My parents were homeschool pioneers. They started in 1986. My father's sister started homeschooling her children a few years after we started. There was a pretty huge stigma back in the day, but I think it has become much more mainstream. I know many families in my community who homeschool. I think it is easier than ever, especially with online programs that are available.
My entire extended family is very close (a typical large southern family). We have all lived in the same city all my life (until this year!), weekends/holidays at a family ranch, and when I was elementary age and younger, the adults worked for my grandfather and we all lived in the same neighborhood! I'm talking around 50 people. As you can guess, lots of drama and excitement over any little thing. No one was ever homeschooled, so when we decided it was best for us (10 year old began kindergarten) my family went nuts. Everyone thought we were CRAZY, my papaw thought it'd make my kids lazy (what?), my cousins thought they'd be "really weird" socially, every one had such a negative opinion. My mom became a public school teacher a few years before we began hs'ing, and she was very concerned with the whole idea. Now, 5 years later, everyone sees how educated, well behaved and socially adjusted my kids are (and more advanced). My mom raves about them and the whole family has changed their opinion on homeschooling. Every now and then someone may say, I'm worried about YOU, don't you need a break? We are still the only ones homeschooling - but my cousin has a 5 year old (so do I) and they recently started a PreK/learn to read curriculum because my 5 year old could read =) Maybe she'll stick with it?
:lol: My brother in law said every homeschooled kid he's ever met has been a bit odd. Pot calling the kettle black cos he's 'a bit odd' too :lol: Gotta love him though
My mother homeschooled several of my brothers and sisters, and me for my last year of high-school. When she started out, she was very dedicated and well organized, and had plenty of time on her hands to devote to each child. By the time I was pulled out of my public school (I was getting bad grades, mostly because I was bored) she wasn't really doing much. So, initially, I got kind of bad thinking about homeschool. My husband and I moved to Japan (military) and there we found a church home, and the most awesome homeschool family! They have 6 kids, and they have homeschooled them all! The mom was just amazing! She was involved, she was organized, and she knew what she was doing. Their kids were the best behaved I had ever seen. Yes ma'am, No sir, and those were teenagers! They were always offering to help with things that need to be done, and never had a bad attitude about it. I want my kids to be like that. So, back in the states, DH and I were thinking about HS'ing. I was terrified to teach my DS how to read, as I had never done it before, and DH was still a bit wary of HS'ing. So, DS entered PS for kindergarten. He had homework every night. He was bringing home stories of bullying, and things that he "learned" on the bus. In the midst of all that, his teacher was AMAZING! She was really great with him, and with all the kids. I would go and volunteer with his class so I got to see a lot of what they did first-hand, which was really an eye-opener. In the spring of the next year, we decided that we would visit a homeschool convention (Wow! That was only last year!) DH was completely sold. We sat in on a lecture about how well children do academically with HS'ing, and he loved it! I decided that I would start HS'ing a couple of weeks after PS let out (my thinking being that if it didn't work out that I would still have time to put him back in PS). We aren't looking back. DS, who should have just finished 1st, is now finishing up 2nd, he LOVES to read (which is something that Kinder did not do for him), and I am looking forward to teaching my 4 year old some sight words this year. As for extended family who HS, I actually do have a few. My sister Kim HS's her two (her oldest is genius-level), my other sister Amber plans on HS'ing her three, my brother John really wants to homeschool his 2. My brother Brett (who was not homeschooled, but saw the advantages) homeschools his daughter. My brother Paul homeschooled his son for one year, but I don't know if he will go back to it or not for his younger 2. For all the family I have who support it, I have a LOT who are emphatically against it. My sister Kelly has told me time and again that kids are not socially prepared, and it is something she would never choose. The funny thing is that her husband has mentioned that he would like for her to try it! LOL! My family on my fathers side are all very academically inclined, and so really feel that a "normal" school setting is the best for children. They have never outright said anything, but I have seen them giving my kids the looks, like they are looking for something wrong. LOL, they can keep looking! My husbands family were not for homeschooling in the beginning either. They have really come around though. Last year, my MIL had heart surgery, and she needed someone who could be there with her. So, I packed up the kids, the school material, and headed down to Texas. We were there for about 2 weeks, and I think they were really impressed with the work that DS was doing, and of course, they saw the benefit of being able to go where we needed when we needed to!
When I started homeschooling, I didn't realize that I already had two cousins that homeschooled their kids. They're sisters, and their family (mom and sibs) are very conservative Christian. It wasn't until I was at a family reunion that I learned they were hsers too. Then, a few years ago, my (now ex-)husband's aunt announced that she was homeschooling her kids. (ex-dh's uncle is 5-6 years older than him, so their kids are younger than ours) They're a military family, both parents are doctors, neither of them are extremely religious, to my knowledge. Another uncle started homeschooling their high school boys at one point, because they were struggling academically, but I'm honestly not sure how long they stayed at it. My parents and my ex's parents were both against homeschooling, and of our siblings, his sister just had the only other cousin in Feb, so no chance to percolate out in that direction yet - but I think we've made some progress.
I have three older sisters and two brothers. My sister D has 6 children. She started homeschooling in the 1980s with her kids. They are now ages 36, 32, 28, 23, 19 and her youngest is age 10. My sister enrolled her youngest public school due to health reasons (my sister suffers from rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia). My sister D was a major influence to me. Long before I had children my sister invited me many times to her home and I saw first hand the positive results of homeschooling with her children. One of my sister's daughters homeschooled her children as well. So we have generations of homeschoolers in our family now. We are close sisters and she lives next door to us. She now tells me that I am a strong influence on her. She recently started bible devotions with her youngest and will be covering History with her during the summer.
You must be part of MY family! My BIL says the same thing, and that is based on his experience as a youth pastor so he "knows"!!!
1 - one of my 2nd cousin's "homeschooled" her daughter in high school and gave it a bad name as far as my grandmother is concerned. One of my dad's sisters homeschools her twins. My sister homeschooled her children last year and loved it but her husband pressured her to put the kids in PS this year. She's really missed it. My sisters and I went to public school. My husband and his sister went to public school and all of our parents went to public school. 2 - I think I first thought of it as a truly viable option when I met friends at church who homeschooled. Those same friends were definitely great examples of homeschooling moms/families. Once I decided to homeschool while pregnant with our oldest I never wavered over the decision once. Anyway we've moved across the country since then and even here we have tons of church friends that homeschool so I have tons of great support and a wealth of information (well except for my grandma.... who ironically always raves to my mom about how great my kids are after we visit her. :lol
