Home-schooling my kids?

Question

Ok, so if a parent decides to home-school their child(ren), how do they go about it? I see alot of questions and answers on here already about parents not knowing what they're doing...

Here's my situation:

I have a 2 year old and 4 year old. The 4 year old is in Pre-K and she will be going into Kindergarten come September. The 2 year old will be starting school in September as well, going into Pre-K (he will be 3 by then). I would love to stay at home and teach them both rather than pay exorbitant school fees, and go out to work everyday, then have to pay for after-school care for the 2 of them. But I don't want to keep them at home if I can't get them to obey me as if they were in ''real school.'' Also, I want to make sure they are learning at least what kids their age would be learning in school, or even a bit more.

Someone give me some advice or ideas? Thnx :D

Answer 1

Please do not socially handcuff your kids for life by home schooling them, they just won't turn out normal, and it'll really be a ***** for them to adapt to the real world.  Send them to a public school if you can't handle the fee's of a private school, and the after school daycare is just something a working parent has to cope with.

Answer 2

School Fees?  Are you talking about private school, because I don't think you pay that with your run of the mill public schools other than that property tax thing I can never remember the name of.

At any rate, I dislike the whole concept of home schooling.  There are several reasons but I'll give you some of the bigger ones.

Part of the education experience that is supposed to take place in school has to do with social education.  Being able to interact with people other than their immediate circle.  I really feel like kids who get home schooled lose out significantly on this aspect of a more traditional schooling environment.

Additionally, I think that kids that get home schooled end up with a very narrow view of the world because parents tend to edit the lesson plans according to their own view of the world.  Education is about learning about things you haven't previously been exposed to and evaluating them for yourself.  I've heard stories about several particularly religous families skipping entire units about evolution because it didn't mesh with what they get taught in church.  What these people should have done, in my mind, is to allow them to hear all the different things and then, being an active participant in their child's education instill in the kid what you believe as a family.  Any religous bellief worth it's salt will stand up to honest reflection.

Another thing that I haven't heard about, but that wouldn't surprise me at all, is that home schooled kids may have a harder time getting into colleges because of the lack of uniformity that may take place in the home school environment vs. standardized curriculum of public education.

You can still be an active and important part of your kids education without home schooling them, which would be the best of all possible options.

Answer 3

Oh, my gosh - I agree, I think school just got out and the masses are showing their ignorance.  Sorry you've had to wade through all that!

You can very feasibly teach your children at home - millions around the country, and millions more around the world, do so every day.  There are curriculum choices by the hundreds, activities that your children will be able to do that public (and even private) schools just don't have the time for, and social opportunities that will make most classroom schooled kids drool with envy :-)

Honestly, through homeschooling, your children will likely get a much broader and deeper education than they could through traditional schooling.  Because you can tailor their curriculum to their interests, skills levels, learning styles, and other needs, they can learn in the way that best suits them.  If this was something that was feasible in a classroom, many teachers would do so; unfortunately, it just isn't.

Also, your schedule as a homeschooler is your own.  You are not bound by the 8-3 schedule, and you don't have to deal with the school regulations.  You can schedule field trips and playdates whenever you want, and your children will have much more time to explore, play, and grow.  This is the normal process for development, and often results in children that are more confident, willing to learn, and able to learn independently (once they have the skills).

Homeschool kids around the country and around the world, on average, score several (like 20 or more) percentage points higher on standardized and college entrance tests than both private and public school kids; many score in the 90th percentile or above.  This, alone, shows that they keep up just fine :-)  Add to that the number of homeschool kids that hold internships in businesses, get into college before age 16, and go on to open their own businesses, and you've got a pretty successful group.

Homeschooling isn't easy, but it's certainly not difficult.  It takes motivation and commitment, and it takes consistency, but so does parenting.  It gives your kids the opportunity to grow up in the society that they will some day contribute to, to be educated in real-life situations rather than the fake society of a school.  Schools, logistically, must set up their own norms and social structure in order to keep the peace; unfortunately, it's nothing like that of the real world.

As far as obedience - how do you get them to obey you now?  It's really no different.  Homeschooling doesn't mean setting up a public or private school classroom in your home, it means giving your kids a lifestyle of learning.  The vast majority of homeschooled kids learn because they want to - they just plain don't know any other way.  They don't often object to learning because it's something that's exciting, like a new discovery - it's part of life.  It's not boring, or tedious, and they don't have hundreds of other kids complaining 8 hours a day about the work, so they don't often object to it.

You really can homeschool, and it's a great choice for millions of kids.  It's not right for everyone, obviously - no one choice is - but I think the number of ignorant answers you had to wade through to find mine is evidence that there is definitely a lot of merit to it :-)

Hope that helps - and good luck!

Answer 4

Dont raise ur kids like some lab mice...

Answer 5

my advice is don't do it

send them to a public school its not really that expensive

if you home school them you would need to get a permit to teach, buy books and all this other stuff it may actually be more expensive to home school.

Answer 6

You could do what my parents did to my younger brother and get in with the state operated home schooling program and then when he's 25 yrs. old and unable to read or write or cope socially call the police to come cart him off. Send your kids to school! I know public school sucks but my parents f'd my brother up by keeping him home and "home schooling " him. He is as useless as a t*t on a bull.

Answer 7

I dont think you should homeschool your kids. Your kids are really young and they should be interacting with other kids their age. I think its essential for kids to be around others to learn basic socialization skills. Also, don't you think homeschooling will shelter them and not prepare them for the "real world"? Just my opinion....

Answer 8

I dont  homeschool ur kids. Do u know how  f-ed up homeschool kids turn out. let them be normal kids. i iwll give you 10.000 dollars via paypal if moneys the issue. dont i reapeat dont homeschool ur children

Answer 9

I think it depends on what skills you have. If you think that you could help your kids a lot more than school can, go ahead and teach them yourself. If not, send them to school. As they grow up, they are going to need more professional help. I think you should teach them up to a certain point, but when it starts getting harder, you should definitely send them to school.

Answer 10

Me am homeskooled and my mudder learned me good.  I no hav anny frends but Ok cuz I'm smurt and evrybody jeluz of me.

Answer 11

Send your children to school. It is important to your children to get that socialization from other kids and to be able to interact like that on a daily basis. There are no fee's to sign your children up for school, unless you want them to go to private school. The only person that I would recommend to keep there children home would be an experienced teacher that knows what they are teaching. It will be a lot harder for your children in the future to get into things, or be at the same level as the rest of the children at their age if they are not learning or properly being taught the subject content that needs to be covered for their Grade level. If you want to home school them for the life experiences, I know some parents who send there kids to school until like Grade 5 or 6 and then keep them home for a few years to teach them about shopping and cooking and those types of things. I am not a huge fan of homeschooling, but to each their own.

Answer 12

dont home school them. they are going to be anti-social later in life. you think its a good idea, but its not. it seems that you can't let go, which from the sound of it you need to.

Answer 13

Only you know your children and whether or not they are ready for school. Sometimes parents homeschool for the early years or when schooling has broken down. Some even have a part time schooling where the child goes to school on certain days.

What matters is it is right for you and your children.

Have a look around at the resources online and in the shops, see if there are other families locally that homeschool.

Socialising can be an issue but, remember that once they leave school very few of their friends will be their age. Homeschooled kids can be more outgoing.

On a positive note - your children will have the benefit of a class size of two - that means they will get much more work done than they would at school. You can see immediately if they have a problem.

Why not try it out during the holidays? Get some resources for their level, decide what your goal for the time will be (read the first book in the set confidently/ recognise shapes and colours) and give it a go! If you find it too much, you can still send them to school when term starts. Be firm on when it is "school time" and enjoy your children's early years.

Have a great time and don't worry - you can learn ahead of them so you're never stuck.

Answer 14

just make sure you keep them in plenty of extra curricular act ivies because they will be bored if you don't.

Answer 15

Good grief the anti brigade are out in force today aren't they? Ignore all the whining about socialization, they don't even understand what the term really means.

On to your questions. Why do you think your children would be more likely to obey a teacher than you? You're their mother, telling them what to do in their education isn't any different to telling them to clean their room or wash their hands before dinner :-)  You have it easier than any teacher because you're only going to be dealing with the two of them and you can withhold treats or ban them from watching TV if they play up.

Getting them to learn more than at school is so easy it is almost sad. Every study anyone has ever done comparing  HS to school shows average HS kids being a grade level or more ahead of their schooled peers.

There are many methods and styles and you should read up on them to find what suits you and your children. However at this early stage I would concentrate on learning through play, lots of arts and crafts and reading with them. And answering questions. It's amazing how much they learn if you try to give a good answer to every question and explain things that they're interested in.

Answer 16

believe me, your kids need to go to school. at school your kids learn to socialize and make friends that only come with expirence. do you want your kids not to be able to interact with other people because you didnt want to pay school fees? seriously. are you going to teach your kids how to interact with another person by yourself? with some kind of textbook? also, no offence, but kids that are home-schooled are not as widely accepted in a high school enviornment (unless you are going to teach your kids an AP Chemistry) and even a work enviornment because they need to learn to work with other types of people, compete with their peers. you also dont want your kids having a dependency on you, do you? in my own opinion, home-schooling is a dumb idea.

trust me, your kids dont want to be home schooled (in the long run)

Answer 17

Wait, so you're saying that you're too lazy to work harder for your kids to have a better education by trained and experienced teachers, and you'd rather not work and teach them yourselves? nice....

Kids need to socialize, not with their parents, but with other kids... its healthier for them, and it helps them to become... normal... friends are always nice as well...

Answer 18

Send them to regular school

Answer 19

review some resources like this - make sure you research before making a decision!

http://homeschooling.about.com/od/gettin...

Answer 20

dont homeschool they need a social life

Answer 21

here is an e-mail address where you can get information on homeschooling in the Bahamas

[e-mail]

Answer 22

my advice hun

let them go to school

thats part of their normal childhood and when they are older they can be able to look back and have fond memories of it

let them be :)

Answer 23

Ok, you probably won't like this bit of advice, but you asked so I'll answer :) If you want them to obey like "real" school, you're taking the wrong approach. If they have a "mean" teacher at school, they can run home to you for cuddles and sympathy. If you play the role of "mean" teacher, who do they feel safe with? Parents need to be safe all of the time (within the limits of human nature!) The kids won't see Teacher Mum and Mum Mum as two different people. You're not. You're the same person. If you tell them off for daydreaming, getting their sums wrong, or arguing that what you're saying isn't true, they can't cuddle up half an hour later when school is finished for the day.

The best way to homeschool is to continue doing what you've always done with them. When they were babies you saw the unfolding of new skills. When they got into a phase where they liked to make noise, you gave them pots, wooden spoons and rattles. When they discovered they could put things in and out of other things, you patiently waited until they went for a nap, then put all your plastic bowls back in the cupboard. When they had developed the skills to hold a crayon, you bought some crayons.  As a homeschooler, you can do the same. When they start noticing that writing "says" something, you buy a set of magnetic letters for your fridge, sit on the kitchen floor and start making words to sound out (real or made up words.) When they express interest in the Roman section of your history book, you go to the library and find some more Roman books. When they decide they want to learn quantum mechanics, you find someone else to deal with it!

Remember that kids in school aren't necessarily learning any of what they're being taught. Just because the teacher is teaching them their six times tables, it doesn't mean anyone is learning them, or if they are, that they know what to do with them or will remember in a week's time. The great thing about homeschooling is you don't have to worry about the kids falling behind everyone else, because there is no everyone else. By the time they get to 18, they'll have learned 18 years worth of stuff. You might prefer they'd learned physics, but if they spent their spare time learning to decode hieroglypics, well at least they learned something! You don't have worry if they are behind their schooled counterparts in some areas, they'll be ahead in others. In a classroom setting, it's just as bad to be ahead as behind. At home, you don't have to worry about the former, and if you have the latter problem, you have time to slow down and work more carefully. Or you can give it up for a few months and try again when everyone is feeling more positive. The "school at home" approach does not give the best results.

You may not believe in the unschooling approach, but I suggest you read some anyway. It gives a different perspective. I'm most interested in classical homeschooling, following The Well Trained Mind, but am influenced by the Steiner/ Waldorf and Charlotte Manson approaches too. I'm reading an unschooling book at the moment, because I know I'm inclined to be autocratic, so that kind of literature is good for me :) It reminds me to relax and trust the child's natural inclination to learn. What would be the point of homeschooling if I was to trash her desire to learn by being too autocratic? I have specific goals for her education, which closely match The Well Trained Mind, which is why I use their recommendations as my foundations. With a sturdy foundation in place, I am free to scrap, add or substitute whatever I or the kids feel is best. I believe that most things are interesting if delivered the right way. If something is dull, it's probably not the topic that is at fault, but the style of delivery. Some kids like to do science experiments. Some would rather read biographies of scientists. Whichever way they go, they still learn some science.

Think about your basic education goals. Mine are that my kids will, at a minimum, have enough basic maths to be able to run a household. Have the ability to read critically and write in a variety of styles (essays, letters, etc.) They must learn to cook and study nutrition (barely taught in schools here;) and Australian politics. That's the absolute minimum, the non-negotiable stuff. Obviously that's not enough to fill their entire school life, so they will learn other stuff. I don't mind what science they learn as long as they learn some. I don't mind what books they read as long as it isn't trash. I will work from texts, but if they hate a topic and we can't find a way of making it interesting or relevent, we can do something else. I will insist they try Shakespeare, but if they think Romeo and Juliet is as dull as dishwater, I won't care that all the school kids have to read it. We'll pick another and try that.

Remember that learning is a developmental thing. Some kids are developmentally ready to learn to read when they are two. Most aren't. If yours is, by all means encourage it. Certainly don't stop them! If yours isn't until they are 8, don't worry. By the time they are college age, no-one will know if they were an early or late reader. When your neighbour says "oh, but my children were reading 3 years before yours" you can smile and nod, knowing that your kids spent that time learning the capital cities of the world, can identify every type of cloud, read maps, and learned to garden so you haven't had to buy carrots in 3 years. And what's more, you can do all that stuff too now :)

Try not to think of education as being limited to what is taught in school. Your kid may not learn exactly what is taught there, but they wouldn't even if they attended school. Education is everything! (except romance novels, lol) You may not appreciate your kid's desire to study bugs, but they may end up famous for it! I'll bet Thomas Eddison's mum didn't appreciate his filling her house up with gadgets, but life would be different if she hadn't allowed it!

Answer 24

I think it's a great idea.  Think of what you've already taught them!  Potty training, picking things up, eating, talking!  How much harder can it be to teach them colors, shapes, and letters?  And how much harder than that can it be to teach addition and phonics?

Also, if you're already having trouble getting them to obey you because you aren't "teacher", that's not going to get any better.  

There's a series of books called "What Your Xth-Grader Needs to Know" (sorry, don't remember the author), which you might find helpful.  But don't worry tto mcuh about a schedule.  Work with their strengths, and don't worry if they're late bloomers.

Here are some links:

http://homeschoolanswer.com/

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/8259/how...

http://www.youcanhomeschool.org/starther...

http://homeschooling.chacha.com/blog/how...

Good luck!

Answer 25

If you can't get them to obey you, or are simply afraid that they won't, then it means you need to work more on parenting skills. You'll likely find that homeschooling parents are keen to learn more about great skills for being parents and teachers to their children. There are some great books out there, each with their own thing to help boost you along. Visit your public library and start reading! Faber and Mazlish are favourites among many homeschooling parents, as are Alfie Kohn and Jane Nelsen (she has a series of books called Positive Discipline). We parents have to keep learning and growing just as much as our kids.

To make sure that they are learning at least as much as they would in school, you'd just check out your state/province's learning outcomes and make sure you do at least that. Most packaged programs out there will meet a typical grade level standard. Some do things in a different order but everything does eventually get covered.

Btw, please don't pay any attention to those who say it's the worst thing you can do to your kids and their social skills will suffer and they need friends and all that. They have no clue what they are talking about. Your kids can still have friends and social lives and they won't hate you or be messed up if you are committed to being a good parent and homeschooling teacher. My kids are doing great--people never guess that they're homeschooled; they just think they are happy, polite kids. They get complimented on their behaviour. They know how to interact with others. But I've made a point to do things with others regularly. You can do that, too.

Answer 26

Homeschooling your kids can actually harm them in the long run.  Children need to develop strong social and communication skills.  Also, if they decide to attend college, that will be their first experience adjusting to the classroom environment.  Having your kids to yourself is selfish, and saving money should not be an excuse to home school your children.  If you can afford to stay-at-home you can pay for school!

Answer 27

My personal belief is that one of the most important things that a child can learn is social skills.  Learning to cope and deal with the world around them.  How to deal with a Bully, or how to deal with another child wanting to cheat off of them, etc...  Many school systems have many openings for teaching assistants.  Its a fairly innocuous job, that typically only requires a background check and some finger prints.  With a job like this, you would only have to pay for school fees.  But the benefits of socializing children very well documented.

Answer 28

Well I really don't believe in home schooling.When kids go to school they learn lot of different things which they can't learn staying at home.

Answer 29

I can't believe how many people came on saying "don't do it".  None of them know anything about homeschooling.  For the ages you are talking about I recommend lots of art supplies, play dough, and toys.

If you really want to start academics, AOP Horizons has really good materials for Preschool-6th grade.

https://store.aop.com/aop/67.cat

Oh and since you obviously have internet access, you might want to look on-line for some free materials also.  This site always has links to lots of free stuff for all grades.

http://dorioakes.tumblr.com/

http://oldfashionededucation.com/fullcur...

Answer 30

I'm so sorry you've been getting a rash of negative, ignorant responses.  

Now, on to your question!

Let's compare "real school" and home.  Home is life!  "Real school is an artificial environment where children are segregated by age and, sometimes, ability.  In essence, a stranger will be raising them.

There are so many activities for homeschool kids that you will be amazed.  The first thing you need to do is get involved with your local homeschool support group.  Your kids will make many friends, and you will get lots of ideas and support.

Now, as to that "my kids need to keep up" idea.  The beauty of homeschool is that children are not pressured by some state-mandated idea of what they have to learn and when they have to learn it.  So if your kids are fast learners, they can speed ahead.  If they need more time to learn a particular subject, they can take their time.  They can also have the opportunity to explore topics that the average child never dreams of.

Be well!

Answer 31

I think u should send em 2 skool.

1. They will be more likely to listen to teachers

2. They can get more friends

3. I have heard from my friends hu r homeskooled that they don't like it.