Home schooling effecting decision to have more children?

Question

As seen by my recent two previous posts, I'm strongly considering home schooling my now 4 month old daughter. I feel more than confident that I can provide the academic, cultural, social, and free-thinking environment that I wish to for my child. However, I worry that trying to teach more than one child at a time with conflicting age groups would be much more difficult. If I commit to homeschool, than I need to make sure its something that I and my children can succeed with.

My question is this...

Did your decision to homeschool effect your decision to have more children in your family?

If you're hs'ing with multiple children, how do you balance your day?

What do you find most difficult about hs'ing multiple children?

What's most positive about hs'ing multiple children?

Does the age difference between your kids reflect the success you've had with hs'ing multiple kids?

Thanks guys! I look forward to reading your answers!

Answer 1

Not really. We decided we would only have one biological child before we started homeschooling. One of the reasons (hardly the most important one.) we stopped foster parenting was because we could not homeschool foster kids.

Answer 2

Our decision to homeschool has not had an effect on the size of our family.  I am currently homeschooling a ten year old and a 7 year old, and I also have a four month old daughter (with intentions of having more children).

My children are in 4th and 2nd grades (officially).  A lot of their learning occurs together.  My daughter has a 4th grade curriculum and my son has a 2nd grade curriculum, yet we often do projects together, or study subjects which my daughter will delve more deeply into. When I need to focus on something grade-specific with one child, I do it while the other child is doing his/her independent work.  

I can not think of answer for your question about the most difficult aspect of homeschooling multiple children.  We have a routine that works for us with little to no difficulty.

There are a lot of positives for us, I suppose the most positive is that they learn from each other (similar to the beliefs the montessori style of education is founded on).

In one way, I do not think the age difference has a big impact on my and their homeschooling success.  In another, I realize that because the gap is not that far apart we CAN do a lot of activities together.  However, in several years I will have children elementary, middle, and high school age (and possibly another infant/toddler).  That concerns me somewhat, but as with everything else-we will find a routine that works for us.  

I wish you the best in your homeschool journey!

Answer 3

I homeschool two boy's.  They will be my only children but that wasn't because of any homeschool decision.  That was something hubby and I decided long before we decided to homeschool.

Anyway to answer your questions

1)  no id didn't effect our decision to have more or less children.

2)  Honestly my oldest does a lot of work on his own.  I am there for questions and to explain certain things but he doesn't like it when I am hanging over his shoulder so that works out so I can work with my youngest who is learning to like independent work too.  So it isn't hard to go from one child to the next.  Plus my husband helps out when he can so that's wonderful for us too.

3)  The most difficult about homeschooling more than one would be at times they want to just talk with each other and play then do any school work LOL.  

4)  The most positive about homeschooling both is seeing how well they get a long.  They are 21 months apart in age and they get along so well.  Sure they fight and argue but not as often as you think.  I love watching the older one read  book to the younger one or the older one helping the younger one with his school work.  I love watching all those ah ha moments when they finally understand something.  I love that I can be with them and we can be together as a family a lot more.  Especially since my husband works afternoons right now.

5)  I don't find the age difference reflect anything to be honest.  If anything my younger son learns faster because he sees and hears what his older brother is learning and he really focuses in on that.  He is in Kindergarten work but also doing some first grade stuff too.

I hope that helps you in some way.

Answer 4

I have 3 children.  Homeschooling has made me want to have more children because I love seeing my children interact and learn from each other.  In addition, because they are together all day and not being sent off to different classrooms, my children are each other's best friends.

I usually start my oldest on independent work, then work with my middle child, then answer questions from my oldest.  During this time, my 1 year old is typically asleep or playing in the same room.  I have heard from other homeschoolers, and am finding it to be true, that as children get older, they work more independently leaving parents more time to teach younger children.

The most difficult part of homeschooling more than one is making sure I don't rush through a lesson or explanation in order to go take care of another child.

The most positive thing about hsing multiple children is watching them learn from each other.  I love it when my oldest child reads to the younger two or explains something to them.   His younger sister and brother really look up to him, and he is learning to be a leader.

Answer 5

I homeschooled my 2 daughters, my sister-in-law has homeschooled all 12 of her children.  She is organized, I am not.  I did however find it better to have the older teach the younger with certain things and that is exactly what my S-I-L does.  It creates a wonderful bond between siblings that will last their lifetime.  

You will find that in every area you will grow with your children and find that your borders will expand as your family and their needs expand.   Don't worry you'll be fine!

I would like to address the socialization issue:  Socialization in reality is interacting with people of all ages.  I absolutely despise the accusation that homeschoolers are not socialized.  In fact they are more socialized because they are not stuck in a room full of misbehaving children their own age but are able to go to nursing homes and on a wide variety of outings where there are lots of people of varying ages...This is true socialization!!!

Answer 6

Are you sure home schooling is the answer. In my experience children who have been home schooled don't get to experience the learning of socialization. Children need to experience this to cope out in the real world. I believe though that having sibling may be helpful because they can then have someone to socialize with. Hope this is helpful.

xx

Answer 7

It did not affect our decision; four is what the Lord granted us, twice as many would have been perfect.

Think one room school house; they may do math, and language arts at a different levels, you work with each child one on one for a half an hour to an hour a day three times a week.

History, science, and all the other subjects can be done in a unit study, or in a classical manner.

This gives each child the opportunity to do the same thing but at their own level.

Take a time period in history, and find a book for each level; many books on the same subject are written in easy, intermediate, and advanced levels.

Art that is included in such unit studies can be done at their own level as well, and watching a video/DVD for science, or history on the subjects is easy; Magic School Bus for the younger ones, Bill Nye the Science Guy for ages 10 and up, and Moody, or others for the older ones.

Answers in Genesis has some great DVD's for all ages.

Many libraries carry these, and even some of the major video stores do as well.

Reading aloud can be done with all of them together, just let them color, play lego's or something else while you read to them, and you'd be surprised how much they learn.

After a little while the older ones will help the younger ones, and this will show you how much they have learned, and as the old saying goes if you want to learn something, teach it.

Older siblings often love this part of home schooling.

Answer 8

I decided to home school after my youngest was born. We had already decided 3 was enough. My sister has 5 kids that she home schools. The only thing that stopped her was they thought 5 was enough for now. They plan to foster when her kids are older.

It's easy to balance the day and do what you need with each child. First you look for a curriculum that will help you realize your goals and you can use for more than one at a time. With Sonlight you can do this especially if the kids are close in age. Even if there is a few years difference you can still use it. You "dumb it down" for the younger one and can beef it up for the older one. If you skip a core for the younger one to start then go back to it next year.

Having one too young to home school. My kids are 9, 5, and 21 months. The baby can be a pain when I am working but she sits and listens to us read and work and she is still learning some of what is being taught. It's just difficult at times.

Different learning styles. My son is much more hands on than my oldest daughter. He's also a lot busier.

Watching the relationship between siblings grow into a positive relationship. Watching them help each other.

Not at all! The success is measured by them finishing and doing well on what ever they do not their ages. Obviously the younger can't do as much or as well as the older but you still see success.

Answer 9

I homeschool with seven children, although I can say honestly that homeschooling and the number of children do not affect each other. I was pregnant with number seven when I got sick of public schools and what they offer children. (boy, 13, girl, 10, girl, 9, girl, 8, boy, 6, boy, 4 and girl, 2 yo)

Balancing the day with seven children is probably easier than you imagine. Add in the fact that we unschool (ie we don't use a curriculum, workbooks etc) it saves me a ton of time in drawing up a curriculum and grading papers. Instead, I spend my days wandering from child to child, ensuring that they have what they need in their explorations to reach their potential. The older children are quite compassionate and often help each other out (a result of a large family AND homeschooling)

The most difficult thing? The only thing I can think of is when two people need me at the same time, however, it's usually not a problem. They understand that there is only one of me, and someone usually backs off on their own accord, to wait for me. Also, if someone isn't interested in something, they pretty much have to go along anyway, or I need to find a friend or family member they can stay with.

The most positive thing would be seeing how wonderful the kids are, how well they do with others, the built in interactions all day. I love having everyone come in and chat about their opinions, what's going on, what they have planned. I love how they've learned to compromise and consider others.

My kids are close in age. I think it has been beneficial because they are so close, that often it's like having a friend living in. The girls especially are close, and they are best friends. They fight and argue, but for the most part, they get along, play together, learn together. They figure out everything together. As they've gotten older, they've split a little bit, they each have a best friend outside of the family, so then on Friday nights we have a gaggle instead of just mine in the house.