Ds1 is 3 (April bday), and everyone around mme is pressuring me to put him in pre k. He knows how to spell his name, count to 10, his colors, sing abc, most shapes, animals and a few other things. Dh and i have discussed homeschooling, and he "kind of" likes the idea. The only thing is he says he wants ds1 to have a "normal" life and go to school. I can also imagine what the grandparents will have to say LOL Any ideas on how to get dh to fully understand the benefits of homeschooling. Also, to show him ds will still be well adjusted and normal lol. ETA: Any ideas on what most 3 year olds need to know? Right now i just use online printables and activities. We also do alot of outside, hands on learning. I'm in the Bahamas, hopefully i can find others here too! Thanks!
What part of normal does he want? sex ed in kinder? bullies? the whole class held back for the slowest? a distracted, uninterested teacher who doesn't love your child? I know I know, preaching to the choir.
Thank you sooooo much That is some awesome info!! Nice blog, i'm saving that to my favorites! Ot: I see your in Canada...I have family in Richmond Hill
Maybe you can agree to try homeschooling for 1 year and see how it goes? It's often hard for those (especially grandparents) to understand the value of hs until they see it. Also, it may be different where you live, but in FL all homeschool kids can participate in public school teams and clubs, so they can get the best of the 'normal life' while you still control the education. When we made the decision it was just to see how it went, and now I can't imagine ever going back. Best of luck!
Thank you That's a great idea to try hs for a year to see how it goes. I can't wait to suggest that to dh!
Pray about it! I had to send my oldest to PS for 2 years to get hubby to see PS wasn't like it used to be...it's worse, way worse, than it was when we were kids. Now he's 100% on board with homeschooling. But I prayed those 2 years! LOL And hit him with all those stats! http://www.letshomeschool.com/articles39.html http://www.hslda.org/docs/nche/000010/200410250.asp http://www.nheri.org/NHERI-Research.html (TONS of info here )
If you can find any homeschool day activities, try to take him to one. We go to several during the year, and even I find it comforting to see that homeschool kids seem perfectly 'normal.' LOL For example, Six Flags has a homeschool day each year, and we go. It's just interesting to see that all the kids are acting just like regular kids--- they're hanging out with their friends and families and wearing normal clothes and eating the same junk anyone else would. They're laughing and talking. It's just good reaffirmation that homeschoolers are perfectly functional people, too.
I was also going to suggest plugging into a homeschool group now. Being around that environment, and seeing all the "socialization" that goes on is a big asset to your argument.
One of the things I did was to show my DH what was available online. He is now very familiar with this forum and what they can do to help. I researched threads in here that helped with legal questions, socialization, free lessons online and also showed him how the people in here are so responsive. You can get answers to your questions quickly, and from several angles. The best thread I found was on the free internet links available for homeschooling. It shows just how much is available and that you can provide your child with a rich format of education that is tailored to their interests and needs. For help go into the thread starter area and do a search for the keywords: Free Internet Curriculum
Here's an article published just yesterday about home homeschoolers do better in college that PS kids http://moneywatch.bnet.com/saving-m...on/can-homeschoolers-do-well-in-college/2551/
If you can afford it, I highly recommend the Turning Hearts Davis Seminar CD Set. I can't post a link because I've not been a member here long enough, but it's available at "homeschool marketplace dot com" Here is a description: The Best of Chris and Ellyn Davis, this set contains seminars given by Chris and Ellyn Davis of The Elijah Company at home schooling conventions. The set contains: How Not to Teach Like the Public Schools (seeking a biblical approach to education); When Mothers Teach Resistant Sons and Daughters (what strains the mother-child relationship); Turning the Hearts of Fathers (why men have moved away from family leadership and how this affects both boys and girls); There is a Bigger Picture (home schooling is part of a total lifestyle); Identity Directed Home Schooling (finding God's destiny for each child and building education around it); Seven Habits of Successful Home Schooling; Charting a Course for High School; and Science in the Homeschool. People have told us this set of CDs changed their lives. It's about $80 for 8 cd's. I ordered these years ago on tape and gave them to my Mom and my husband's Mother to listen to and it greatly helped them to understand what we were doing and why and of course, it was a great help to us too.
Thanks alot ladies :love: All of the information and advice has been super helpful! Dh has agreed to give it a try. So, i am really excited. I don't even care what anyone else has to say now...i know all of the benefits to hsing, and that's all that matters! Thanks again
As men, I think we're more interested in the results than in the process. Will my child succeed this way? Will my child be socially mature? Can we as parents really train the child as well as teachers with university degrees? And even, will my child be the school's star quarterback? I would suggest finding as many independent reports as you can about how well homeschooled students perform. One was already posted on the social issues, but it won't be hard to see how well they perform in the SAT, in the national spelling and other bees, in winning university scholarships, and so on. They must not be biased reports, though, otherwise they'll not come across as credible.
If it's any consolation to your dh, we homeschooled our older daughter during Middle School years, at which point she attended a reasonably sized Christian high school - where she was valedictorian. Academically, homeschooling didn't hurt her one bit. Indeed, it's one reason why she was awarded two degrees at university and not just one - because of the small group Spanish lessons she shared with other homeschoolers. And I'm sure many parents at these forums could pass along similar stories. They are the norm, not the exception.
Your DS1 is only 3....Tell 'em to just give you 3 years and then re-think their opinions. I am trying my durndest to get a hold of this book How to Teach Your Child To Read in Just 10 Minutes a Day, because I hear its great for little kids (2 and up.) I'm now one of those people who like LeapFrog videos, so you might wanna invest in a couple or get them from the library like I did. Also, visit the library regularly. Read, watch and play with as much media and toys as you can get your student excited or interested in.
