Need Some Homeschooling Encouragement

T.,

I am a homeschooling mom to 6 children. I have been homeschooling for 10 years now. My oldest daughter graduated in June and is currently in college. My 16 yo daughter is enrolled in college for dual credit. My other 4 are boys ages 14, 10, 8, and 6. I want to assure you that you do NOT need to set up a classroom with desks and such to educate your children. Your children have seen you as their educator for a number of years now and you will just be continuing that role. The great thing about homeschooling is the wonderful relationship you develop with your children. I always heard how difficult it was to raise teenagers, especially girls. I had a great relationship with my girls and people kept telling me to just wait until they're teens. They are now 16 and 18 and I STILL have a great relationship with them. I have not dealt with teenage rebellion and I attribute most of that to the relationship we were able to form in their early years. I'm not saying this can't be done if they're in school, just that there is more hours in your day to build that when they're at home. The socialization issue is virtually non existent, only in fears. Most parents do not isolate their children, but rather have them in all sorts of outside activities and homeschool groups. They are able to socialize with people of all age groups, not just their own. I have always been complimented on my children and how well they communicate with others (especially adults).

I would be happy to talk with you more about homeschooling and answer any questions or concerns you may have. I have met with many new homeschoolers and helped them get started. Homeschooling is challenging in the same sense that parenting is a challenge. There are rewards just as great as there is with parenting (and it often helps the parenting process along since it is all intertwined).

M.

T., one of the wonderful opportunities that homeschooling brings is to work with your children one on one, and help them develop inner strengths that may be more challenging to do when your children are in a public setting 8 hours a day. I believe strongly in education and the development of the whole child, whether it be in the public education setting, private school setting or the homeschooling setting.

Along these lines, I have created a series of story books for grades K-3 (entitled "Under My Bed"). Each book focuses on a particular character trait, appropriately beginning with the gift of friendship that explains to children how unique they are and "wonderfully made." To help the parent or educator, a very skilled and seasoned educator has worked with me to develop an action guide that helps the child develop the character trait--cognitively, emotionally and behaviorally, in the hopes that the character trait is not just something to be acted out, but becomes a part of the child's inner self. The action guides allow the parent and child to set their goals according to their own timetable--so that a child who isn't able to focus for long periods of time can also feel a sense of accomplishment. The activities in the action guide can also be incorporated into playtime. Children do need more time to play--we take this away from them way to early in life. But the value in play is that if the parent or teacher helps to guide the play, the child can learn so much more. For more information about our books, please go to www.villagerdustbunnies.com. If you order, type in the code "Clover" and you will get a 10% discount on the total order (exclusing the shipping and handling and tax). I'm wishing you the very best! J. Bloom

Hi T.! I have a 7, 4 and 1 year old and I am a homeschooler. It was very scary for me to make that decision as well, but it has been an awesome experience for my family.

I love that my oldest has plenty of time to play and explore. Some families thive on schedules, but our homeschool is very relaxed. We do school for 1-2 hours per day maximum and we take breaks whenever we want to. My 1st grader is reading on a 3rd grade level and is on grade level in math.

Some neat things that have happened with us recently - A few weeks ago my son ASKED to do a science project. Last week he decided he wanted to earn money and sold hot chocolate to neighbors. This week he wanted to learn about inventors so we went to the library and that's what we'll study. I don't have to cram his head with facts because he actually sees learning as fun!

Anyway, here is some information on homeschooling that may help you with your decision:
http://www.successful-homeschooling.com/homeschooling-inf...

There's also information on that site about laws, teaching methods, etc. and you can also sign up for a free newsletter. Good luck!

Hi, T.. We homeschooled for Kindergarten; my daughter is currently enrolled in public school for first grade but we will be homeschooling again after she completes this year.

The wonderful, awesome thing about homeschooling (well, one of the many) is that you don't have to have the frustration and crying. You can tailor your teaching & your boys' learning to what they like. If they're crying & upset, they're not learning anything. Well, they're learning that whatever they're being made to do isn't fun and that doesn't set a very good foundation for future reading/etc.

Research research research! www.thehomeschoolspot.com is one of the many helpful sites I've found. Also, Half Price Books have some really awesome resources; both teaching tools and "how-to" books for you. As a matter of fact, just today I picked up some fun stuff at the Richardson location in preparation. Stock yourself up on some good homeschooling books (I've found it helpful to read through the books reviews at Amazon.com) and do lots of online searches.

Also, definitely join a local support group. Your children will benefit from the play time & you'll benefit from the friendship, advice and support.

I wanted to add, after reading some responses, that you DO NOT need to have a classroom set-up with you standing at the front, asserting yourself as task master. Your children don't need to see you as part time mommy part time teacher. You are always mommy and you also get to show them some awesome, fun stuff that will make their brains bigger and bigger! Homeschooling is great because your children are learning in a nurturing environment. If you attempt to mimic the structure of a school you may find only burn out and frustration. Learning can happen anywhere when you homeschool. Take advantage of that! And please don't think you have to make a mini school at home to be successful. Find what works for your family (and sure it may be a strict schedule and desks. But not necessarily.)

Best of luck to you!

maybe you should try a home school co-op. I don't know very much about it but it might be worth your time to check it out

If you feel like it is right for you and your kids, then I say go for it. I feel the same way about my kids being in private school. I don't have a specific reason for staying out of public schools, but I just know in my heart that our private school is best for them. SO if you feel that way about homeschooling--get after it! Good Luck!

I have six children, and three of them are homeschooled. (My stepson chose to stay in public school, and the other two are too young) Taking my 8th grader out of public school was the scariest and best thing I ever did for him. There are only two reasons I was able to do this. One is that his best friend also left the public system to be taught at home. The other, and most important, support for me has been my yahoo group, midtex_inclusive_homeschoolers. (I'm not sure if it's .com or what, but if you log on to Yahoo, you can find it that way) There are links there to other area groups, so you can find people in your neighborhood who are rising to the challenge of teaching their own children. I strongly encourage you to build a strong net before you even put one foot on the tightrope!

Good Luck!

D2

Hi T., homeschooling can be challenging, but it is so worth it!! It has helped us to have a separate school room. When we go in there, I am the teacher and we have school rules etc, that are different from just at home rules. I would also recomend setting a schedule, if your children have been in school they are used to a very strict schedule of when they read, do math, have a break etc. Also, if something doesn't work don't get frustrated, try something new, that is one of the best things about homeschooling, we have the freedom to find what works for our children and for ourselves. Before you invest a lot of money on a curriculum borrow some first and see what works for you. I went through a couple until I figured out what worked for my teaching style and my children's learning style.

Also I would really enourage you to get in a co-op, there are a ton out there and they are all a little different. We are part of sonlight, we have over a 100 families, and meet every wednesday in Wataga to take enrichment classes, that are all parent taught. Kingdom builders is also very good they meet in Keller. Those are the two that I am most familiar with but I know there are more!! If you want to chat some more feel free to email me!!

J.

At your children's ages experiencing their invironment is as important to filling their heads with information. Do you have access to a good home school support group? If not, please contact me and I will help you find one. You need a network of moms to rely on. The beauty of home schooling is that you can teach to each child as an individual and teach to their needs, learning styles and interests. Not all knowledge comes at a desk from a book. Also what you are feeling is not new to any homeschool mom that is just beginning. It is God's way of keeping us humble ;-) Relax and enjoy your children. Take a day off one nice day and do a nature walk and let them experience their world. Fly a kite and talk about weather, physics (lift and resistance), history - Ben Franklin's legend of the kite. Go to the grocery store with an abacus and have them do calulations. Let them bake cookies and learn fractions and chemical reactions. Then take the cookies to the fire station to learn community and community service.

Lighten up on yourself. Take a deep breath and a lont bubble bath. Evauluate your curriculum and learn to make it work for you and not let it make you a slave to it.

Also, I still have those same days and weeks that you just described. It is still worth it!

Feel free to get in touch with me.

D. M
veteran homeschool mom for 24yrs.

It's a challenge to homeshool. Kids see you as their comfort, as their mommy. It's hard for a child to discern boundaries between teaching and learning figure and their comfort source when it is one and the same. Unless the schooling is structed with desks, and you're the head of the class and the class mimics a typical school, the cooperation will be tough.

Homeschooling can seem daunting at first - It was for me because of the bewildering array of curriculum choices/ homeschool methods - How to organize the day. What to teach etc. I think if you did a little research in how you want to homeschool - What approach would suit your teaching style and your sons age and learning styles. There are numerous web sites or resources at your library and can answer questions you may have. If you have an idea how you want to approach homeschooling - I think it would give you more confidence in your decision.