I'm sorry to ask again about homeschooling but it's really troubling me!!?

Question

I am gifted& I started kndrgrtn early. In elem. school we had gifted class and that was enough to satisfy my needs. But I'm in high school now & even though I have a very high GPA;a 3.9, I feel I am struggling. I am stressed, I'm annoyed, I hate the drama and worst of all, I'm depressed. I'm not even joking. Last month I went to see my student counselor to discuss my options and she said there were no options. So last week I was fed up& I went to go see a senior counselor (I'm actually a freshman)& I cried my heart out for an HOUR straight talking about how much I hate school with a burning passion. I am always too fast or too slow/need it explained twice& the teachers hate that, or how my teachers just plain don't like me because they feel offended around me. I hate wasting my time, I hate doing busy work and I don't EVER do my homework;I'm Self-motivated but hating class!How do I convince my parents to try homeschooling?My mom is denying that I have a problem! She doesn't understand!

Answer 1

Have you talked to your mom, not about your desire to be homeschooled, but about your depression? the way that school is making you feel? etc.

What does your mom say to those particular things?

What does your counsellor say about all of this?  

I know that I am giving you more questions, then answers...but, in less I have more information, or you do more self examination with my questions, then it is hard to come to a resolution for yourself.

What about your future? Do you have plans educationally that you would like to meet? That your mom would like to see you meet?

You don't mention your dad.  Is this something to talk about, or just leave out of the scenario?

How much high school do you have left?

Are there alternatives to homeschool that you and your mom can agree on? IE: another high school, tutor, private school, etc.

Your mom is denying that you have a problem, is what you stated.  What does that mean...exactly.  Does that mean that she sees you as having no problems and you are being melodramatic? That you have a knack for being an actor, and that your skills are best left for the stage?  Or that you really have no problem, that you really have no need to be upset, and that you are really faring well in high school?

Don't take what I said there as personal...I wasn't saying that you are sounding melodramatic or acting...that isn't what I meant at all.  I know that sometimes teens 'act' ... and sometimes parents 'claim' that the teens 'acts'...it is just a fact of life.

How serious is your depression? Is this to the point that a doctor should be talking to you and your mom?

I am sorry that I won't be able to reply back to you, the way that this system is set up...it makes it so that we can only answer once to a posting.  I know that I left you with more questions, then answers...but maybe some of them will be of help to fill in the blanks...maybe between you and your mom, or you and the school...or you and your thoughts about school.

I'll be watching for your postings...that is the best I can do.

:-)  Chin up...things will get better.

Answer 2

Honestly...you're overreacting.

Answer 3

HOMESCHOOL!!! It works wonders for gifted kids, ESPECIALLY when the public school no longer meets your needs. E-mail me if you need specifics. I'm gifted, and I've been homeschooling ever since the schools stopped offering gifted programs/advanced programs and started s******g me over (pardon me, please) in other ways as well.

Answer 4

Look up alternative schools.  My cousin goes to a school with a lot of computer-based learning and if you do not do well in heavily socialized environments this might be the place for you.  In the meantime try to find like minded people.  Join a club where people share your interests or something.  And remember, just because you have social problems does not make you a bad person.

Answer 5

Nick, here is some information abou homeschooling that you can share with your parents:

http://www.successful-homeschooling.com/...

Here are some statistics:

http://www.successful-homeschooling.com/...

Here are some text book curricula that may work for you:

http://www.successful-homeschooling.com/...

However, after a non-emotional, logical discussion about homeschooling,  if they will not let you homeschool you are going to have to make the best of your situation.  A year and a half seems like a long time, but it just isn't.

I hope your parents will let you give homeschooling a try, but if they won't, find a way to get along with your teachers and make the best of your situation.  In another year, this will be all be behind you and you can move on with your life.

Also, see if your school has a work study program.  I did one my senior year in the health field.  I worked in a doctor's office half a day, and went to school half a day.  That really saved me from some boredom.  

Good luck!

Answer 6

You sound like me 20 years ago. I was smart, I was young for my grade, and I didn't fit socially.  The good news for you: no matter what, you can get through this. It sounds like you've gotten fixated on an option that's not working - and pounding your head on this wall is only going to give you more headaches. Time to put that intelligence to work for you and do some creative problem solving.

1) Try negotiating with your mom from a new angle. Leave off the question of whether or not you're right about how bad the current situation is, and find out what her objections are to you making a change. Is it homeschooling specifically that she doesn't like? Is she hoping public school will offer more social interaction? Getting a feeling for her concerns and issues will give you your best shot at finding an alternative you both can live with.

2) If your mom is open to change but not to home schooling, are there alternative schools (magnet, private, chartered, etc.) that would meet your needs?

3) If your mom really is completely committed to having you stay in public school, are there ways to make the curriculum more challenging for you? Honors/AP classes are one option. If not, ask one or more of your teachers if you can figure out an additional project to work on in their subject matter. Some of them might be willing to have you work on those projects in class when you get ahead of their lesson plan for the day. If they know you're focused on something they've assigned, it may go over better than doodling and staring into space.

4) If you've tried all of the above and are still stuck with the situation as-is, this won't be the last time in your life you need to put up with pointless rules and people who are unwilling to meet your needs. This is your opportunity to develop some coping skills. Get a punching bag, learn yoga, start jogging - do something physical to help burn off the stress. Join or start an after school activity that will introduce you to kids with similar interests. Assign yourself an independent learning project that interests you. Think of homework as an exercise in self-discipline and do it - not because it's interesting or exciting, but because you've been asked to do it.

Whatever option you choose or think up for yourself, remember you can and will get through this. Don't get so caught up in proving to your mom (or anyone else) that the situation is impossible that you make it even worse than it is now. This, too, shall pass, and the years beyond high school are worth waiting for.

Good luck! E-mail me if you like and let me know how it goes.

Answer 7

If you want your parents to take you seriously, then maybe you should do some research into alternatives. You should find out what is out there, including homeschooling. Get as many answers as you can, then come up with a presentation with visual aids (charts, pamphlets, etc...). Be prepared to answer their questions. Don't be caught off guard. Then present them with the information. Don't get emotional. It's a proposal you are making for a product you want them to consider. Do the work. It will show them how serious you are. Then be ready to hear what suggestions they might have. You need to to go into it with an open mind. It can't be about getting your way, you have to be prepared to compromise.

Good Luck!

Answer 8

I have your problem...actually almost the same.

I have been trying to convince my parents to homeschool me as well.

It is taking a few weeks, but I have my mom saying it's fine. They don't think that I can teach myself though...but I think I may be getting a chance.

What I did was I talked a lot about it. I printed out pages of information on home schooling. I wrote an essay for my dad about why I want to home school. Mainly I put why the public schools aren't getting me anywhere, the benefits of home schooling, some cons and then my reason to want to home school.My mom got people to talk about home schooling to my dad...so now he is kind of looking into it.  Also show and talk about the books you want to use to teach yourself. Look up various curricula and talk about them with your parents. Try telling them about how you are going to structure your day, have your sample curriculum set so you can show them. Show them in all, your motivation to do this. Definitely try approaching your mom about your problem again even more seriously. Within time...hopefully she'd understand.

I hope something works out for you! :)

Answer 9

I think you would be a perfect candidate for homeschooling.  You sound just like my son, only older; I pulled him out in elementary so that he wouldn't end up in the situation you're in.  He's now in middle school, and like you said, he loves learning.

There are programs out there with which you can teach yourself; you might really like one called TRISMS (http://trisms.com/), which can take you through every credit you'll need and more (with the exception of lab science and math).  It involves history (US and World), geography, writing, literature and lit analysis, language arts, history of science and math, politics, civics/government/econ, etc., as well as electives like philosophy, rhetoric, critical thinking, research writing, etc.

This program is meant to be done individually; you research using the suggested resources (90% of which can be found at your library) and build your own coursebook.  No working through boring, dry textbooks, and you can go at your own pace - and research as deeply as you want.  My son is younger than you, so he's working on the middle school volume, but he loves it for those very reasons.  The curriculum has enough to easily last you through high school, and offers more than enough credits for graduation.  It can even count as an AP class in a few subjects, depending on the research you put in.  And it's not all that expensive, either - way cheaper than most.

For math, I'd suggest one of the following, which teach directly to you.  They are all DVD-based curriculums, but each has a bit different flavor.  They're all great, it just depends on which one is the most appealing to you.

http://mathusee.com/

http://videotext.com/homeschool.htm

http://www.teachingtextbooks.com/Default...

For science, there are several great options as well.  My son loves Apologia, as it's engaging, complete, and comes with both an MP3 and a CDRom supplement.  It is creation-based, just to let you know, but does a great job of explaining evolution as well.  There are a lot of other great science curricula as well - you can find many of them, including Apologia, at a discount here:

http://rainbowresource.com/index.php (just click on the science link)

As far as colleges go - colleges love homeschoolers!  Especially resourceful, motivated students like yourself.  Homeschoolers have been admitted to nearly every university in the country (including Ivy League) and are often courted.

With homeschooling, you also have the option to take concurrent enrollment, take on a mentorship in your chosen field (like cinematography or acting), and other options.  The world is your classroom - you get to pick and choose what you'd like to take advantage of.  

I think it'd be a great fit for you!  If your parents have any questions, let me know and I'll turn on my email feature; I'd be happy to answer any they might have.

Hope that helps!

Answer 10

its really your choice what school you go to and not them and if you really want to change and start going to homeschooling but they wont believe then you should be asking your school counselor how to convince them i mean there the experts right thats why their there maybe your counselor will even set up a meeting with your parents dont forgot the counselors are always on your side

if it works out come to Options For Youth its where i go and i stopped going to public schools for the same exact reasons as you. its like the best its not boring like other homeschool we have so many activites and clubs and even student council we also have prom ,dances and grad night its just like public school but without the drama!!! and hey you dont have to go to school everyday to :]

oh also you get to go on your own pace like im graduating 2 years ahead of my class and with a 4.O and at OFY(options for youth) you wont get anti social at all like i said we have so many clubs and communites and also since you have so much spare time you can even start taking class at a comunity college or get a job or even volenteer at fun places like magazince companies or etc...

Answer 11

Is an alternative school a possibility? Be it private or some sort of program offered within your district? Also, what are you doing about your depression?

Other than that, it sounds like you have some serious communication problems with your mother. To get her to understand how serious it is, ask her for family counselling so that you can all communicate better and hear each other out more.  A book I'd recommend you see if your local library has is Nonviolent Communication. There is a website, too, which might have some good tips. It basically guides you through peacefully expressing yourself and working towards really hearing the other person and being heard. You would learn to say things like, "I'm understanding that you are worried that I wouldn't do things with others." Or "You believe that what I'm saying about my problems isn't true, or that it's not as bad as I say it is, right? This frustrates me and saddens me because I expect to be respected and believed when I'm sharing what's going on within me. I'd like a solution to my problems, not just have them swept away."

Also identify just how you feel when she denies that you have a problem, when she doesn't really hear you. Write it out if you have to.

One more thing to do: find homeschool support groups in your area. Find out about all the activities going on. Make up a list of them to show your mom all the stuff you could do and not end up being anti-social.

If your mother really is unable to see your side of things, then you will have to accept that. You might also have to accept your school and the situation. This doesn't mean to be happy about it, but to stop fighting that it's not how you'd like it to be. Change your perspective and things will improve, even if they don't get to a level that you'd like.

Answer 12

I'm going to say to get your dad on your side.   Here is a link to Dr. Dobson's  audio about homeschooling.   He does not give the same reasons for homeschooling and he does give the Christian perspective.   (If you don't agree with the Christian perspective, just get the main thought of parents influencing their kids in the home instead of kids being influenced by their peers.)

Keep investigating and building your case.   Whining won't convince your parents.   You need  evidence of how home school works and that it does work.

Answer 13

well first off running away from ur problems isn't the best way. I have had a depressing past yr and my parents just seem to get mad wen i tell them how i feel. just think about this, ther are so many worse things that could be happening in ur life. ur lucky enough even to go to skool. just think positive coz life is too short