Need your input on homeschooling?

Question

My daughter is going to gr8 next year and I am contemplating homeshooling for the following reasons: I recently started working 9-5 after 2years and there is a drop in school marks, she seems to need constant encouragement; she is very intelligent but lazy and loves music, friends & the normal stuff teenagers do, but I get the feeling she thinks is is at school just for the friends part of it- I do not want her to not have contact with friends though. I would like to be there for her because I feel she needs guidance, encouragemnt, etc... This is a serious problem for me as I am just so scared I deprive her of other friends her age, she is a social child and very popular, but in my heart I know she is going to struggle in high school. What do you suggest?

Sorry, yes I will stop working and carry on with my own little business which I can decide my own hours on. I just need her to do the best she can & I do not see that happening without MOM

Answer 1

Hi, Need, i home school my children and I also have a homeschooling resource egroup, so I felt the need to help you with this answer i decided for many reason why i wanted to home school my children and the main reasons where just what you posted I do not want my children in a social gathering it interrupts there thinking process. i believe when Public schools first came about that they may have been better for children back in them days but i think it is a waste of time for our today's children main reason why is because School Public school has become a fashion show, dance club, popular club our children are faced with peer pressure day in and day out due to what is in and what is not.. But what most parents do not see is that it really does affect some children some children can learn in this type of environment and most cannot. so I just wanted to say that you are on the right track and do not give up you do what is best for your baby so that you do not lose her to this crazy today's world its harder out there and if our kids do not get an education that is going to send them some where in life then what have we done as parents but failed. Homeschooling can be challenging but it is most differently rewarding. I hope this help some please feel free to contact me if you need to

Answer 2

OH, you're going to stop working? Well good grief dear, that changes everything, doesn't it?
Disregard what I said then. If you are dedicated to your daughter and doing what's best for her, then of course, you will do just fine.
:)


First of all, hats off to you for seeking out information and answers instead of just jumping in to something blindly or dismissing an option based on misinformation.
Based on the information you gave, it would be difficult, but not "non do-able"
You said you were working full time again which means your daughter would be alone unless you made arrangments for someone else to be there with her. You also said she is not exactly motivated. Those two things do not go well together. If you decided to take a non conventional approach to when you homeschool and do work in the evenings, she would be left all day with practically nothing to do and she wouldn't like that (I have a 9th grade daughter)
You would not be depriving her of friends if she would still be allowed to socialize with her PS friends, and if you found a homeschool group in your area that offered activities. The down side to that is if you are at work all day, then you would not be available to take her to activities that are scheduled during the day and probably would not be available to get involved in teaching co-ops.
So, can you do it? You and your child must be in agreement, and specific guidlines would have to be set.
Would it be an ideal situation? No, it would be hard.
The work load in homeschooling can be tougher than PS, as most (not all, just most) homeschool programs are advanced over what is being taught in the public schools. She will have to work extra hard whether at home or at school.
If you are manily concerned that your daughter seems only interested in friends and stuff, and you are trying to change her focus, I don't think homeschooling will solve that. Homeschool kids are the same as other kids. My darling daughter would prefer to IM, text, blog, and listen to her Ipod rather than work, no doubt about it. Sometimes I feel as though she only wants to go to church to see her friends. all normal stuff
But then, I'll "catch" her being the kid I want her to be: studying past her cut off time, working ahead, volunteering at church, doing her chores without having to be yelled at.
It's all part of parenting.
Keep researching, and if you are a woman of faith, then pray about it too.
good luck, dear.

Answer 3

I would suggest that you research all you can on home schooling,borrow books,join a home school group and they might have meetings for beginners like you.And if you decide to home school,go to www.cbd.com and there you'll find all sorts of curriculum's for teaching.Sit down with your daughter and ask her what she thinks of school,does she only want to stay in public school cause of friends,and if that's the only reason,really talk to her about home schooling.I have friends who are both home schooled and public schooled,so it is possible for her to keep all her friends,and get a better education at the same time.I would also look into curriculum's that are more for kids that don't need a parents there with them teaching them,most are things that come on cdrom,so look into that.Your daughter can also make new friends at the home school group,cause they do all sorts of cool things,like swimming,sports,and yearbook staff,so she might like that.Research a lot,so that way you have a better understanding of the pros and cons.GOOD LUCK!

Answer 4

You will either need to stop working full-time and stay home with your daughter or find a way to take her to work with you. I did this for awhile when my children were younger. Well, 8 through 15 (4 of them). They would come to the electrician's shop where I worked and do their studies in a separate room. It worked very well. When they were done they could go to the library, the park, friends houses etc..... Usually, they would work while I worked and we would all be done at the same time. Then we would go on field trips or to music lessons or sports.