Homeschooling (moral, choice, evolution, creation, church)

[Evenstar]

Originally Posted by Melody

First, I would have to disagree with the person who said homeschooling is as expensive as private school. I homeschooled three children and probably spent around $1000 through the whole school year, whereas private school would have cost me around $4,000 *per child* at the time. Even the canned programs cost less per student than private schools.

Before you decide to homeschool, ask yourself the following questions:
1. Am I able to set aside 3-4 hours per day to focus on schooling?
2. Am I organized enough that I can juggle personal stuff with the demands of homeschooling?
3. Who is in control of my house -- children or adults?

Make no mistake....homeschooling is a demanding job and requires time and commitment. If you are a disorganized person by nature, I'm going to hazard a guess that homeschooling is going to become an onerus task....if you do not learn to get organized *fast*.

On the flip side, there is nothing more satisfying than being that intimately involved with your child's learning process.

Well said hun, and long time no see, ive missed you
Make no mistake....homeschooling is a demanding job and requires time and commitment. If you are a disorganized person by nature, I'm going to hazard a guess that homeschooling is going to become an onerus task....if you do not learn to get organized *fast*.
I had to learn this one real fast, and even after almost 3 years of homeschooling, if you drop back for a week, its such hard work to get it all back together.

[evearael]

Do you tend to make your own lesson plans or order them? I've been researching curriculum, and alot of it is very Christian biased. There is nothing terribly wrong with that, but I like to keep religion and science distinct.

[Evenstar]

Originally Posted by Maize

Yes, homeschooling is wonderful for those with that option and the desire and ability to do it. If it is what you and your kids want, go for it and have fun!

But those of us who choose to send our kids to public schools (or have no other choice) don't just toss them on the bus and forget about them. I'm at my son's school at least once a week for something helping in the classroom and many other parents are as well. I really feel he is in the best place for him. Please don't think that those of us who don't homeschool or can't pay for expensive private schools don't care about our children's education.

Maize I didnt say ALL, some people don't care about what happens to their children, I lived by a little girl, who spent all day at my house, she would eat at ours, and her mother didnt care as long as she wasn't under her feet.
I also understand that some parents have no choice bar to sent their children to public school...... Some mothers need to work.
I also didnt say that all mothers who don't homeschool don't care about their childrens education...... Some do, and thats good

[Feathers in Hair]

I was about half-homescooled. I found that I learned a lot more that way than through public or private schools.

[Green Gaia]

Originally Posted by Evenstar

Maize I didnt say ALL....

I'm confused... I didn't quote you.

[Green Gaia]

Originally Posted by evearael

Oh, and Maize, I certainly don't believe that everyone who tosses their kids on the bus forgets about them. Sometimes that is the best option available.

Of course. Sorry if I jumped the gun a bit and got defensive about that. I had to stand up for us public school parents who care! I won't go to parenting forums anymore because as soon as you say you don't homeschool you're either labelled "bad parent" or you get bombarded with information on homeschooling and how it's so much better and why everyone should do it and if you don't you don't care about your kids education. Ugh. My son is quite happy at school and I couldn't be happier with his progress. Learning doesn't just stop when he comes home either. Just because he goes to public school doesn't mean that we don't devle into things together and learn about them using a variety of resources.

Besides, I don't think my son would be very happy sitting and staring at me all day. He's a very social person and needs lots interaction with others. I'm afraid I would bore him to death.

[Green Gaia]

Originally Posted by Evenstar

I also didnt say that all mothers who don't homeschool don't care about their childrens education...... Some do, and thats good

I would say that most parents do care about their children's education. In my experience it is the exception where a parent actually doesn't care about their child's education. Even those who may not be active in the school, still want their child to succeed and do well. But that's just me and my experience.

[Hope]

Coming from a different perspective---as someone who was homeschooled from kindergarten to graduation---I'd say homeschooling has its pros and cons, and that any parent should really know what they are getting into before they try it. Quite honestly?---I didn't care for it much. Socially, it left me unprepared for the shock of entering the 'real world.' It did, however, benefit me academically. I was always ahead of my peers, gradewise, and in my level of learning. So, for that, I'm grateful. And, though I didn't enjoy every aspect of homeschooling, I'm glad my parents didn't send me to public school. ( Private school would've been my choice. )

As others have stated, one of the key things to integrate into homeshooling is socialization. My closest friends growing up were my siblings ( though there were 8 of us! ), and we were very, very sheltered. While living in a big house out in the country, surrounded by acres and acres of woods, had its charms and benefits, it kind of 'cut us off.' When I tell people I was homeschooled, they frequently express surprise at how 'well-adjusted' I seem!

So, for any parent considering homeshooling, simply make sure you think things through very carefully. Homeschooling is not for the faint of heart. If you're gonna do it, you'd better do it right.

[MysticSang'ha]

Hope, I have to say as someone who went through public school from kindergarten through graduation - it was a shock for me, too, when I entered the "real world."




Just think about how all those "social skills" I learned at school just went into the toilet!!!

Originally Posted by evearael

Do you tend to make your own lesson plans or order them? I've been researching curriculum, and alot of it is very Christian biased. There is nothing terribly wrong with that, but I like to keep religion and science distinct.

I don't use any prepared curriculum with my daughter. And I don't agree with the necessity to set aside 3-4 hours for 1 child to homeschool at such an early age. If you decide to continue down this path, you'll find that homeschoolers rarely agree on the methods and the time required to successfully educate a child. You can find curriculums that support homeschooling families that have their own "classrooms" in their homes, and you can find many supporters of the philosophy of "unschooling" that follow no curriculum whatsoever: the child merely asks questions, the parent answers, and the child therefore leads his or her own education.




The good thing about these differences is that homeschoolers, while disagreeing, can't argue about the facts. Whether a child is "unschooled" or sits at a desk on a time clock reading textbooks specially made for them, homeschooled children as a whole have been found to excel not only in educational statistics, but in socialization skills. There have been many many independent studies that show how well homeschooled kids educated in a variety of methods do.