Full day is HUGE compared to what he is doing now. And he will be bored if he is way beyond some of the basics. My kids were both bored - I just wasn't granted patience and the solid commitment until this year to homeschool. My kids do a PE class 1x per week where they get to see kids - then a park day 1x per week (sometimes they don't get that like today) and then 4-H. Beyond that, we live on 30 acres.. there aren't too many kids around. But though they have their moments of complaining (ages 10 & 8) about having friends over - they both do really well and when they do get the chance they are really good about it and I think handle more social situations a little better. Peer pressure was HUGE! It was cute for awhile when my daughter would say she had 8 boyfriends... but then the girls in her class would actually get into FIGHTS (this is 1st grade) about whose boyfriend the kid was!! My son - 4th grade - absolutely awful language and movies these parents allowed them to watch. Now though - they are moving ahead of their former classmates and doing quite well with it. I shocked them yesterday telling them that maybe in the spring they would each be in the "next grade"! That made them thrilled to death! Especially when I told my son "wouldn't it be cool to tell tyler you are now in the same grade as him?" who is a friend who would make comments like "well you're only in ** grade" for awhile (trying to act all cool).
I hope I didnt offend you. These are just my ramblings lol....I realize now I referred to ALL children and thats just stupid lol. However, I still think most kids (especially mine) would rather be homeschooled. IF they were getting out there and experiencing the world. Like vacations, trips to the museum, science center, zoo and all the other fun activites most public school kids miss out on because they have to be in class for most of the day. Now on the other hand if homeschool was just "school at home" where they were sitting around for most of the day doing worksheets, then I'm sure they'd prefer to go to school at least that way they would be with their friends. So I guess theres more to my original statement. It depends on how your homeschooling, and what activities you have lined up that interest your children. It also depends on what your public or private school is like as well. In our community our schools are horrible. Drugs, low academic achievement, etc. Our schools dont have enough money to get the basics, let alone pay for activities for the students there.
Kathy, I am a reluctant homeschool mom too. I never ever thought I would be homeschooling my own kids. For one I didnt think I could teach my kids what they needed to know which is just a crazy thought, lol. To be fair though...If we had a good private school to send my kids to that maybe offered 1/2 day classes and had fun activities going on, then I'd be all over that! lol
Not offended at all. Only wanted to point out that a blanket statement of sorts doesn't fit everyone. Don't worry about it. Just to add though, my son's school goes on a field trip about every month (this month they are going to the college for a presentation on different countries) so he isn't missing out on going places, and the school is big on challenging the kids so they can keep ahead if they are ahead of the game. The grade is only a "label", but it doesn't mean they are in that grade for every subject. Example...Tanner is in K, but for reading, writing, and math he is doing 1st grade curriculum even though he is still in a K "classroom". Each school is different, there are some that are bad, and some that are good. Not every school is well put together like my son's. Had we not found the school he is in, I am certain he'd be homeschooled because many of the other schools here are rotten. My honest opinion...when "school" is done "right" it is awesome, just like when homeschooling is done right it is awesome. The key...to do it "right" (right meaning what is best for your child since all children are different) and your child will succeed.
Jen, your son's school is a rare exception to the norm. Most schools have no field trips now, because schools aren't allowed to ask students for money. It's also very rare for a child as young as Tanner to be provided with challenging work. Most schools simply just don't have the resources or the manpower for that. I'm glad it works for your family.
Jennie, Your sons school does sound awesome. What a rare find. Your very eloquent, I was trying to say that myself but it came out wrong lol.
Then there's this: I've homeschooled for so long that I can't imagine NOT having my kids at home! They grow up so fast, I don't WANT to send them to somone else to teach---no matter how good the school/teacher is! That said, I was sort of forced into Homeschooling. But I'm so glad things worked out that way! I wouldn't trade these years with my kids for ANYTHING!!!
At this point, I wouldn't send mine to school regardless of how good it was either. God put certain circumstances in our lives to tell me the I needed to be the one teaching my kids.
Deena, I've often thought about how fast my children are growing up too. I want to be apart of my kids lives and when Noah was in kindy it was like I didnt even know my own son! I'll ask friends about questions about their kids occasionally and they respond "I dont know?"...I want to know what my kids are learning, I want to know if theyre struggling in school, I want to know who their friends are etc etc.
Wow, that's amazing. I'll have to agree that is rare. About the only place you'll see things like that around here are the magnet schools and the gifted and talented schools. The regular schools don't challenge anyone, if anything they dumb them down. In our county the curriculum itself is totally geared to the low average student. When dd was in K last year, they were only counting to 5 by Christmas and working on the letter F. It was at that point after meetings with the teacher and principal we realized she wasn't going to get anywhere. Challenge was not in their vocabulary. I can't say we'd never put dd back in school. If we lived somewhere with a magnet school or a school with smaller class sizes that didn't focus so much on creating robots, then we might take the leap.
Kim I just read your post... There are "gifted" schools, awesome! How do you find something like that?
Yeah, that's the way I feel too! I LOVE seeing those things and knowing who my children are and what they like, and being close to them! It's harder to do when they're in school!
My dd was in ps from k to 3rd. She is the definition of "social butterfly" - so I had a VERY hard time pulling her out. She had learning issues, so I was kind of forced into hsing. I can't tell you the guilt I felt - but keeping her in was out of the question. It did turn out fine, pulled her out and all was well, however, she did miss the classroom and all the kids. If I had a crystal ball, I would have hsed from the beginning, so she wouldn't know any better.
Well I wouldn't know about the gifted school if a friend hadn't mentioned it lol. But I knew about the magnet schools- which is actually geared towards gifted students as well because you do have to be assessed and haven't certain scores to get into them. Earlyriser, my dd is also a social butterfly and I carried the same guilt for so long. I still have those pangs every now and then a year later when she says she misses so and so, and misses being around all the other kids. Makes it really hard and gets expensive trying to find activities to keep up with her being so social. She's an only child right now so it's not like she has siblings to talk to lol. All she has is me and her dog LOL. But we do fine most days. Public school here would never be an option again and like you, I wish we'd just homeschooled her from the start. But I let my certain people like my mother convince me that a regular classroom was the best thing.
Thats where I am right now. My family all say school is the best place for kids....I however feel differently. Sometimes I wonder if theyre right...hence my starting this thread lol. Other times I am a confident homeschooler that can conquer the world lol. Jackie
