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.