Hello everyone, today was the first day for kindergartens. I Know that I am very confident with my dicision of homeschooling my girls but it just touched me today when all her friends are in school and very excited about the first day, the teacher, the friends and THE BUS. I was looking at my 5yrs.old while she's playing not thinking about school or anything and it just broke my heart and I DON'T KNOW WHY. I am praying to God to always guide me to right right decision and make HS the best decision I have ever made thank you all for keeping all hs mothers strong and confident May God bless our children and help us guide safely in this life just wanted to share my feeling with you randa
Randa, You are not alone in feeling this way. Right now I struggle with the mounting pressure to put our son back into public school - my heart says not to - we've had a long hard battle with the "system" and so it's not an easy decision to make (although my mind is pretty well made up). I have to go for a meeting on Monday at the school to see what these people have to say. We now have a third 'label' to overcome (Tourette's, along with ADHD and ODD) and I'm not sure that they can see beyond it and I really fear a repeat of the past again. I was told the other day that Andrew needs one on one teaching and I don't see how the school will be able to do it... it doesn't get any better one on one than what I can give him at home. After having been through some horrible battles witht he school system, I believe that you are making the right decision to keep your daughter home. You'll have many days like this, but they do get easier.
Randa, I think you read my mind sometimes. This is at least the second time you posted something I've been feeling, nearly word for word. I'll be h.s.ing my Jeannie this year for k. Unless God puts it before me to do differently, I'll be finding a good school for her next year. I still have days where I think I'm cheating her out of friendships, but I also know she'll be well prepared for school when the time comes. I have her in plenty of classes and activities, but that doesn't equal seeing the same kids each day and making friends.
My son, having been to public school and homeschool asked to come back home. He just told someone this evening that he liked homeschooling better and he let them know he has friends he spends time with from relationships forged at church and homeschool group.
Never but never doubt your plan to homeschool your little daughter. I taught school for twenty three years, retired and now help my daughter homeschool my grandchildren. Be greatful you can watch your little one play. The kindergarten curriculum has been changed to a first grade curriculum that leaves no time for play. The grandchildren of my friends mostly hate school after the first two weeks of kindergarten. Enjoy your child and teach her what you think is right for her. I was picking up a neighbor's child at our kindergarten center and overheard her teacher tell the class to sit down and be quiet, school is not the place for socializing. ( As if five year olds know what that is ) As for the bus that is just a place where the bigger kids abuse the smaller ones in this town. As for missing out on friends that need not be. Arrange with neighbors and friends for play dates and your child will have lots of friends, real friends.
Donna, I've posted before that I've tried very hard to get my daughter playmates. Nothing works. The other moms just aren't interested or sometimes they are already cliqued with other moms. I feel I've exhausted all the options .
Donna, what you say is so true. I taught kindergarten. So, I know what we're missing. It isn't much. I heard many kids get upset that there wasn't much playtime and so much work. I felt so bad, but I knew what I had to teach. The only actual free play was recess (about 25 min). My dh argues that kids get to talk in class though even if they only have a short recess. That's not really true. Most teachers teach/lecture for half the class time and then the other time is spent working. I can't tell you how many 1st grade rooms I visited that were dead silent while the kids worked. Even lunch at or school was turned to silence because the room got so noisy from so many children eating at the same time. So, eventhough you may be feeling bad that your child missed something by missing ps kindergarten....think again. The only thing she's probably missing is bad lunch food and illnesses. My nephew started school the first of the month and has already been sick twice!
Reminders we can all draw from. This is year 3 for me and I've seen both sides. My son finally got his zest for learning back!
Would it be possible to babysit another child near your daughters age, say four. That would help her make a friend and have someone else to play with. I have done this since I started homeschoooling. My grandchildren are older now but I still watch a neighbor's children after school and in the summer. They all have a blast.
We have been on both sides as well, and I definitely like the "view" much better with my kids being home! When I sent Ashley to school half-way through 2nd grade, I cried every day for a week! (Not just the normal, cry in the morning on their first day of kindergarten!) Now, looking back, I know I was so upset because I was making the wrong decision- both for Ashley and for me. Becky~ I was feeling much like I know you feel~ like Gracie (a tiny baby at the time) and I weren't enough for Ashley~ like she needed to get out and be more social (because she's a very social child). Ashley experienced ALOT of sleeping problems while in public school. And, alot of very mean and hateful girls. As Donna and Missy have stated above, there isn't alot of time for socialization in school anymore- the only time they socialized was at recess, and the girls were so mean- one day they love you, the next day they hate you. This was really hard for Ashley to understand- as she loves everyone all the time! I do know, from talking to other mothers and some of the kids Ashley's age, that the lunchroom is silent these days! Can you imagine?! Anyway, Ashley and I are much happier that she is home again! She is learning alot and she's growing into a young lady that I am proud of, as opposed to what I see of many of her public-schooled peers. She is happy and well-adjusted. Becky~ I'm not trying to sway your decision for next year. But, I will tell you that those same mothers that you've encountered on the playground and at various classes, will be the mothers of Jeannie's classroom peers. It won't be any different than it is now- probably actually worse. People- both parents and children- have changed alot since we were in school. Times have changed. OK, I've rambled long enough. Guess I just have a strong opinion on this one! Back to the original post- Randa~ you're doing what's best! Keep up the good work!
It seems to be the way of the world these days. Those who are loving and kind are the minority. When Ashley finished 3rd grade, I called her teacher and said "now that school is out for the summer, can you be honest and tell me if you ever saw Ashley do anything unkind to deserve to be treated so mean and unfair?" and she told me that she never saw Ashley do anything unkind, but that in over 30 years of teaching, she had the worst bunch of 3rd grade girls that she had ever seen. Things aren't getting any better!
thank you ladies for your support. Yes, I am confident enough that my decision is the right decision. I like that idea of having her friends coming over after school so she can still see them from time to time. I think the worries that we have help us work more and trying hard to do better job. Good luck for all of us this year and all years. randa
Ladies: I read you thread and I wanted to say Heidi is right the kids have no time for socialization in school only on recess and then theres alot of bad things being said to each other. Yesterday we went to a surprise birthday party. One of the ladies there was a 6th grade math teacher. When she came over to talk to me about homeschooling. I thought to myself oh no I am trouble she is going to lay it on me thick here. Just take a deep breathe, maybe I should take up drinking beer, instead of water maybe I can make it through her little talk. lol. Any way she was very nice and very supportive.She told me she really didn't believe in homeschool at first but now she thinks its the best the thing a parent can do for there child or children if they can. She say the laws are so bad for children right now that they pass anyone and a teacher can't really teach the right way anymore. She said that the children don't get the right kind of socialization they need. They see alot of bad things. The schools are so over crowded the teachers can't help everyone like they want too. She patted me on the back and told me my girls were smart, polite young ladies. That we were doing a wonderful job with them. I had the biggest smile on my face the rest of the night. LOL I just thought you all would like to hear this from a teacher that is teaching right now in a public school.
Jumping in. . . I think being nice and kind would be the harder thing to do now-a-days in ps. I think it takes confidence in oneself to stand up for someone else, or even include them in a game when others may not want them there. Unfortunately, a lot of children these days are growing up with one parent raising them and the other not willing or able (in jail) to help out. The one parent at home is never home. These children are raising themselves in a kind of "Lord of the Flies" manner, doing whatever they can to get by. I am currently staying home with my two young children (both under 4). I will be homeschooling them and any other children I may have. My husband works as a police officer in our city and has taken many calls at schools, even elementary, where a child has brought a weapon to school and threatened someone else with it. Even guns. In elementary ps. Even the "better" schools in the "good" districts. It's incredibly scary to think that my children's lives could be threatened on a daily basis if I were unable to homeschool. That is just ONE of my reasons for homeschooling.
Oh, my. That is a sociopath in the making. We hunt for food. I don't even like hunting for pelts unless you plan on eating whatever you kill. Whoever said something about "warm fuzzies"...I remember those, too. We had a yarn necklace with little bits of yarn that we were to go up to people, give a compliment and tie on a piece of yarn symbolizing the warm fuzzy we just gave them. Kids thought it was a big joke. I remember a guy coming up to me and tying on a piece of string and telling me it's because I have a nice...uh...chest. Without consistant reinforcement, not to mention a moral code to back up the noble action, it's never gonna "bully proof" anything. Duh.
Wait a minute. This kid says he likes to shoot cats? Did you tell his parents?? Can you quietly get word to the police just so they can keep an eye on this kid? What's sad here is he was taught that joy he gets from shooting things. Probably by daddy.
You know, Settlers, if he isn't ready to gut, clean and butcher then you've been wise to warn him and see that he isn't ready. Another thing to be concerned about even more than dropping your quarry the first shot is how he would feel if he injured the animal and had to track it and shoot it again when it is injured. As a novice that could happen more times than what he might realize. Not that I discourage hunting, but if he is sensitive in that area it is something else to consider. My husband is a hunter, too. He hunts deer mostly, and only enough to feed us and a couple other households (three men go out and we always split whatever anyone gets between the three households). Last year dh was the only one to get anything, but the Lord blessed him with 4 deer (two bow, two shotgun) and even divided three ways it fed us all year. Bow season is about 4 weeks away and we still have a few roasts in the freezer. In that respect, providing for himself and loved ones, your son might decide hunting is worth risking his sensetivities. You're such a great mom! You seem to really be intuitive but only step in enough to guide your kiddos. I've really appreciated you on the board. --(warm fuzzies to ya!)
