schedule. Now from my point of view, I DO have a job. But I know what you meant. My husband works 1 ½ jobs so that I can stay home with the kids. And at least financially, we’re no different than any other single-income family. We prioritize things so that what we NEED is covered, and budget for our wants. Sure we’ve only got one car & the kids wear secondhand clothes… but our groceries are all-natural & organic, and we hold memberships at the local zoo, the science museum, and the state historical society. And if I’m reading between the lines right, your last question is about socialization needs, correct? There are all sorts of ways to deal with this. Most homeschoolers join a group of some kind that meets weekly to play, have a craft or special lessons (we did Spanish one year with a retired Hispanic lady who donated her time) and go on group field trips. The group we were in dissolved 2 years ago & there aren’t a lot of older-kid groups in our area so we’ve been finding other ways to hang out with kids their age. We have weekly play-dates with 2 other homeschool families during good weather & plan monthly all-day field trips with them. My kids are involved with the other kids from our church twice a week with different programs & playdates. And we visit our local rec-center during “homeschool hour” which is a weekly 4-hour block of time set aside just for homeschooling families to come & play or swim, and hang out with other kids. It can become a bit of a juggling-act to fit everything into a week, but I don’t feel for a moment that my kids are missing out on anything socially. Sure hope this helps to answer a few of your questions! love, mom
The biggest stressor is lack of money. We are down to only one income and it makes it hard to make ends meet. Another stressor is that some days DS just does not want to learn what I want him to. He will do everything but spend a few minutes working on paper. Pros are that I get to be with him. He is no longer being abused or putting up with racial bigotry in day care. He is a very active, busy little boy. High energy level. I don't think he would survive the sit down and shut up of public school. He was struggling inday care. We attend a lot of activities. Most weekswe are gone four or five days during the week. So there is never a lack of social opportunities. DS is becoming very social. He almost always has a friend within minutes of going to a new place, whether the other homeschool kids are there or not. He socializes pretty well with other people, especially well with babies. He doesn't do as well with kids near is own age. Kathi
Freedom and flexibility are two of the things I treasured most about homeschooling. If my boys were really into a subject, we didn't have to stop working on it when "the bell rang". Also, homeschooling allowed us to take/do their work anywhere ... so we were able to go on vacation with my parents in the middle of the week - in the middle of the school year - and simply bring their schoolwork along with us. This provided my sons with a wonderful opportunity to spend lots of quality time with their grandparents. My father passed away over 10 years ago and my mother very recently - but the many memories my sons have of/with them are priceless. Also, never underestimate the value of "going against the norm" a bit ... homeschooling, unschooling, etc... are not the norm (at least in my neck of the woods) and to have your children's experiences include "thinking outside the box", taking a stand, questioning authority, etc ... will stand them in good stead as adults. Other mothers who can speak more about homeshooling pros and cons, "how-tos" and "reasons why" can be found at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MothersForLiberty/
Thank you for your thoughts. I have been home educating my children since 1997, and it's great to be reminded of the pros of home education. It's true. I love the freedom and the flexibility. Sometimes I take that for granted. My children are so far ahead of where they would be had they been in public school simply because of the one-on-one they receive each day. The positives greatly outweigh the negatives. The biggest negative would be that it is hard work, but it is so rewarding! I agree that the biggest stress is financial, but God always provides. I did some tutoring on the side, and two of the students I was tutoring were doing so well that their parents pulled them out of school and offered to pay me to home educate them in all subjects! I did that for two years, and one student went from a first grade level to a sixth grade level. Now I am looking into generating an income online. There is always a way to pay the bills. I am just thankful for the opportunity to be home with my children teaching them daily. I enjoy it. And socialization is not even an issue. Being in a group of 30 of your peers is not a reflection of true socialization anyway. As a homeschooler, the world is your classroom, and we are out socializing with people of all ages and ethnic backgrounds. That is true socialization. Home education is definitely not for everyone, but it has worked wonderfully for us. I would encourage anyone thinking about it to at least try it for a year and see how it goes.
when I was young, a kid.. I ALWAYS ALWAYS asked to be home schooled, but my mom said that it was going to make me an anti social and not be able to relate to people. I wanted to have a tutor and that way I could learn at my own pace, I got sooooooooo bored at my class, felt everything was going too slow, they once even were put me one grade ahead and my mom didnt want to, I guess being so bored is what made me not care about school and I was a really really good student, I have a bunch of diplomas and stuff but growing up I just wasnt so interested and felt there was so much more I could know. So it's kinda contradictory you end up feeling smart but like you dont know anything... I dont know, I just really wished I was things would had been WAY different for me, I think better
Former homeschooler here. The number one con is that generally speaking, homeschoolers dont have any kind of a social life relative to their public school counterparts. I am so sick of hearing people post about how "oh my kids take karate lessons and are in boy scouts so that counts as their social life". A few after school activities are not adequate. I have heard so many unschooled parents respond to questions like "Has your son ever had a girlfriend?" "Does your son have friends his own age?" with comments like "Oh thats not important to him" "Homeschoolers dont need friends their own age" "Why should he have to deal with peer pressure and this idea that all teenagers should be dating?" Dont believe these people who tell you that homeschoolers are well socialized. Its just a lie.
the pros are you don't associate with screwed up people who will be negative (I hate those people) the cons are you don't hang out with screwed up people who will bring you down---------which trains your mind for future situations of the like.
Well, maybe since I was only homeschooled for half my childhood, nonconsecutively tongue:*), that makes me better socialized than a homeschooled kid. But I think you're making a massive generalization. Kids don't need to be "socialized" in school anyway. They've got their whole life to meet people. It's not as though just because you haven't been to school you won't understand how to talk to people, or deal with them in an acceptable way. There are people evrywhere, not just school. And school really doesn't teach you about the real world or any of that shit. In the real world, no one does anything if someone's picking on you (except in rare cases, but no one's obligated to). No one calls your parents if you're fucking things up. What does doing this teach people to do? Not to be responsible for themselves. If you've never had to stand up for yourself because the teacher always stepped in, what are you gonna do when there are no teachers anymore? What are you gonna do when your parents don't get called, you just get thrown in jail? School does not help people to learn about the real world. I prepares you to have a job and do everything your boss tells you without question, rinse and repeat, till you die. Do some research on the origin of the theories schooling is built on. They're not nice at all. It's basically mind control.
Former homeschooler here, and I disagree with what MrFriendly said. He is right that school is a place where more kids hang out together. I feel he is wrong about homeschoolers necessarily being anti-social, or unsocialized. I had friends in my grade and out, and we hung out a lot. I agree it is probably harder for homeschoolers to get girlfriends, but I don't actually know many high school relationships that lasted through college (I've only ever heard of one, and I didn't know the couple that well). So its not that big of a long-term loss. It might be worse for someone else, but I always disliked the immature girls that are typically high school age anyway. I guess you could call it a fetish, but I really like a smart, confident chick with actual experience, which I've never found in a high school girl. So friends? Sure, they're not hard to make. Girlfriends? Maybe if you meet someone special (and if she's not special... why are you dating her anyway?). Casual conversation, bickering, one-upmanship, lousy teachers, lousy people while you're supposed to be working? Nope.
I was home schooled most of elementary school because I didn't get along with the kids...AT ALL... but after a few years I told my mom I was ready and went the following monday... Pros- -Child can learn better if by someone they trust and who knows their specialties -can learn the best way for them, i was a hands on learner visual and vocal just went right past me haha -They can learn and work at good times(I always got up at 4am and wanted to learn, by 8 I just wanted to play and sometimes at 10pm) -can't lie about not doing homework (i can't tell you how many times i tried i forgot it in my room one haha) -can learn at a pace they are best at (some schools go too fast and kids get discouraged if they fall behind and fall more behind, or advanced kids get bored and loose focus and fall behind) -if they have attention problems it allows them to go from subject to subject and take short breaks when needed -parents get to spend more time with them Cons- -Some parents don't have what it takes to teach as much as their child needs -for a lot of children social problems tend to develop from being away from people so much, so play dates and social stuff are usually advisable -parents-too much kid time, not enough me or alone time -don’t get taught all areas needed or left out information -it can get pretty expensive getting the tools needed -money can be a huge issue if the non-teacher doesn't get paid enough you aren’t able to help out... ---that is all i can think of right now
Well, I know this is an old thread, but here are the pro's and con's I've noticed as a former homeschooled kid: Pros: - The child can learn at their own pace - They don't have to put up with bullies - Learning can be made fun with unit studies and whatnot - Your schedule can be fit to meet your family's needs - You can incorporate lots of hands on learning experiences Cons: - It is a lot of work if done right, and some parents don't have skills/finaces/time/whatever to pull it off - Some kids have problems seeing their mother as the teacher, and it can strain the relationship, particularly if they are struggling in a subject - You will have to take extra precautions to make sure your child is participating in enough activities with their peers, particularly those with different religious backgrounds, etc. so that they learn tolerance and how to cooperate. Also allow them plenty of opportunities to interact with friends outside of the structured extra-curriculars; arrange casual playdates when they are younger and hopefully they will form longlasting friendships. - Even with all the socialization/friendship opportunities provided, kids will probably pick on your children at some point because they are different from the norm, and the more you try to shelter them from it the worse it will be. - Some adults will put you and your child "under the microscope" so to speak - Your child may feel left out when they hear about other kids going to school, or see school portrayed on TV. I think my biggest suggestion to anyone considering homeschooling is this: Talk to your child every year and give them the opportunity to go to public school if they want. Listen to what they have to say, and if they have even the slightest inkling that they want to try to it, encourage them to give it a chance. If they don't like it they can always come back. I regret not going back for high school myself - but it was at a point in my life where I was not very confident, and I could have used someone encouraging me to just try it. I personally will not be homeschooling my future children.
