What age do your kids want to stop HSing

I want to be prepared and know what to do when and if my boys decide they No longer want to homeschool. Do YOU feel guilty, what do you tell them?

 

Well my dd14 went back to school in 8th grade. She is now a freshman in high school and on the dance team and loving it and doing well. My dd7 has never been to school and will be finishing up 2nd grade right before Christmas. We go to all the football games and she loves to see her sister and friends dance on the field and in the stands but she also loves the mascots. She talks about doing one of those things when she gets older but we both love homeschooling so much that we take it day by day. If when she gets older she wants to participate in something like cheer or dance team then she would go to ps in 7th or 8th grade. She may decide that she doesn't in which case I am prepared to homeschool her till college.

 

I plan to HS through high school and part of college. I expect my kids will probably have an associate's degree (maybe bachelor's) before they leave home. I'm not going to push them into college if they'd rather do something else, but I'm certainly not going to push them out of the house too soon, either. If I have any say in it, they'll move out of my house the night they get married. :lol:

 

I agree with this. As far as when my boys want to stop HSing, as of now they want to go through high school, they don't want to go to ps. Now, I will have to say that 4.5 yo wants to ride the school bus but he just wants to get on and then ride it back home to "school with mom." I love that boy!

 

I plan to go through High School. My kids are WELL AWARE of that. We simply don't put PS as an option. IF, and WHEN, they might want to attend school, I would hope I could afford an acceptable private school - there are a couple around here that sort of run on a homeschooling/self pacing methodology.

I don't know. We feel that homeschooling is a commitment we made - similar to a marriage - and the commitment helps making it easier to do. Even on our bad days - one of us, or one of the kids will say something that's a positive.

 

I'm like Krista. This is what we do; the kids really don't have much choice about it. If for some reason they REALLY want to go to school, we might look into a private Christian school and then make a choice.

 

Education, rather in PS or HS, isn't like Baby Teeth, theres no time table to figure out when your kids will out grow it.

The only ones who will be able to tell you, are your boys.

You can plan and pray and then see what happens.
I was homeschooled. Sometimes, I HATED it, but looking back I'm grateful and understanding of the choices my parents made when they made them, even though I can see the chinks and scars of what might have been a bad decision or an imperfect plan.

I like the idea of seeing my kids through highschool and at least part of College, as I hope to streamline and individualize my kids education. My ideal plan would wind up with them Dual enrolling at either a Technical School and/or Community College while a HighSchool student so that they can graduate with a HS Diploma, AA degree and a job skill certification or two all within the same year.

But thats a long, long, way off. Take it one day at a time, do whats right, when it is required. Isn't that what responsibility is? Doing the right thing when it needs to be done, regardless of how we might feel.

As Parents and teachers we are first and foremost responsible for our kids and all their needs, at some point your going to have to decide which facet of your kids health is more important, LONG term.

Its good to push our kids, but its wrong to knock them over.
Its good to let kids be, but not let them get lax.
Sometimes we have to do anything we can to stir their minds and keep them from stagnating in their development, even for a little while.

Parenting is a juggling act, the key is balance, and the trick to balance is simply readjusting yourself quickly, and efficiently so that you dont over tip yourself.

 

My goal with my own dd is to give her a very firm foundation in math and reading, then to give her the option of going back to ps.

Honestly, though, she loves homeschooling. She is a kid who thrives on having time to herself, has a truly erratic sleep schedule (she's her mother's daughter there), and seems to be much more outgoing and productive at home. She likes her friends, but she doesn't miss them as much as one might think. (even in ps, she spent just as much time playing by herself as she did with anyone else). She's also extremely attached to me, so it feels like attachment parenting as much as schooling .

My ds is a different creature. I gave him the option (he's 9 btw). He prefers school. He is extremely EXTREMELY social, and without enough 'friend time' he gets very cranky (his father's son LOL). Although I don't 100% like our ps, he does very well there. I honestly think he would get VERY VERY lonely at home, no matter how much time I tried to give him with friends.

I think my goal is to do what is best for both of them. If it becomes obvious ds would do better at home, I'll pull him. If I see that dd needs ps, I'll send her back. We just take it one day at a time, and I feel blessed to have this extra time with her

 

My kids are expecting to homeschool all the way through high school and then attend the local college while living at home. For now at least they have accepted this as the plan and are very happy with it. They may not like it later and then we'll also have to look at private schools because we are not allowing them to attend the public ones in our area.

 

For my kids, ps is not an option. My middle and youngest were in ps last year (briefly) and it was a mistake-even they agreed. So I don't think it'll come up again.

When my little one talks about going to school its only to play recess and ride the bus.

 

Our kids will be hsed thru high school as well. we don't ask our kids whether or not they want to sleep, or eat healthy food, or go to church. They do it because I am the mom and I make the rules. So I don't plan to ask them if they would prefer to ps. This is just what we as a family have commited to.

 

Well, bottom line, I'm in the camp of the parent makes the education decisions. However, I'm pretty sure as our boys approached high school age, we'd be open to hearing their ideas, most especially if they had a longer term vision that just those years of high school.

I'm very, very doubtful however. I taught in public schools - different states, different districts, and different levels - and I can see that my oldest two simply will not fit in well. It's for completely different reasons - they have very different personalities and interests. But public schools are saddled with the task of moving a group of children through a series of content. The child who is way ahead in one subject and way behind in another (not for not making an effort), or the child who has a greater need for physical activity (not medication)...these children don't fit into the system well. It's a situation I would work really, really hard to avoid for my children.

Plus...my kids are already pretty clued in. They do more content areas (subjects) than the public schools, yet they still complete their school work several hours before their friends get home each day. I think they have no interest at this time in losing those hours of freedom (hours I consider self-directed learning).

 

Thank you all your your great impute. The one thing I hear a lot of is taking it one day dy a time. Will do, thanks.

 

dd13 wants to go next year (10th grade) and if she still feels that way when sept 2011 comes around, then we'll make it happen. she'll be nearly 15 years old by then and i think that's old enough to make that choice herself...forcing her to stay home would be a bit like the horse & water ~ she wouldn't drink.

besides...there's so much there that i can't give her at home... sports, art, band, drama, travel club, choir, dance... plus it's a vocational type school and also offers welding, mechanics, cosmetology (she's interested in being a hairdresser), and various other trades. i can't replicate any of that at home - and the few similar activities in the community that i've found are VERY expensive (and some have waitlists of YEARS).

 

My ds(9) would like to homeschool til the end of 8th grade and then go to high school. I'm fine with that. That's what his sisters did. There is so much high school choice here. Ds will probably choose a high school for either film or fine arts.

 

My ds13 (14 in one month) is in 9th grade and even after a long day of math (which he does struggle with a bit) he told my under no uncertain terms would he ever go to school, and if I tried to enroll him, he would run away from it and come back home. I love on even a bad day of homeschooling is better than any day at "school"! We spoke to him about it, and it looks like he will finish HS and part of college at home with us - he is looking forward to it!

 

My son doesn't want to go to school, so for that reason plus personal conviction--we are going through high school. If something major came up that made it too hard to something--I would pray at what to do, because he is almost old enough to drop out and I would almost rather that than ps.

 

mine until they are done High School.

 

my dd started making noises about going to school in the fifth grade. Several of her friends started school then and I think that is what started it.

She has no choice though. This is what is best for our family, so that's that.

 

I'm not sure.

Ideally, I'd like to homeschool through high school. However, as it stands right now, we'll reevaluate homeschooling after each child completes 8th grade. And, I can't predict the future, so they may have to go back to PS sooner than that, I certainly hope not though.

Until high school though, they really don't have a choice. We're the parents. Though that's not to say I won't listen to them and consider it, but right now they are so young and my oldest has been to PS and does NOT want to go back!