HSers: When you began HSing, what took you most by surprise?

Question

This question is for parents and students.

Until I began looking seriously at homeschool as an option, I didn't know how much I didn't really know about education in the US. I was completely ignorant of the laws surrounding education. I didn't know that I had never truly learned grammar and spelling rules. (I'm learning as we go.) I did not realize how HS would change my family dynamic. I was taken by surprise on many levels.

Answer 1

First thing for me is how much time was wasted! Literally! And how little teaching the teachers actually got to do. With discipline issues, counting role, changing classes, making sure kids where ready for standardized tests, and so on its astonishing I learned ANYTHING! Like another answerer, I too am learning along with my kids.

Answer 2

Let's see...

-How much I really didn't know, but could learn with my son

-How much we could get done in a school day

-How much fun it is to spend time discovering things with my child

-How blessed I am to be able to do this

And sadly, the first few months...

-How many workbook pages I could mercilessly make my 6yo complete.  Wow, I'm surprised the kid ever wanted to write again, lol!  We got out of that fairly quickly though, thank goodness :-)

Answer 3

I found out how much I really *liked* my son.  :-)  So many parents don't like their children, which is so sad.

I realized how much of world history I lacked in my entire "institutionalized education" years (Kdg-B.S. in college).  I LOVE learning history with my son.  We are in the last semester of a 4-year world history cycle and it's been so fantastic!  I understand the world sooooo much better now.  I'm so glad he's getting this education!  The same can be said for Art.  I don't remember much art in school, and what I do remember was lame.  We're learning not only the techniques, but we study many, many artists through time (it matches up with our history studies).  We also learn about architecture, clothing, furniture, and so much more.  Music is similar also.

I just feel so culturely literate now.  I enjoy movies, TV and so much more now that I have a better view of the entire world as we travel through time.  I am so excited for my son know know all of this, too.

Another big shocker was just how different, *in a good way*, HS'ed kids are.  I just love being around other HS'ers.  I can't say the same for my son's PS friends, which is really sad.

Finally, I never dreamed I'd be doing this for five years, let alone for my son's entire academic life under my roof.  I love his love of learning, and that being a HS'ing mom has made me enjoy learning to a much deeper extent than when I was in school. :-)

Great question!!!

Answer 4

Honestly, I had read so much and immersed myself so much that the homeschooling itself didn't really take me by surprise.

My mother coming to accept it the way she has is probably that biggest surprise for me. When we first told her of our plans, I could tell she wasn't really keen on the idea, but for once, she didn't try to discourage me at all. She asked some questions and that was about it. Once we started homeschooling, half the time she would call we were out at some homeschool activity or field trip or something. It didn't take long before she confessed that she had really worried about homeschooling being okay for the kids, but with how busy we were outside the house, she knew the social side was being taken care of and she thought it was great! She's since become sort-of friends with two families who each had a teen who had gotten messed up with crystal meth (including a girl who got pregnant while on crystal meth) and she learned more about the drug use rampant in jr-sr. high schools here. She has actually ASKED me to never put our kids in school.

Other than that, my biggest surprise is how many people seem to think we stay home all day, every day. ;)

Answer 5

I was astonished at how interesting history is!  We only ever covered American history in school (K-12) and that was pretty poorly done - all about memorizing names and dates and nothing about the stories connecting those names/dates.  We study world history, and I have learned so much and we had so much fun doing it - tying in field trips and cooking (and trips to restaurants!).  

I am a science person, but now I love history!

Answer 6

How quickly I could complete a course in comparison to being in a regular school was most shocking.  I once spent on full day (about fifteen hours) doing nothing but biology, and I completed seven weeks worth of work.  It still amazes me.  Between teachers trying to get their stuff together, trying to get the class to listen, giving repetitive assignments, and helping those who struggle, so much time is wasted in public schools.

Answer 7

Many things actually. For instance what did the public school do with all that time? We can cover all subjects and more than they did in half the time. Also I was amazed at what they did not teach. Indeed I am learning with my sons. It was easier than I thought. My husband wanted to home school from the beginning and I held out. Wish I knew.

Peace Be With You,

Debra

Answer 8

I didn't realize how much fun it would be to homeschool my children.

I didn't realize how much my children would learn without formal curriculum, and that they would actually enjoy learning and look forward to things like science projects.  I didn't realize how easy it was to teach a child to read.

I didn't realize how natural it would be to teach my own children and have them with me most of the time.  At first it seemed like we were doing something strange, but now the thought of sending my children away every day seems odd.

When I began homeschooling, I heard some homeschoolers say they were against "institutionalized learning" and I thought they were going overboard.  I am surprised that I now agree with much of what they were saying.  In many instances I feel school can be harmful to children.

Answer 9

I think that H/S'ing has shocked me actually becuase I was wasting all my time in Elementary School and just getting up for school everyday when  I could have been out playing just kidding,.  I home school through Pennfoster, and it made me realize that I can work, and do schooling at the same time & complete my work much sooner and get in to college much faster and get a move on with my career plans for the future, and thats the best feeling ever.  I also though was shocked how many ways you can CHEAT.  It's very weird how soo many people just ease their way through the homeschooling.  But I guess it's whatever works for people!

Answer 10

What surprised me was my husband saying to me after two weeks of homeschooling "Honey, I'm sorry.  You were right and we should have done this 5 years ago."

I was also surprised that my son has never rediscovered the 'joy of learning'.    I had read about that but it hasn't happened here.  I am disappointed but still hopeful that one day he will get excited over identifying complex-compound sentences. (smile)  Maybe we will have a grandchild that will share that joy with me.