Anyone ever do it with their kids? I dont know why, but the thought just hit me last night. I like our school but there has just been some serious red flags over the last school semester, common core, starr testing, etc etc... my kids play sports but outside of the school system. I have a ton of research to do but thought I'd ask here to get the ball rolling. The things I have read, parents that do it, seem to really enjoy it and say their kids are advancing faster than they did in school. They take kids on field trips to museums, national parks, monuments, etc etc..... I'm a stay at home mom, so I technically could do this but I'd have to really think about it if I WANT to lol! . 

I homeschool our daughter (only child) and this is our 3rd year doing it. We had no major issues with our county school, but she was always highest or 2nd highest academic average and she just had a lot of downtime when she’d finish her work & have to wait on the other kids. She was in the gifted program but that consisted of going to the library for an hour every Friday. Also we like to go to the big barrel races & wasn’t able to go as much with normal school schedule. She’s in 7th grade this year & we use the Abeka curriculum which I find is a good challenge for her. We did something different with it this year & got the dvd’s of the teachers teaching each class & that’s kept her attention better (so far) than just me helping her. It’s a pricier option but she likes it better. It’s a big commitment but I feel better about what she’s exposed to and the type of education she’s getting. If I can answer any questions for you, feel free to message me.

I am a high school teacher and what I will say is that the majority of what a kid learns In school is not academic. They learn social and coping skills among other things. I would not home school unless absolutely necessary. Your red flags might very well be valid reasons to do home school so who knows. 

THIS!!!!! I was homeschooled from 5th grade on. At the time I thought it was great but as an adult, I can see where it was detrimental. I entered college as a very naive, sheltered person. Man that was a crash course with alot of bumps and lessons learned. I am 31 now and wish I had learned how to cope with difficult people. Thats my biggest struggle in the workplace. Ive gotten in trouble for standing up for myself. In fact was told to never do it again several times by the higher ups. Thankfully I dont work at those places anymore. In fact I was just telling my husband how much of a disservice my mom did. Yes I was in co-ops but it was with the rich kids and I was the odd horse loving country girl. I kept to myself and did my own thing. 

Do your kids a favor and dont homeschool UNLESS you can put them into situations where they can learn to deal with all kinds of people, cope with stressful situations and learn to adjust to situations. 

I was home schooled myself because of my showing schedule ... I was gone a lot from school and fell behind. I rode hunter jumpers exclusively and traveled a lot. It just made sense. I turned out ok. I was around many MANY different types of people and scenarios pretty much on a daily basis, definitely not sheltered but yes, I could see how that could be an issue for some kids that arent involved in any extra curricular activities outside of the home! I'm definitely going to be doing a lot of thinking on this before any decisions are made. All 3 of my kids are involved in stuff that puts them with their peers and real life situations. They attend church, involved in a lot of youth group type stuff a few times a week. Both my boys play select baseball and practice 3xs a week (select will be year round) my daughter is going to be roping and going to shows. So I feel there isnt any socialization shortage. It's a huge decision for sure and not going to be made overnight they start school in 2 weeks and will be attending until and IF we decide to go the homeschooling route. I'm weighing all options and obviously want to do what's best for them. The amount of homework they send home with my kids is mind blowing, I always said I might as well be teaching them myself geez! Some friends of ours who's daughters attended the same school as mine are now took their girls out for homeschool last year and she said it was the best decision and they are way ahead of schedule and scoring higher than they did in school. My kiddos always did well in school,  grade wise. Jacob did a stint of homeschool for his 3rd grade year because of his cancer ordeal and we only did school work 3 times a week, online. He kept up fine and passed his starr testing with flying colors right along with the rest of his class. I really appreciate all the feedback and stories! Thank you 

There recently has been several changes at our little school, superintendent stepped down and we have a new one and new elementary principal as well as a new HS principal... lots of staff changes I didnt see coming, no one did actually... i say small town, i mean SMALL town... lately there has been so much "politics " going on and not in a good way. I've seen things I wouldn't have ever expected from our beloved little community with a certain group of people, use to be all about EACH and EVERY kid in this town now it seems it's just some select individuals that are advancing and going on... I feel mostly because their parents are the self proclaimed heavy hitters of the community. My boys are not playing baseball for this town for the first time since they started playing, and theres been plenty of chatter. That happens a lot unfortunately. Figured if I decide to homeschool my kiddos I'd give everyone really something to discuss around here

I hear you on the homework deal.  I will never understand why they have my kid for 7 hours a day and have to send home 2-3 hours of homework!  My neighbor homeschools her kids and doesn't spend more than 3-4 hours a day for everything!  

Home schooling not because it's good for your kids but to be spiteful? 

Hardly 

Right! And I'm dealing with 3 kids coming home with loads of homework that's so redundant and time consuming, they end up getting frustrated and disinterested. I don't blame them. When you have 2 hours of homework to do after being in school all day, it's a bit much. 

Your schools back there need to read the literature. Lol. It has been proven in recent research that homework provides no additional benefit to classroom learning. At MOST it should be limited to 1 hour a day total. Another fun bit of research is school start time. Elementary aged children learn best from 630AM to 12 noon. High school aged brains don’t wake up academically until 10am. Lol

Theres more to my exploring the option than homework or certain people/kids, politics etc etc.. dont feel like getting into it and its probably boring anyway lol! But yes, excessive homework is a killer especially when theyve got other things going on 3 to 4 days a week to get to. Its overkill. Makes them hate it (I do too). We are talking 3rd, 5th and 9th graders here. 

Yes! Busywork is what I call it.  Trying to fit that in with outside chores and sports is almost impossible sometimes.

Sounds like it may not be that much harder to homeschool that it is to do what you are doing now but you will have more quality time with your kids.  Plus, you won't have to relearn all your math skills to help with homework, common core is the dumbest thing ever!

Common core is one of the biggest complaints from the teachers I'm friends with at the school. They said it straight up sucks. 

We all know what kind of Momma you are. . . . And spiteful sure isn't what comes to mind.  

I seriously considered it with Chandler, but I am sooooo not disciplined---and I knew we would procrastinate and he'd be in high school at age 25!   Between that and knowing tax season would present time issues, I decided against it.   I think it would definitely be advantageous in alot of situations.   (A friend of mine loved doing it with her son; she said it brought them closer, and she said the "field trips"were amazing!)

Keep us posted on what you decide--and GOOD LUCK

Wow, that is really interesting! I have a 2 year old grandson and I am pretty much his mom. I can certainly see the early morning being his best attention and learning hours. Thanks!

Interesting discussion of both sides of homework debate: https://www.procon.org/headline.php?headlineID=005411

Interesting website that also discusses both pros and cons: https://education.cu-portland.edu/blog/classroom-resources/the-homework-debate-benefits-of-homework/

Worth looking into if you want to homeschool so you get an idea of how much you should assign or not based on age. I teach at the college level. There are some definite benefits to homework. They call it a flipped classroom or sometimes hyprid class approach but it must be approached correctly to actually enhance student learning and not just be busy work. 

I did independent study throughout most of my high school career. It was the best decision for me and I wouldn't change it for anything. I was able to make my own schedule/not be shamed for missing school due to rodeos. I was one of those students who would get my homework done during class and then sit there bored. I wouldn't even go to class if they planned on watching a movie or something just to pass the time. My brain functions best from super early until about noon. Then I am done. I had tons of socializing outside of school so that was never an issue. One of my younger brothers ended up doing it in high school as well and it was a WORLD of difference for him and his learning. We did independent study so we worked with an actual teacher at the school once a week. Asked questions/got help/held us accountable. I am having my first child in January and have definitely considered it for him when the time comes. 

I wish I had considered it earlier school starts in 2 weeks here, I went today to complete their registration. My husband and I have pretty much decided we want to home school, but still want to look more into it and what type of program we need to follow since they are all in different levels and grades. I still have to get the internet out here and get us some laptops or chromebooks. We decided to have them complete their first semester in school. (6 weeks). My daughter made varsity cheer so she needs to finish her commitment to her team before leaving and they pretty much finish up after the first semester, unless they want to cheer for basketball. 

My daughter was home schooled from day one. We had race horses and traveled  a fair amount so it made sense. She was in 4H, jr rodeo, gymkhana, had friends and went to events. She was naturally shy and I think public school would have been worse for her. This way she got to socialize and meet people at her speed. She started a couple businesses as a kid one doing leather work and painting, then she got into photography which she still does and is doing very well at . She also trains horses riding 8 to 12 a day. I like that homeschooling gave her the ability to also pursue outside career options and have time for her horses. I may not have been the best teacher but she knows what she needs to, can manage her money and time  and built her own. I always knew she would do better this way than public school. We had a good school too but she just had her own way of learning.

I know homeschooling is a lot less "taboo" nowadays and seems to be getting more and more common, at least around here. I remember there was a certain stigma around it back when I did it, like I was troubled, or dumb or high risk... I wasnt any of the above, just traveled a lot and my parents had a tough time getting me out of the school system and people use to say some really weird things... like criticized my mom for taking me out of school to ride horses??!!! Are you nuts?! Theres no future in that, what about college? What about socializing? The list goes on. I dont really care what anyone thinks about it. I dont feel they will be missing out on anything. Did I go on to be a world champion equestrian? Nope... after I turned 18 I was wore out on competing and it dwindled.  I worked regular jobs, made my own money, moved out on my own and lead a pretty "normal" life I wasnt any worse off for doing homeschool. 

I was homeschooled! It was awesome. Set a schedule! Keep a routine! I turned out fine, mom pulled me out going into the 7th grade because she wanted a better education for me than all the state testing and how to take the test. The field trips were always fun!

Bumping this up because we are in the process of making the transition. If anyone that has homeschooled could tell me which program they used I'd really appreciate it. Theres so many to chose from! I'm getting ready to have our internet installed and purchasing chromebooks for my boys. I'm not tech savvy ... at all.... I'm really hoping to get some help with all this so it's an easy transition!

I did two different types... I did a fully online program that I HATED and then I did independent study throuh a local high school in which I LOVED. My brother followed suit and did the same thing. We went to the school once a week and met with the teacher for about 1 hour to get our next week worth of work assigned and ask any questions or get any help on the week befores work. I believe it was offered through junior high as well but I am not positive on that. 

I'll be doing 3rd, 5th and 8th grade. I've seen some "private " type online schooling, Christian based for a pretty small tuition. I'm just trying to figure out which way to go. It obviously has to be accredited or as I saw on the Texas homeschool requirement "Bonafide" 

I have several friends using Abekka/Classical Conversations, a combination of those. 

My daughter (prek) uses Abekka at her private school. I work PT three days a week til 230. I'd LOVE to homeschool them but until I'm able to be home full time, I couldn't do a proper job. 

look on facebook for Great Homeschool Convention. they may even have a website. if you cant go to convention look at their speaker list then go to their page or website and you will find a treasure trove of info. also facebook has many groups for homeschool info and support. Do it! you wont regret it. hailey kinsel was HSed. if done right its much better than pub school.

Thank you for the tip! I just have this overwhelming feeling this is the right thing to do. Nothing really wrong with the school out here or major concerns with socializing them. I just know there is a better way to do this and have my kids thrive instead of hating school and not being motivated and falling in between the cracks. 

agree there are some great public schools. home school can be taylor made to your family and needs. i mentioned hailey because she has a great story and is such a great role model, look her story up if you havent seen it.

We are lucky to live 3 miles from a great school in our very small town, but we have many firends that have saught other options because they do not live in a good school district or because they are rodeo families. What has been quite popular in my area is "co-op" type schooling. Kids of different ages and grades meet like 2 days a week in a classroom setting with a teacher. The familys split the cost of the teachers pay.  

heres a link to 2020 home school convention. they are all around the country, this one is near me.

https://greathomeschoolconventions.com/blog/texas-upcoming-great-homeschool-convention?fbclid=IwAR2WbWWySTf0-DXXqrUu8HPXFcHxpTkb6c6de6NyMEZSEu-ai_v3CgcgwHk#.XdQ-oVA1m_M.facebook

Seems like people are completely for it or completely against it. I have a 3, 2, 7 month old. Planning at this point to homeschool with an open mind about sending them on to public school when and if they choose to later on. I too have a hard time with the school having them all day and then sending them home with school work. The thought of someone spending that much more time with my kids bothers me. I am blessed to get to stay home with my kids, I did get to experience the away from home working mom for the first 6 months of my first sons life, I went part time and it was awful. And I respect every working parent as much as i do the stay at home ones. My husband and I both have alot of family that chose to homeschool. And i get some really positive advice about it, but have recieved some negative feedback as well. I agree they need to be involved with other things to get them interacting with other kids, but get involved with a church, 4H, Rodeo, sports......theyll be fine.

As far as curriculum have heard great things about the Abeka, but its expensive. Some of the homeschool moms i hang out with have gave me lots of great alternatives as they are all on a budget as well. Saxson is a good one, and alot of schools use it so if you do decide to send them to public school later its beneficial. Looking at some of the resources they gave me, Rainbow Resource, Abeka, Thriftbooks, Christian Book Dist, these websites have alot of Christian based curriculums, but still have alot of others to go with as well.

I pick up the fun work books that sams club has, theyre School Zone, one mom said she likes those for the summertime just to keep them busy, thought that was a good idea.

Keep us posted, i like to hear what other moms choose to do. Im still a year away from really having to decide but i try to get my 2 toddlers to do some of the PreK stuff for fun. We also do a devotional every morning followed by the Lords Prayer, just to make a routine.

thank you so much!  Friends, I recently had serious issues with research paper. It turned out to be a very difficult kind of work for me, so I asked for help research paper services.First of all, the writer made sure that he completely understood my assignment and all the guidelines before he began writing. My paper was finished very fast and well before the specified deadline. I thought it was written excellently. He definitely completely grasped the topic. Overall, he is a great writer and I couldn't have asked for better.

Funny this bumped up I was going to find it myself. So we are about a month into homeschooling. I tried 2 different "online" schools with no luck, I didnt like the curriculum and all the hoops I was having to jump thru to try to get them enrolled. To be "accredited " so i began more researching and we decided to do traditional homeschooling. While it's not accredited, I realize that, but there are many other benefits being on our own schedule. I'm considered their teacher and I'm responsible for grading and keeping track of their work, logging everything into their transcripts. I've found a really nice curriculum that's easy to follow and understand that has everything included plus online support if needed for the kids. I also found a fun supplemental program online for my boys to use and they are loving it. Theyll spend hours on it playing games but its learning math, social studies, reading and science. It's fun to hear them discussing it after, all the "Did you know" facts they tell each other. It costs me $10 a month and it's well worth it. We spend Monday thru Thursday doing schoolwork and if we are productive and doing well, they get fridays off to enjoy. So far its been working really well. My daughter is in 9th grade and shes doing the same program and shes really enjoying it too. She gets her work done in about 3 hours. Lots of fun trips to the libraries around us and so much less stress to deal with. My kids are happier. We do baseball 3 times a week,  both boys play select so we stay plenty busy with practices. Spring tourneys start in just a few weeks... we literally have travel games coming up every single weekend between both of them. 

I have a young friend that had to miss a lot of days to rodeo. She went to a local Christian school and I kind of raised an eyebrow but she stayed ahead. Graduated when she was supposed to. Took a few years away from school to grow up then went to nursing school. She recently graduated and as she says, got a real adult job. I am so proud of her.  You DON'T have graduate, go to college, then get a job. You can take the scenic route as long as you get there. We are all proud of you Ashley Soliz whether you know it or not. 

I forgot to mention my 15yr old daughter is also getting a taste of "real world experience " because of homeschooling. She was given the opportunity to work a few hours during the week in the mornings at a friend's local store, helping her out with inventory,  sales and running a business. Shes learning the ins and outs of what it's like to adult. I'm so proud of her. My friend says shes amazing and has an incredible work ethic. I'm teaching her how to manage her money. We started her a bank account shes responsible for. It's really fun to see her understanding how it all works. Shes interested in doing graphic design and interior design so my friend is letting her design a few display tables in the store. I cannot wait to see it. She also is helping her with designing a few displays that will be on her website showing the products. Shes getting a taste of what her chosen path might be like and if she still wants to persue it. Not everyone gets that opportunity shes very blessed . 

My kids school has a no homework policy, from K-12.  The school says no every child has a support system at home to help with homework so want the playing field to be even and also doesn't want teachers taking advantage of your it. I think this is an awesome decision. Not to mention the school district is one of the top schools in my state.