Questions for those who homeschool.

[Morr]

Why did you decide to homeschool?
When did you start (how old were your kids)?
Where do you get info about what you need to teach them (State info)?
Do you use tutors for your children in subjects you are not very strong with?
Where do your children get their social interaction with peers of their age?


I am still on the fence with Scarlet. And though I know we have plenty of time to decide, we already started promoting what we sense are her interests, even at 6 months old. She responds to music VERY MUCH. So much that when she is sitting in her bouncy chair, if there will be music on TV, she will try to turn around to see it (we don't let her watch TV at this point).

So we bought her a small xylophone/piano. Baby size, colorful.
And she LOVES IT.
She also responds to specific songs, like the ABC song, and a family song I sing to her (that my mom and grandma used to sing to me).

We feel she will be very musical oriented, so we are starting to "push" that now, when she is only 6 months old. I'd much rather she followed her passions, perhaps music, when she is older, than being forced to be successful in other educational subjects because that is what school says she has to do, learn, and be interested in.

She will be going to daycare, and preschool. I want her to learn social interaction with peers her age, interaction and respect to adults who are not her parents (teachers), etc.

But I'm not so sure about elementary school and up.
On one hand, I think she'd have a blast. On the other, I think she might benefit from homeschooling. And I know I will be asking her for her opinions when she is older, her desires, etc.

I am interested as to how other people who homeschool started out, why, etc.



Thanks!

[Shanti]

Why did you decide to homeschool?
When did you start (how old were your kids)?
Where do you get info about what you need to teach them (State info)?
Do you use tutors for your children in subjects you are not very strong with?
Where do your children get their social interaction with peers of their age?



"Why did you decide to homeschool?"
Several reasons...
We live in an area were there are nothing but small towns. The schools here indirectly teach Christianity as the towns are basically all Christian. I dont want my kids learning this way about other religions. I want to teach them to research and learn about religions themselves, if they even want to.

I dont care for societies need for greed. Kids compete with cloths and material possessions way to much, as many adults do to. I dont want my kids learning life is about obtaining things.

Our schools here have terrible ratings and probs up the butt. They need an overhaul.

I dont like what they teach in the schools here such as history from books that are outdated and still paint NA's as bad and whites as good saviors.
I would rather teach my kids from more accurate facts.

" When did you start (how old were your kids)?" Since they were born.

" Where do you get info about what you need to teach them (State info)?" From the state. Our state has the info on their state website and on the forms you fill out.
We also have homeschooling clubs that can help with info.

" Do you use tutors for your children in subjects you are not very strong with?"
No. Mom and/or dads just needs to learn more so they are not weak in a subject.
The most important thing IMO, to teach, is the ability to teach ones self so as an adult you can teach yourself.

"Where do your children get their social interaction with peers of their age?"
From all sorts of places, YMCA, TWD club, arts and crafts club, 4H....gosh my kids try all sorts of things.
There are also neighbors, friends, and family that have kids of similar ages to mine.

[Lyrien]

Why did you decide to homeschool?

Currently....because the kids were being held back from their full potential in school. Both have flourished tremendously since they've been home.


When did you start (how old were your kids)?
I pulled DD from school after third grade, and I pulled DS a couple of months into second grade.


Where do you get info about what you need to teach them (State info)?
From them for the most part, but there are also books available for that purpose. What your xxxgrader needs to know - Hirsch
The well trained mind - Bauer/Wise
Home learning year by year - Rupp



Do you use tutors for your children in subjects you are not very strong with?
No. But I do have DD enrolled in online distance learning for math and english.


Where do your children get their social interaction with peers of their age?
From living their lives. Sports, homeschool co-ops, libraries, clubs, etc..

[Feenix]

I'm new to the board (and pretty much to homeschooling) but since this is a passion of mine I thought I'd jump in.

Why did you decide to homeschool?

I decided to homeschool (actually, we unschool) my daughter because I wanted her to keep her love of learning. I want her to learn for learning's sake, not to pass a state exam. I also couldn't understand the concept of someone else being in charge of her education.

When did you start (how old were your kids)?

My daughter is 4 years old and even though we don't have to "officially" homeschool for another year, we've been homeschooling since birth.

Where do you get info about what you need to teach them (State info)?

I started with the internet. I went to my state's education website and printed out the regulations there. I then found two other good resources: www.hslda.org (http://www.hslda.org) to get a snapshot of regulations in my state and www.worldbook.com/wb/Students?curriculum (http://mysticwicks.com/www.worldbook.com/wb/Students?curriculum) for samples of curriculum standards for reference.

Do you use tutors for your children in subjects you are not very strong with?

Yes. For example. My daughter loves gymnastics so she goes to a gymnastics class once a week. I suspect that if there was any subject that she wanted more focused instruction on we would be able to find someone. I'm fortunate that I live in a community that supports homeschooling so there are many opportunities for children to learn from others here. And, there is always virtual instruction. :smile:

Where do your children get their social interaction with peers of their age?
Even though her gymnastics class is with children from 3-5, I don't really stress that she socializes with children her own age. We don't do age specific playgroups or things like that, we just live our lives. She socializes in the parks, at the library, with neighbors, friends, family, wherever we may be. Some of her friends are older, some are younger, just like real life.

Unschooling gives us a freedom to explore our world and see just how much there is to learn at a pace that suits her. I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world!

Feenix

[Treegoddess]

Sorry it took a while to respond...sometimes I get burnt out responding to these questions all the time! I get emails from a lot of interested parents too (I'm the head of a homeschool group, so my email is listed)

Why did you decide to homeschool?

I first started thinking about it before they were school age, but was afraid. Afraid I wouldn't be able to do it, afraid of teaching them to read, afraid of socialization (HAHA!)... My oldest was in 2nd grade and they said he was bored. He finished all his work faster than the other children and they wanted to put him in a gifted class for 3 hours a week. THREE HOURS...what was he supposed to do the rest of the week?


When did you start (how old were your kids)?

I first decided to homeschool when my boys were in 1st and 2nd grade. They are now in 6th and 7th and my daughter has never attended school! She's 7 years old. :)

Where do you get info about what you need to teach them (State info)?

Our state (Missouri) doesn't require certain info, just subjects and we have to log 1000 hours of school in those subjects. It's not a problem, we do tons of stuff and usually take a big break on holiday's and still finish early in the spring. I get the info that I THINK is important in the main subjects from many sources! Online, libraries, curriculum guidelines from schools, workbooks, textbooks, living and experiencing life even! I'm what most call an eclectic homeschooler, we use a mix mosh of stuff and it works for us. Curriculums are boring, IMO and are too schoolish and don't foster a love of learning.

Do you use tutors for your children in subjects you are not very strong with? Nope! If they aren't stong in a subject, we study it more and they learn at their own pace. None of us (ADULTS) are great at ALL subjects, we all have things we are better at than other things. Children are no different.

Where do your children get their social interaction with peers of their age?

They get more social interaction than MANY children in school (you don't get to socialize much in school. You are to be quiet and studying the majority of the time, right?) We have a secular homeschool group that I started with around 25 kids of all different ages. My children learn not only to play with children their own age, but different ages too. We meet weekly, they have friends spend the night, we have field trips and seasonal parties. My fears about socialization were completely unfounded, I think most homeschoolers laugh at the social questions once they realize all the opportunity in the real world to interact with people!
They can also do as many sports and afterschool activities as other children. We only do a few things b/c I feel they get lots of interaction already and don't need a ton of extra stuff on top of that too. It's up to each family and what works for them.

That's the joy of homeschooling. No family is the same! You can cater to your children and their learning needs. You can spend as much time as you think is needed, you can go on field trips in the middle of the day, stay up late playing boardgames....I have never regretted my decision and haven't met many who have. I have met countless parents who wish they had homeschooled though and regret not doing it or not doing it sooner! :)

[Chamomile]

I home school my three children (12, 10, 5)

You should check out http://www.sandradodd.com/

It's mainly about unschooling. I do not unschool, but my homeschooling has a sort of unschooling flavor, if that makes sense.

But Sandra Dodd's articles are SO INSPIRING....even parents who don't homeschool should read them. She has a unique, beautiful perspective on parenting and mindfulness. Here are my favorite articles:

Deschooling (http://sandradodd.com/deschooling)

Gilligan (http://sandradodd.com/t/gilligan)

Museum-House (http://sandradodd.com/museum)

Myths too many parents believe (http://sandradodd.com/myths)

Parenting Peacefully * MY FAVORITE!!!!* (http://sandradodd.com/parentingpeacefully)

To me, none of these are about "how to homeschool"....but they provide a different perspective on parenting and family life.

For us, homeschooling is a lifestyle choice. Even when we're not "schooling", we are learning all the time. Browse through Sandra Dodd's site. She inspires me to be a better parent, to be mindful not only with my children but in every aspect of my life. She rocks.

[L'Eriess]

Why did you decide to homeschool?
We made the decision to homeschool while pregnant with our first. It was an easy decision. I knew that I didn't want my kids indoctrinated into a system starting at 5 years of age and watching all my parental rights removed before my eyes. I knew they'd learn better at home than in any public school system since I would be with them every day with no time limits on their learning nor exams of what they think they learned. I admit to having started as a curriculum junkie but when we joined an umbrella group that was pro-unschooling I learned to relax and watch them learn and help gently guide them where their interests lie. The decision to homeschool is a very personal one, like religion and no answer that anyone else gives you will be comparable to your own, on the whole. Just know that if you do make the decision there are a lot of support groups online (and hopefully a few near you locally) that can help you.

When did you start (how old were your kids)?
In utero. *grin* They have always been homeschooled and are now 10 and 7 years of age.

Where do you get info about what you need to teach them (State info)? I got my information from all sorts of places. If you search it or ask the county in which you live, they will tell you.
http://homeschooling.gomilpitas.com/directory/Legalities.htm
http://homeschooling.about.com/cs/gettingstarted/a/legalusa.htm
http://www.nhen.org/leginfo/state_list.asp

Do you use tutors for your children in subjects you are not very strong with? I may if they grabbed onto something and I knew that they'd become more proficient than myself. That's a given. By that time I expect a tutor or some basic college courses would suit them better. However, that's quite a ways down the road from right now.

Where do your children get their social interaction with peers of their age? Support groups, sports, local playdates, FCL (Families for Conscious Living), family, neighborhood kids, all sorts of places. The whole socialization thing is really a myth IMO.

If you do decide to homeschool I wish you the very best and many happy experiences and memories.

[Amythyst]

I think I answer most of your questions at my myspace profile-- I have a section on my page devoted to home schooling...there is also a link to a site that helps you get started, and there is a link to HSLDA: "Home School Legal Defense Association". They can give you information on the laws/requirements regarding your state...

http://www.myspace.com/amythystraine